LOW COST AUTOMATED ON SITE SYSTEM FOR GROWING AND DISPENSING VEGETATIVE BACTERIA

Microorganisms have been utilized for many years to enhance the bioremediation process of municipal, industrial and agricultural wastewaters. Vegetative bacteria are key to the breakdown of organic matter collected from these waste streams. Historically, bacteria have been available commercially as dormant/resting spores and at relatively low activity levels. As a consequence of these limitations, it has been economically prohibitive in many systems to utilize appropriate levels of bacteria required to significantly reduce Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG). This system affords the ability to deliver Pseudomonas and Bacillus species on site at high concentrations.Extensive research and engineering development conducted by NCH Corporation has resulted in a system, which is a patented onsite fermentation technology. This process generates and delivers 3 × 1013 vegetative bacterial cells every 24 hours to treat wastewater systems, effectively and economically, which previously were not candidates for biological treatment of BOD and FOG.The BioAmp® delivers the equivalent of 25-50 lbs. of commercially available dry bacterial bran powder every 24 hours. This is accomplished at a cost of less than 10% of comparable quantities of dry powder. With this new technology, efficacy data has been generated in a standard format that demonstrates reproducible BOD reduction compared to baseline data in a number of case studies. This type of data generation is new to the industry.The BioAmp® growth vessel is charged daily with water and tablets, which contain nutrients and bacterial inoculants. These bacterial strains have been selected for their ability to catabolize starches, proteins, sugars, hydrocarbons, animal fats, cooking greases and oils. Air is supplied continuously to the growth vessel to support aerobic bacterial generation, while dissolved oxygen is maintained within the vessel. The bacteria grow and reproduce, as they are continuously recirculated via a pump, which injects the liquid culture at a tangentially directed flow into the growth vessel. It is this tangential flow that creates a vortex, and suppresses foaming. At the end of the 24 hour growth cycle, the highly concentrated bacteria are automatically discharged to a desired location. Once the growth vessel is emptied, the process is repeated.