MODIFIED MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR(MBR) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOVING PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) FROM A FLOW OF WASTEWATER AND/OR LANDFILL LEACHATE
A MBR system for removing PFAS from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate includes an MBR which receives the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate having PFAS therein. An impregnation subsystem receives a flow of mixed liquor from the MBR and a predetermined amount PAC to maintain a predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass in the MBR and blends the biomass with the PAC to form PAC-impregnated biological flocs. An outlet coupled to impregnation subsystem outputs a flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs to the MBR such that the PAC-impregnated biological flocs in the MBR adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and the MBR outputs a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
1 . A modified membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the system comprising:
an MBR configured to receive the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate having PFAS therein, the MBR including biomass, a diffuser subsystem, and a membrane filter subsystem;
an impregnation subsystem including at least one impregnation tank and at least one mixer, the impregnation subsystem configured to receive a flow of mixed liquor from the MBR and a predetermined amount powered activated carbon (PAC) to maintain a predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass in the MBR and configured to blend the biomass with the PAC to form PAC-impregnated biological flocs; and
an outlet coupled to the at least one impregnation tank configured to output a flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs to the MBR such that the PAC-impregnated biological flocs in the MBR adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate such that the MBR outputs a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
2 . The system of claim 1 in which the predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass is in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 5:1.
3 . The system of claim 1 in which the predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass is set to enhance at least one of: the removal of PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, membrane filtration, or nitrification and the removal of biodegradable organic matter as measured by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
4 . The system of claim 1 in which the MBR is configured to output a waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
5 . The system of claim 4 in which the waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms in mixed liquor in the MBR.
6 . The system of claim 4 in which a waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
7 . The system of claim 6 in which the waste product is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process or a plasma gasification subsystem configured to destroy the waste product including the PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
8 . The system of claim 1 in which the PAC-impregnated biological flocs increase treatment kinetics thereby reducing the required hydraulic retention time and size of the MBR.
9 . The system of claim 1 in which at least one impregnation tank is sized and configured to augment PAC impregnation into the biological flocs.
10 . The system of claim 1 in which blending intensity in the impregnation tank is configured to augment PAC impregnation into the biological flocs.
11 . The system of claim 1 in which the PAC-impregnated biological flocs enhance membrane filtration.
12 . A modified membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the system comprising:
an MBR configured to receive a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate having PFAS therein, the membrane bioreactor including biomass, a diffuser subsystem, and a membrane filter subsystem;
an impregnation subsystem including at least one impregnation tank and at least one mixer, the impregnation subsystem configured to receive a flow of mixed liquor from the MBR and a predetermined amount granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product to maintain a predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass in the MBR and configured to blend the biomass with the GAC reactivation waste product to form GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs; and
an outlet coupled to the at least one impregnation tank configured to output a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs to the MBR such that the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs in the MBR adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate such that the MBR outputs a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
13 . The system of claim 12 in which the predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass is in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 5:1.
14 . The system of claim 12 in which the predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass is set to enhance at least one of: the removal of PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, membrane filtration, or nitrification and the removal of biodegradable organic matter as measured by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
15 . The system of claim 12 in which the MBR is configured to output a waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
16 . The system of claim 15 in which the waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms in mixed liquor in the MBR.
17 . The system of claim 15 in which the waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
18 . The system of claim 17 in which the waste product is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process or a plasma gasification subsystem configured to destroy the waste product including the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs and the PFAS adsorbed thereto.
19 . The system of claim 12 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs increase treatment kinetics thereby reducing the required hydraulic retention time and size of the MBR.
20 . The system of claim 12 in which the at least one impregnation tank is sized and configured to augment GAC reactivation waste product impregnation into the biological flocs.
21 . The system of claim 12 in which blending intensity in the impregnation tank is configured to augment GAC reactivation waste product impregnation into the biological flocs.
22 . The system of claim 12 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs enhance membrane filtration.
23 . A modified membrane bioreactor (MBR) method for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the method comprising:
receiving a flow of mixed liquor from the MBR and a predetermined amount powered activated carbon (PAC) to maintain a predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass in the MBR;
blending the biomass with the PAC to form PAC-impregnated biological flocs;
outputting a flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs to the MBR such that the PAC-impregnated biological flocs in the MBR adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate; and
outputting a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
24 . The method of claim 23 in which the predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass is in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 5:1.
25 . The method of claim 23 in which the predetermined ratio of PAC to biomass is set to enhance at least one of: the removal of PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, membrane filtration, or nitrification and the removal of biodegradable organic matter as measured by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
26 . The method of claim 23 including outputting a waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
27 . The method of claim 26 in which the waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms in mixed liquor in the MBR.
28 . The method of claim 26 in which the waste flow of PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
29 . The method of claim 28 in which the waste product including the PAC-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process or a plasma gasification subsystem configured to destroy the waste product.
30 . The method of claim 23 in which the PAC-impregnated biological flocs increase treatment kinetics thereby reducing the required hydraulic retention time and size of the MBR.
31 . The method of claim 23 in which the blending includes blending at an intensity which augments PAC impregnation into the biological flocs.
32 . The system of claim 23 in which the PAC-impregnated biological flocs enhance membrane filtration.
33 . A modified membrane bioreactor (MBR) method for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the method comprising:
receiving a flow of mixed liquor from the MBR and a predetermined amount granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product to maintain a predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass in the MBR;
blending the biomass with the GAC reactivation waste product to form 9 GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs;
outputting a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs to the MBR such that the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs in the MBR adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate; and
outputting a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
34 . The method of claim 33 in which the predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass is in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 5:1.
35 . The method of claim 33 in which the predetermined ratio of GAC reactivation waste product to biomass is set to enhance at least one of: the removal of PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, membrane filtration, or nitrification and the removal of biodegradable organic matter as measured by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
36 . The method of claim 33 including outputting a waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
37 . The method of claim 36 in which the waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms in mixed liquor in the MBR.
38 . The method of claim 36 in which the waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
39 . The method of claim 38 in which the waste product is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process or a plasma gasification subsystem configured to destroy the waste product including the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having the PFAS adsorbed thereto.
40 . The method of claim 33 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs increase treatment kinetics thereby reducing the required hydraulic retention time and size of the MBR.
41 . The method of claim 33 in which the blending includes blending at an intensity which augments GAC reactivation waste product impregnation into the biological flocs.
42 . The method of claim 33 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs enhance membrane filtration.