Inżynieria Ekologiczna Nr 2

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IN¯YNIERIA EKOLOGICZNA NR 2
they weigh no more than one tonne when empty they can be lifted by fork-lift, small crane
or earth moving equipment. Where a larger treatment capacity is required, more units are
commissioned and flow through is processed serially.
Each bio-reactor contains three chambers through which the water flows in succession.
The first chamber acts as an oil/water separator so that any ‘free’ oil will float to the
surface and any suspended solids in the water will drop to the bottom where they can be
later removed as sludge. The ‘clear’ water then passes into the second aeration chamber
containing a solid media on which a robust population of bacteria is established. This chamber
is vigorously aerated so as to maximise the bio-degradation process and the water is ‘cleaned’
biologically. The treated water from the aeration chamber then passes through a final
clarification chamber before being sprayed back onto the surface of the contaminated site.
The whole unit therefore acts effectively as a mobile waste water treatment plant and, if
necessary, the contaminated water can be pre-treated – buffered for pH and the like – prior
to contact with the bacterial mass in the aeration chamber.
It is possible to pump polluted water from the surface of a harbour or expanse of water
through one or more bio-reactors and progressively clean the polluted area. Contaminated
ground water can be abstracted downstream of a spill site, treated by passing it through one
or more bio-reactors and the re-injected upstream of the spill to effectively treat large
volumes of subterranean aquifer.
Where an expanse of land has been polluted with oil or diesel etc. the bio-reactor is used
to treat the run-off from the polluted soil. By spraying the treated water back onto the surface
of the soil, all contamination is effectively flushed out of the soil and degraded with time.
A further benefit gained when using a bio-reactor on a particular site is that the ‘clean’,
treated water coming out of the bio-reactor is, in itself, highly inoculated with hydrocarbon
degrading bacteria. This water will effectively inoculate the water or soil onto which it is
sprayed with hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, thus further accelerating the clean-up process.
There are many and varied applications for bio-remediation technology where site specifics
and the nature of the pollution problem define the method best suited to treating the
problem most efficiently.
The Future
Described herein is a technology which offers a natural and therefore environmentally
friendly solution to oil pollution problems throughout the world. Contaminated land and water
can be effectively and economically remediated for re-use without the need for major
civil works and more importantly without naively moving the contaminated material away for
land filling or incineration. By using naturally occurring micro-organisms to degrade pollution
in-situ the problem is naturally removed and by-products are non-toxic constituent component
molecules which, in themselves, provide energy and food for other organisms.
Bio-Industries Ltd. Irlandia
Przedstawicielstwo w Polsce:
Bio-Ecology Services Sp. z o.o. tel. (0 22) 647 39 45