AMMONIA AIR STRIPPING

New technologies continue to enhance old applications in unique ways. In the past, air stripping to remove ammonia from a process stream having high total suspended solids (TSS) and high total dissolved solids (TDS) was difficult and expensive. Maintenance on plugged tower, trays and other equipment added too much to the cost of operation. And the disposal of cleaning fluids and materials added more costs. With the process stream pH raised above 11 and the temperature above 120°F an alternate method of treatment was evaluated, chosen, designed, constructed, and proven viable. This new technology in air stripping has reduced the waste stream ammonia from 1,200ppm to less than 11ppm from evaporation pond leachate water before the treated water is release under TPDES permit to a protected tributary. Waste solids from the process are non-hazardous and the ammonia off-gas from the stripping unit is absorbed into a sellable product (ammonium sulfate).