# US 11,440,853 B2 · Systems, methods, and apparatus for increased wastewater effluent and biosolids quality > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,853 B2 - Document ID: US11440853B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/489,310 - Filed: 2018-02-27 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: DryLet LLC - Applicants: Drylet, Inc. - Inventors: M. Scott Conley; Mark Menendez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440853B2 ## CPC - C05F 7/005: {Waste water from industrial processing material neither of agricultural nor of animal origin} - C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents} - C02F 3/12: Activated sludge processes - C02F 3/1226: {comprising an absorbent material suspended in the mixed liquor} - C02F 3/2806: {Anaerobic processes using solid supports for microorganisms} - C02F 3/348: {characterised by the way or the form in which the microorganisms are added or dosed} - C05B 17/00: Other phosphatic fertilisers, e.g. soft rock phosphates, bone meal - C05C 3/00: Fertilisers containing other salts of ammonia or ammonia itself, e.g. gas liquor - C05F 5/004: {Liquid waste from mechanical processing of material, e.g. wash-water, milling fluid, filtrate} - C05F 17/20: using specific microorganisms or substances, e.g. enzymes, for activating or stimulating the treatment (use of invertebrates C05F17/05) - C05F 17/40: Treatment of liquids or slurries - C05F 17/50: Treatments combining two or more different biological or biochemical treatments, e.g. anaerobic and aerobic treatment or vermicomposting and aerobic treatment - C02F 2003/001: {using granular carriers or supports for the microorganisms} - C02F 2101/105: {Phosphorus compounds} - C02F 2101/16: Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia - C02F 2101/30: Organic compounds - C02F 2303/06: Sludge reduction, e.g. by lysis - Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage - Y02W 30/40: Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse - C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - C05B: PHOSPHATIC FERTILISERS - C05C: NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Methods of delivering microorganisms loaded onto an inorganic porous medium. Methods of treating wastewater to increase effluent and biosolids quality. Methods of reducing ammonia and denitrifying wastewater effluent. Methods of reducing phosphorous concentration in wastewater effluent. Composition of biosolids derived from wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment assemblage for increasing wastewater effluent and biosolids quality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of continuously producing fertilizer or compost comprising: a) providing a microbial solution comprising at least one microbial species loaded onto or within an inorganic porous medium; b) providing a reaction vessel comprising an influent stream, an effluent stream, an aqueous phase, and a biosolids phase, wherein the biosolids phase comprises at least one nutrient source for the at least one microbial species; c) adding the microbial solution comprising the at least one microbial species loaded onto or within the inorganic porous medium to the reaction vessel; d) continuously separating the effluent stream into a treated aqueous phase and a treated biosolids phase; and e) dewatering the treated biosolids phase to produce the fertilizer or compost; wherein the inorganic porous medium is physically modified to permit sorption of nitrogen and/or phosphorous from the aqueous phase to (i) increase a nutrient concentration of the fertilizer or compost and (ii) decrease the amount of nitrogen and/or phosphorous in the aqueous phase, and wherein physically modifying the inorganic porous medium comprises roughening a surface of the inorganic porous medium or increasing porosity of the inorganic porous medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic porous medium comprises silica, zeolite, aluminosilicate, silicate, diatomaceous earth, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one microbial species is aerobic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one microbial species is anaerobic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a flocculation agent to the effluent stream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the reaction vessel in a stationary phase such that a number of the at least one microbial species produced is equal to a number of microbial species consumed and an overall population of the at least one microbial species remains unchanged. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising returning at least a portion of the biosolids phase to the reaction vessel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a yield of treated biosolids phase is less than about 40%, wherein the yield is measured as a unit mass of waste produced per unit mass of organic loading. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient source comprises biomass or dead cells. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the microbial solution is loaded within the inorganic porous medium to produce a substance that is dry-to-the-touch. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the reaction vessel in an endogenous decay phase such that an overall population of the at least one microbial species is reduced. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein physically modifying the inorganic porous medium comprises using a coagulation or flocculation agent to induce formation of aggregates or agglomerates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the reaction vessel for a solids retention time of greater than twenty days. ### Claim 14 A method of continuously producing fertilizer or compost comprising: a) providing a microbial solution comprising at least one microbial species loaded onto or within an inorganic porous medium; b) providing a reaction vessel comprising an influent stream, an effluent stream, an aqueous phase, and a biosolids phase, wherein the biosolids phase comprises at least one nutrient source for the at least one microbial species; c) adding the microbial solution comprising the at least one microbial species loaded onto or within the inorganic porous medium to the reaction vessel; d) continuously separating the effluent stream into a treated aqueous phase and a treated biosolids phase; and e) dewatering the treated biosolids phase to produce the fertilizer or compost, wherein the inorganic porous medium is chemically modified by adding a chelating agent and/or a salt to the inorganic porous medium to lead to precipitation of compounds that preferentially bind ammonia and phosphorous. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the salt comprises a magnesium salt. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one microbial species is aerobic. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one microbial species is anaerobic. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising adding a flocculation agent to the effluent stream. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising operating the reaction vessel in a stationary phase such that a number of the at least one microbial species produced is equal to a number of microbial species consumed and an overall population of the at least one microbial species remains unchanged. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising operating the reaction vessel in an endogenous decay phase such that an overall population of the at least one microbial species is reduced.