# US 2021/0276901 A1 · Cerium-Lanthanum Treatment Method For Reduction of Contaminants in Wastewater Membrane Bioreactors

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- Number: US 2021/0276901 A1
- Document ID: US20210276901A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/219,359
- Filed: 2021-03-31
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-25
- Assignees: Neo Water Treatment, LLC
- Applicants: Neo Water Treatment, LLC
- Inventors: Pamela Leigh Cornish; Mason Reames Haneline
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276901A1

## CPC

- C02F 3/1215: {Combinations of activated sludge treatment with precipitation, flocculation, coagulation and separation of phosphates}
- B01D 61/16: Feed pretreatment
- B01D 61/22: Controlling or regulating
- C02F 1/5236: {using inorganic agents}
- C02F 1/5245: {using basic salts, e.g. of aluminium and iron}
- C02F 3/1268: {Membrane bioreactor systems}
- C02F 3/1273: {Submerged membrane bioreactors}
- B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
- B01D 2311/12: Addition of chemical agents
- B01D 2311/246: Concentration control
- B01D 2311/2642: Aggregation, sedimentation, flocculation, precipitation or coagulation
- B01D 2311/2688: Biological processes
- B01D 2315/06: Submerged-type; Immersion type
- C02F 2101/105: {Phosphorus compounds}
- C02F 2209/003: Downstream control, i.e. outlet monitoring, e.g. to check the treating agents, such as halogens or ozone, leaving the process
- C02F 2209/08: Chemical Oxygen Demand [COD]; Biological Oxygen Demand [BOD]
- C02F 2209/10: Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]
- C02F 2209/11: Turbidity
- C02F 2209/18: PO4-P
- C02F 2209/22: O2
- C02F 2209/40: Liquid flow rate
- Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- 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)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

Disclosed are methods of treating wastewater using a membrane bioreactor and achieving a target phosphorus concentration for the membrane permeate stream. These methods include the steps of dosing a wastewater stream with a rare earth clarifying agent and passing the dosed wastewater stream through the membrane to obtain a membrane permeate stream with a permeate concentration that is less than the phosphorus concentration of the influent stream. This permeate concentration also can be equal to or less than a target phosphorus concentration. In the methods as disclosed herein, the rare earth clarifying agent can be chloride salts of one or more rare earth elements and in certain embodiments, the rare earth clarifying agent can be CeCl3 and LaCl3.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-22. (canceled)

### Claim 23

A method for treating wastewater using a membrane bioreactor comprising:
dosing a wastewater stream, as part of a membrane bioreactor system, having a first Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and a first Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), with a dose amount of a rare earth clarifying agent to obtain a dosed wastewater stream; and
passing the dosed wastewater stream through a membrane of the membrane bioreactor system to obtain a membrane permeate stream, the membrane permeate stream having: a permeate BOD less than the first BOD, a permeate COD less than the first COD, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the rare earth clarifying agent comprises chloride salts of a mixture of rare earth elements.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the rare earth clarifying agent comprises CeCl3, LaCl3, or mixtures thereof

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the membrane permeate stream has a permeate BOD equal to or less than a target BOD.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the membrane permeate stream has a permeate COD equal to or less than a target COD.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
adjusting the dose amount of the clarifying agent based on the permeate BOD.

### Claim 29 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
adjusting the dose amount of the clarifying agent based on the permeate COD.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
increasing the dose amount of the clarifying agent if the permeate concentration of BOD is greater than a target BOD so that the permeate BOD is equal to or less than the target BOD.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
increasing the dose amount of the clarifying agent if the permeate concentration of COD is greater than a target COD so that the permeate COD is equal to or less than the target COD.

### Claim 32 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising:
holding the dosed wastewater stream for a residence time before passing the dosed wastewater stream through the membrane.

### Claim 33 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the dose amount of the clarifying agent is from about 0.0005 to about 5.0 mmol RE/L wastewater.

### Claim 34 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein dosing reduces BOD, COD, and phosphorus concentration.

### Claim 35

A method for treating wastewater using a membrane bioreactor comprising:
dosing a wastewater stream, as part of a membrane bioreactor system, having a first Total Suspended Solids (TSS), with a dose amount of a rare earth clarifying agent to obtain a dosed wastewater stream; and
passing the dosed wastewater stream through a membrane of the membrane bioreactor system to obtain a membrane permeate stream, the membrane permeate stream having: a permeate TSS less than the first TSS.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the rare earth clarifying agent comprises chloride salts of a mixture of rare earth elements.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the rare earth clarifying agent comprises CeCl3, LaCl3, or mixtures thereof

### Claim 38 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the membrane permeate stream has a permeate TSS equal to or less than a target TSS.

### Claim 39 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising:
adjusting the dose amount of the clarifying agent based on the permeate TSS.

### Claim 40 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising:
increasing the dose amount of the clarifying agent if the permeate concentration of TSS is greater than a target TSS so that the permeate TSS is equal to or less than the target TSS.

### Claim 41 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising:
holding the dosed wastewater stream for a residence time before passing the dosed wastewater stream through the membrane.

### Claim 42 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the dose amount of the clarifying agent is from about 0.0005 to about 5.0 mmol RE/L wastewater.

### Claim 43 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein dosing reduces TSS and one or more of BOD, COD, and phosphorus concentration.