ENHANCED ACTIVATED SLUDGE SYSTEM FOR REMOVING PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) FROM A FLOW OF WASTEWATER AND/OR LANDFILL LEACHATE
An enhanced activated sludge system for removing PFAS from a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate includes at least one bioreactor configured to receive a flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and configured to promote growth of biological flocs. The at least one bioreactor mixes the biological flocs with a particulate media to form biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media which adsorb and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and outputs a flow of biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto and treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed. A separation subsystem separates the biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto from the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate and outputs a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
1 . An 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 configured to receive the flow wastewater and/or landfill leachate and configured to promote growth of biological flocs;
the at least one bioreactor configured to mix the biological flocs with particulate media to form biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media which adsorb and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate and output a flow of biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto and treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed; and
a separation subsystem configured to separate the biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto from the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate and output a flow of the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
2 . The system of claim 1 in which the particulate media includes at least one of: granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product, powdered activated carbon (PAC) or biochar.
3 . The system of claim 1 in which the separation subsystem includes at least one of: a secondary clarifier, a membrane filter, or a sequencing batch reactor (SBR).
4 . The system of claim 3 in which at least one of the secondary clarifier, the membrane filter, or the SBR is configured to output a waste flow of biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
5 . The system of claim 4 in which the waste flow of biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms in the bioreactor.
6 . The system of claim 4 in which the waste flow biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
7 . The system of claim 5 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 biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having the PFAS adsorbed thereto.
8 . An 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 promoting growth of biological flocs;
mixing the biological flocs with a particulate media to form biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media which adsorb and remove a majority of the PFAS from the flow of wastewater and/or landfill leachate;
outputting a flow of biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto and treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed;
separating the biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the majority of PFAS adsorbed thereto from the treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate; and
outputting a flow of treated wastewater and/or landfill leachate having a majority of the PFAS removed.
9 . The method of claim 8 in which the particulate media includes at least one of: granular activated carbon (GAC) reactivation waste product, powdered activated carbon (PAC) or biochar.
10 . The method of claim 8 in which the separating step produces a waste flow of biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto.
11 . The method of claim 10 in which the waste flow of biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto is set to control a biological population of microorganisms.
12 . The method of claim 10 in which the waste flow biological flocs enmeshed with particulate media having PFAS adsorbed thereto is used to create a waste product.
13 . The method of claim 12 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 biological flocs enmeshed with the particulate media having the PFAS adsorbed thereto.