# US 9,751,788 B2 · Bacterial additives for biological and/or chemical contaminants within water-based fluids > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,788 B2 - Document ID: US9751788B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/336,858 - Filed: 2014-07-21 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-02 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated - Applicants: Baker Hughes Incorporated - Inventors: Roy Hernandez-Mena; Simon Cornelius; James Kiolbassa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751788B2 ## CPC - C02F 3/34: characterised by the microorganisms used - C02F 3/1236: {Particular type of activated sludge installations} - C02F 2101/34: containing oxygen - 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) - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract An effective amount of at least one second bacteria may be added to a wastewater stream within a water treatment system. The wastewater stream may have or include an aqueous-based fluid, a first bacteria and organic acids. The second bacteria may be or include, but is not limited to facultative bacteria, spore-forming bacteria, phenol degrading bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, organic acid-degrading bacteria, high temperature bacteria, and combinations thereof. The addition of the second bacteria the wastewater treatment system may at least partially reduce the amount of the organic acids within the wastewater stream as compared to an otherwise identical wastewater stream in the absence of the second bacteria. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for at least partially decreasing an amount of organic acids present in a water-based fluid, wherein the method comprises: adding an effective amount of at least one second bacteria to the water-based fluid comprising organic acids to at least partially consume the organic acids; wherein the at least one second bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: facultative bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Paracoccus Alcagenes, and Flavobacterium, spore-forming bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus, and Clostridium, phenol degrading bacteria selected from the group consisting of Azoarcus, Thauera, Streptococcus epidermis, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Paracoccus denitrificans denitrifying bacteria, Paracoccus denitrificans organic acid-degrading bacteria, and combinations thereof; wherein the water-based fluid further comprises at least one first bacteria selected from the group consisting of filamentous bacteria, Zooglea bacteria, and combinations thereof, and wherein the organic acids are selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, benzoic acid, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing the amount of organic acids in the water-based fluid as compared to an otherwise identical water-based fluid absent the at least one second bacteria. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing an amount of the at least one first bacteria present in the water-based fluid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second bacteria out-competes the at least one first bacteria for the organic acids. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the water-based fluid is a wastewater stream within a water treatment system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one second bacteria is added to the water-based fluid at a location within the water treatment system selected from the group consisting of an aeration basin, an equalization tank, a RAS line, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the wastewater stream is selected from the group consisting of desalter wash water, overhead water from atmospheric or vacuum process units, strip sour water, coker water blowdown, cooling water blowdown, boiler water blowdown, oily water sewers, equalization tank water, cleaning solutions used for scale removal, water bottoms from storage tanks, API unit water, dissolved gas flotation unit water, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising decreasing bulking issues downstream from the aeration basin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adding the at least one second bacteria occurs at a rate selected from the group consisting of continually, intermittently at consistent intervals, intermittently at inconsistent intervals, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the effective amount of the at least one second bacteria ranges from about 5 pounds/day to about 100 pounds/day per one million gallons of the water-based fluid. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: adding an effective amount of at least one second bacteria to a water-based fluid comprising organic acids and at least one first bacteria; wherein the at least one second bacteria out-competes the at least one first bacteria for the organic acids present within the water-based fluid; wherein the organic acids are selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, benzoic acid, and combinations thereof; wherein the at least one first bacteria is selected from the group consisting of filamentous bacteria, Zooglea bacteria, and combinations thereof, wherein the at least one second bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: facultative bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Paracoccus Alcagenes, and Flavobacterium, spore-forming bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus, and Clostridium, phenol degrading bacteria selected from the group consisting of Azoarcus, Thauera, Streptococcus epidermis, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Paracoccus denitrificans denitrifying bacteria, Paracoccus denitrificans organic acid-degrading bacteria, and combinations thereof; and decreasing the amount of the at least one first bacteria in the water-based fluid as compared to an otherwise identical water-based fluid absent the at least one second bacteria. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the effective amount of the at least one second bacteria ranges from about 5 pounds/day to about 100pounds/day per one million gallons of the water-based fluid. ### Claim 13 A water treatment system having a wastewater stream flowing therethrough, the water treatment system comprising: an influent wastewater stream flowing into the water treatment system having at least one organic acid; at least one second bacterial additive zone comprising the influent wastewater stream and an effective amount of at least one second bacteria to consume the at least one organic acid; wherein the at least one second bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: facultative bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Paracoccus Alcagenes, and Flavobacterium, spore-forming bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus, and Clostridium, phenol degrading bacteria selected from the group consisting of Azoarcus, Thauera, Streptococcus epidermis, rhodochrous, Paracoccus denitrificans denitrifying bacteria, Paracoccus denitrificans organic acid-degrading bacteria, and combinations thereof; and wherein the second bacterial additive zone is selected from the group consisting of an equalization tank, an aeration basin, a return activated sludge (RAS) line, and combinations thereof; an effluent wastewater stream flowing out of the water treatment system; and wherein the effluent wastewater stream comprises a reduced amount of the at least one organic acid as compared to an otherwise identical effluent wastewater stream absent the at least one second bacteria. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The water treatment system of claim 13, wherein the at least one organic acid is selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, benzoic acid, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The water treatment system of claim 13, wherein the water-based fluid further comprises at least one first bacteria selected from the group consisting of filamentous bacteria, Zooglea bacteria, and combinations thereof; and wherein a decreased amount of the at least one first bacteria is present in the fluid composition as compared to an otherwise identical fluid composition absent the at least one second bacteria. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The water treatment system of claim 13, wherein the amount of the at least one second bacteria within the at least one second bacterial zone ranges from about 5 pounds/day to about 100 pounds/day per one million gallons of the influent wastewater stream. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The water treatment system of claim 13, wherein the influent wastewater stream is selected from the group consisting of desalter wash water, overhead water from atmospheric or vacuum process units, strip sour water, coker water blowdown, cooling water blowdown, boiler water blowdown, oily water sewers, equalization tank water, cleaning solutions used for scale removal, water bottoms from storage tanks, API unit water, dissolved gas flotation unit water, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 18 A water treatment system having a wastewater stream flowing therethrough, the water treatment system comprising: an influent wastewater stream flowing into the water treatment system having at least one organic acid; at least one second bacterial additive zone comprising the influent wastewater stream, at least one first bacteria, and an effective amount of at least one second bacteria to consume the at least one organic acid; wherein the at least one second bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: facultative bacteria selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus denitrificans, Micrococcus denitrificans, Paracoccus Alcagenes, and Flavobacterium, spore-forming bacteria selected from the group consisting of Bacillus, and Clostridium, phenol degrading bacteria selected from the group consisting of Azoarcus, Thauera, Streptococcus epidermis, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Paracoccus denitrificans denitrifying bacteria, Paracoccus denitrificans organic acid-degrading bacteria, and combinations thereof; and wherein the at least one first bacteria is selected from the group consisting of filamentous bacteria, Zooglea bacteria, and combinations thereof; an effluent wastewater stream flowing out of the water treatment system; and wherein the effluent wastewater stream comprises a reduced amount of the at least one first bacteria as compared to an otherwise identical effluent wastewater stream absent the at least one second bacteria.