GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) REACTIVATION WASTE PRODUCT ENHANCED ACTIVATED SLUDGE SYSTEM FOR REMOVING PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) FROM A FLOW OF WASTEWATER AND/OR LANDFILL LEACHATE
A granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product enhanced activated sludge system for removing PFAS from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill includes at least one bioreactor including biomass to receive the flow wastewater and/or landfill leachate and to promote growth of biological flocs and an impregnation subsystem to receive a flow of biomass and a predetermined amount of GAC reactivation waste product and to blend the biomass with the GAC reactivation waste product to form GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs. The at least one impregnation subsystem outputs a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs to the bioreactor such that the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs in the bioreactor adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and the bioreactor outputs a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto and wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed. The system also includes at least one secondary clarifier coupled to the bioreactor which separates the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto from the wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed and produces a flow the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
1 . A granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product enhanced activated sludge system for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the system comprising:
at least one bioreactor including biomass to receive the flow wastewater and/or landfill leachate and to promote growth of biological flocs;
at least one impregnation subsystem to receive a flow of biomass and a predetermined amount of GAC reactivation waste product and to blend the biomass with the GAC reactivation waste product to form GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs;
the at least one impregnation subsystem to output a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs to the bioreactor such that the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs in the bioreactor adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and the bioreactor outputs a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto and wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed; and
at least one secondary clarifier coupled to the bioreactor to separate the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto from the wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed and produce a flow the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
2 . The system of claim 1 in which at least one of the secondary clarifier or the bioreactor is configured to output a waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
3 . The system of claim 2 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 the bioreactor.
4 . The system of claim 2 in which the waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
5 . The system of claim 4 in which the waste product is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) 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.
6 . The system of claim 1 in which the impregnation subsystem includes at least one impregnation confinement area and at least one mixer.
7 . The system of claim 6 in which the impregnation confinement area includes at least one of: an impregnation tank or a baffed section in the bioreactor.
8 . The system of claim 6 in which the at least one impregnation confinement area is sized and configured to augment GAC reactivation waste product impregnation into the biological flocs.
9 . The system of claim 6 in which blending intensity in the impregnation confinement area are configured to augment GAC reactivation waste product impregnation into the biological flocs.
10 . The system of claim 1 in which the flow of biomass to the impregnation subsystem is from at least one of: the bioreactor or the secondary clarifier.
11 . The system of claim 1 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs enhance secondary clarification.
12 . The system of claim 1 in which the average size of the GAC reactivation waste product is less than about 600 microns.
13 . The system of claim 1 in which the impregnation subsystem blends the biomass with GAC reactivation waste product using mixing energy in the range of about 100 sec −1 to about 5,000 sec −1 .
14 . A granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product enhanced activated sludge method for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate, the method comprising:
receiving the flow wastewater and/or landfill leachate and to promote growth of biological flocs in a bioreactor;
receiving a flow of biomass and a predetermined amount of GAC reactivation waste product;
blending the biomass with the GAC reactivation waste product to form GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs;
outputting a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs to the bioreactor such that the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs in the bioreactor adsorb to and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate;
outputting a flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto and wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed;
separating the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having a majority of the PFAS adsorbed thereto from the wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed; and
producing a flow the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
15 . The method of claim 14 including outputting a waste flow of GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
16 . The method of claim 15 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 the bioreactor.
17 . The method 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 method of claim 17 in which the waste product is directed to at least one of: a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) subsystem 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 method of claim 14 in which the flow of biomass is from at least one of: the bioreactor or the secondary clarifier.
20 . The method of claim 14 in which the GAC reactivation waste product-impregnated biological flocs enhance secondary clarification.
21 . The method of claim 14 in which the average size of the GAC reactivation waste product is less than about 600 microns.
22 . The method of claim 14 in which the biomass is blended with GAC reactivation waste product using mixing energy in the range of about 100 sec −1 to about 5,000 sec −1 .