Biological treatment of surface runoff from industrial sites
in bioreactors with brush media

Summary

Surface runoff from industrial sites differs not only in the irregularity in formation, but also in the concentration of specific substances typical for the production process, as well as in the pollution concentrations changing over time. For example, surface runoff from airfields during the cold season contains anti-icing fluids, most of these contain ethylene glycol. Surface runoff of fertilizer factories contain high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and low concentrations of organic pollutants identified by BOD. Biological treatment of this runoff in vitro is not carried out, as a rule. The results of studies by «ECOSTECH» R&D Center (a company of ECOS Group) are presented, indicating the feasibility of biological treatment of this type of surface runoff using immobilized bacterial cultures on a biomass carrier – brush media. The attached biomass is specified by the bacterial cells immersed in the matrix remaining active for a long time under the conditions of the absence of wastewater or contaminants to which the biocenosis is oriented. Once the supply of wastewater with high concentrations of ethylene glycol is resumed, the bioreactor reaches the regime of biodegradation within a week eliminating the introduction of a special bacterial culture into the facility. According to the studies, reaching the stationary operating conditions of the bioreactor with brush media for all indicators (ethylene glycol, COD, BOD5, nitrogen forms) takes less than nine days. Also presented are the results of studies on the treatment of surface runoff from fertilizer production enterprises or fertilizer terminals. Biological treatment of this type of surface runoff is specified by the use of the Anammox process.

Key words

surface runoff , biofilm , anammox , ethylene glycol , anti-icing liquid , IORSH® synthetic media , matrix , ammonia nitrogen , resumption of the biodegradation process