Method of selenium removal
AssigneeWeber State University
InventorsD. Jack Adams, Timothy M. Pickett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dissolved selenium is removed from contaminated water by treating the water in a reactor containing selected endemic and other selenium reducing organisms. Microbes may be isolated from the specific water or imported from other selenium contaminated water, The microbes are then screened for ability to reduce selenium under the site specific environmental conditions. The selected microbes are optimized for selenium reduction, then established in a high density biofilm within a reactor. The selenium contaminated water is passed through the reactor with optimized nutrient mix added as needed. The elemental selenium is precipitated and removed from the water.
Claims27
A site specific method for removing oxidized selenium from contaminated water comprising:
- isolating endemic microbes from the selenium contaminated water;
- screening the endemic microbes for selenium reduction and interference with selenium reduction;
- selecting cultures of selenium reducing organisms;
- optimizing the cultures for selenium reduction;
- establishing a high density biofilm of the selenium reducing organisms within a reactor;
- stabilizing the biofilm within the reactor;
- providing nutrients to the organisms;
- passing the selenium contaminated water through the reactor;
- retaining the water in the reactor for a retention period;
- precipitating reduced selenium from the water;
- and
- removing the reduced selenium from the water.
A site specific method for removing oxidized selenium from contaminated water comprising:
- isolating endemic microbes from the selenium contaminated water, the microbes selected from the group consisting of Pseudomonas species, Alcalaqines species, E. coli, and sulfate reducing bacteria.
- screening the endemic microbes for selenium reduction and interference with selenium reduction;
- selecting cultures of selenium reducing organisms;
- optimizing the cultures for selenium reduction;
- establishing of a high density biofilm of the selenium reducing organisms within a reactor, the reactor comprising a matrix for establishing a biofilm thereon;
- stabilizing the biofilm within the reactor;
- providing nutrients to the organisms, the nutrients comprising at least one of sugar based nutrients, waste food based nutrients, molasses based nutrients, whey, protein mixes, yeast extract, and phosphate;
- passing the selenium contaminated water through the reactor;
- retaining the water in the reactor for a retention period;
- precipitating reduced selenium from the water;
- and
- removing the reduced selenium from the water.
A method of screening microbes for selenium reduction comprising:
- isolating microbes from a selenium contaminated environment;
- characterizing the isolated microbes;
- incubating the microbes in a solution containing selenium;
- analyzing the solution for selenium reduction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.