Process and apparatus for waste water treatment

1. A method of treating contaminants in water under anaerobic conditions having, active bacteria therein, said method comprising adding to said contaminated water a composition comprising an aqueous mixture of at least one carbohydrate and at least one alcohol.

2. A method of treating contaminants in water under anaerobic conditions having active bacteria therein, said method comprising adding to said contaminated water a composition comprising an aqueous mixture of at least one carbohydrate and at least one bacteriostat.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said composition further comprises nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a bacteriostat.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said contaminant comprises a member selected from the group consisting of nitrate, nitrite, perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, cyanide, chlorinated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said composition further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, sugars, glucose, galactose, maltose, fructose, disaccharides, trisaccharides, tetrasaccharides, higher saccharides, cellulose derivatives hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said alcohol comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol.

8. The method according to claim 2 or 4 , wherein said bacteriostat further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of methanol, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, nitro substituted compounds, isothiazolones, quaternary ammonium compounds, parabans, sodium benzoate, formalin, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, imidazolidnyl urea, diazolidnyl urea, 3-iodo-2propynyl butyl carbamate, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 2 or 4 , wherein said bacteriostat is present in said composition in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 5%.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carbohydrate and said at least one alcohol are produced by the action of enzymes, biological and chemical catalysts, and bacteria that will convert a useful precursor to an electron donor or carbon source.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said alcohol is present in an amount of from about 3% to about 40% by weight.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising adding bacteria to the composition capable of transforming said contaminants under anaerobic conditions.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said contaminant to be treated comprises a member selected from the group consisting of nitrate, nitrite, perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, cyanide, chlorinated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides.

14. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said bacteria are bacteria capable of transforming at least one contaminant selected from the group consisting of nitrate, nitrite, perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, cyanide, chlorinated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein said bacteria comprise a member selected from the group of denitrifiers, perchlorate reducers, cyanidases, chlorinated hydrocarbons reducers, aromatic hydrocarbon reducers, and pesticides reducers.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein said bacteria comprise a member selected from the group of denitrifiers, perchlorate reducers, cyanidases, chlorinated hydrocarbons reducers, aromatic hydrocarbon reducers, and pesticides reducers.

17. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said composition is an aqueous liquid with sufficiently low viscosity capable of being poured and pumped under pressure.

18. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said composition is non-flammable.

19. The method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said anaerobic conditions comprise an activated sludge system, an anaerobic reactor system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system or a filter media system.

20. Apparatus for the treatment of contaminants in water, comprising: a source of growing nitrifying bacteria effective for treating said contaminants under aerobic conditions, a source of growing bacteria effective for denitrification under anaerobic conditions; and a controller for introducing said growing bacteria to said contaminants in a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time, wherein said anaerobic conditions comprise an activated sludge system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system or a filter media system.

21. Apparatus for the treatment of contaminants in water, comprising: a source of growing nitrifying bacteria effective for treating said contaminants under aerobic conditions, a source of growing bacteria effective for denitrification under anaerobic conditions; and a controller for introducing said growing bacteria to said contaminants in a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time, wherein said aerobic conditions comprise an activated sludge system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system or a filter media system.

22. Apparatus for the treatment of contaminants in water, comprising: a source of growing nitrifying bacteria effective for treating said contaminants under aerobic conditions, and a controller for introducing said growing bacteria to said contaminants in a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time, wherein said aerobic conditions comprise an activated sludge system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system or a filter media system.

23. Apparatus for the treatment of contaminants in water, comprising: a source of growing denitrifying bacteria effective for treating said contaminants under anaerobic conditions, and a controller for introducing said growing bacteria to said contaminants in a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time, wherein said anaerobic conditions comprise an activated sludge system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system or a filter media system.

24. The method according to claim 1 wherein said composition comprises 50 parts carbohydrates, 100 parts water and 3 to 40% of said alcohol.

25. The method according to claim 2 wherein said composition comprises 50 parts carbohydrates, 100 parts water and 0.1 to 5% of said bacteriostat.

26. The method according to claim 1 wherein said composition comprises 100 parts carbohydrates, 100 parts water and 3 to 40% of said alcohol.

27. The method according to claim 2 wherein said composition comprises 100 parts carbohydrates, 100 parts water and 0.1 to 5% of said bacteriostat.

28. The method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said carbohydrate is partially soluble in water.

29. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said composition further comprises a nutrient, vitamin or mineral for said active bacteria.

30. Apparatus for the treatment of contaminants selected from the group consisting of cellulose, grease, fat, oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons, in water, comprising: a source of growing bacteria selected from the group consisting of microbial cellulases and lipase releasing bacteria capable of degrading cellulose, fats or oils effective for treating said contaminants under aerobic conditions; and a controller for introducing said growing bacteria to said contaminants in a predetermined amount over a predetermined period of time, wherein said aerobic conditions are provided in a system selected from the group consisting of an activated sludge system, a suspended media system, a fixed film media system and a filter media system.

31. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said contaminants that are removed or transformed by said active bacteria are selected from the group consisting of acetone, ammonia, aniline, aromatic compounds, carbon disulfide, chlorinated solvents, chlorobenzenes, chloroform, dichloroethanes, dinitrotoluene, dioxane, explosives, glycols, hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, isopentane, isobutanes, methanol, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, tri nitro toluenes, nitraamines, nitrate, nitroaromatics, nitrites, nitrobenzene, perchlorates, perchloroethylene, pesticides, phenol, styrene, sulfur compounds, tetrahydrofuran, trichloroethane, trichlorotoluene, bromoform, nitrobenzene, methyl tertiarybutyl ether, tertiary butyl alcohol, chlorinated ethanes, vinyl chloride, ammonium perchlorate and perchlorates.

32. The method according to claim 2 or 4 , wherein said bacteriostat further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, bromo-nitropropane-1,3-diol, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, a 3:1 mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, benzyl-C8–18 alkyldimethyl ammonium chloride, benzylalkonium chloride, N,N,N,-trimethyl-1-hexadecane ammonium bromide, N,N,N,-trimethyl-1-hexadecane ammonium chloride, 1-(3-chloro-2-propenyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniatricyclo(3.3.1.1) decane chloride, butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, ethyl-4-hydroxybenzaote, methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, propyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, 2,2,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxyphenylether (CAS # 3380-34-5), benzyl alcohol, chloroacetamide, N-(1,3-bis hydroxy methyl)-2,5-dioxo-4-imidazolidinyl) N,N′-bis(hydroxymethyl) urea, 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutan, 4,4-dimethyl oxazolidin, glutaridehyde, 37% formaldehyde, and combinations thereof.

33. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said bacteriostat further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, bromo-nitropropane-1,3-diol, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, a 3:1 mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, benzyl-C8–18 alkyldimethyl ammonium chloride, benzylalkonium chloride, N,N,N,-trimethyl-1-hexadecane ammonium bromide, N,N,N,-trimethyl-1-hexadecane ammonium chloride, 1-(3-chloro-2-propenyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniatricyclo(3.3.1.1) decane chloride, butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, ethyl-4-hydroxybenzaote, methyl-4 -hydroxybenzoate, propyl-4 -hydroxybenzoate, 2,2,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxyphenylether (CAS # 3380-34-5), benzyl alcohol, chloroacetamide, N-(1,3-bis hydroxy methyl)-2,5-dioxo-4-imidazolidinyl) N,N′-bis(hydroxymethyl) urea, 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutan, 4,4-dimethyl oxazolidin, glutarldehyde, 37% formaldehyde, and combinations thereof.