BiNutrix® Wastewater Treatment System Case Study BiNutrix® is currently being effectively used at a chlor-alkali/ ethylene dichloride (EDC) production plant of a major chemical manufacturer. BiNutrix® is used to enhance the performance of their biological waste treatment system at this facility. In effect, BiNutrix® has replaced all or part of the previously used variety of wastewater treatment chemicals. These chemicals include sludge removal polymers, methanol, phosphoric acid, ammonia and sulfuric acid. Wastewater generated at this facility consists of two basic types—inorganic wastewater from the chlor-alkali and utilities sections of the plant and organic wastewater generated from the EDC process. The organic wastewater is treated in a biological waste treatment facility using secondary treatment with solids removal. Metal hydroxides and suspended solids are removed in a primary clarification step. The clarified wastewater is treated with nutrients and sent to an aerated biotreater where microorganisms degrade and remove the remaining organic materials. The treated water from the biotreater is sent to a secondary clarification step to remove the biological solids. The treated wastewater then goes through final filtration and pH adjustment steps prior to discharge. The solids from both clarifiers are also collected in an aerobic digester to ensure complete removal of any remaining potential contaminants. The solids are then filtered and sent to disposal in a non-hazardous landfill. The volume of organic wastewater that must be treated on a daily basis can vary considerably depending of production rates and also on weather conditions. For instance, to manage rainwater, all runoff in the padded area of the EDC plant as well as EDC tank dike areas is collected, recovered and treated through the biological wastewater system. Since the average contaminant level in the wastewater is generally very low, the addition of nutrients is critical to maintain a sufficiently large microbial population to handle the variation of both the hydraulic volume and the concentration of organic waste in the system. Prior to the use of BiNutrix®, the nutrients used to support microbial growth consisted of a combination of methanol, phosphoric acid, and ammonia. Although these chemicals are relatively inexpensive, there were several reasons to consider potential alternatives. First, each of the chemicals used requires minor personal protection equipment for technicians handling the chemicals. Next, these chemicals have vapor losses from their containers requiring annual reporting on the Tier II chemical listing. While the emission losses are not large, materials that have no vapor emission and reporting requirements are preferable. BiNutrix® is a prilled material that can be applied with a simple helix feed system. It was identified as a good alternative to the liquid treatments currently in use. The production plant decided to work with BioNutraTech and conduct a study of BiNutrix® to determine its applicability. BiNutrix® was to be evaluated as a single replacement to all of the chemical nutrients previously used to treat this wastewater system. After receiving appropriate plant approvals for a test run, a 90-day test was conducted to compare overall wastewater treatment results. Approximately three weeks were used to acclimate the microorganisms in the wastewater system to the BiNutrix® treatment. TOC and COD samples were collected at various locations in the treatment system. In addition, the weekly BOD samples were monitored to check for any significant negative effects. The results of the test run were positive. BiNutrix® produced a good reduction of TOC and COD throughout the wastewater treatment system. BOD reduction continued to be very good throughout the test period. Additionally, the numbers of microbes and types of preferred microbes found in the biotreater increased during this study. Sampling and physical inspection found an increased number of higher organisms present in the system. In addition to the positive physical results in the treatment system, it was also noted that the BiNutrix® would be less expensive to use on an annual basis than the combination of other additives. An added bonus is that discharge reporting requirements could now exclude the additives that were previously used to enhance the wastewater treatment. Using the data and conclusions from this study, the treatment plant staff recommended replacing the three chemical additives for the single solid additive, BiNutrix®. The plant managers made and approved this recommendation. A complete conversion to BiNutrix® was made at this facility in the early summer of 2001. Cost comparisons of the chemical treatments that were used and BiNutrix® indicate a potential saving of about 30% over the current treatments. The plant continues to see generally positive results from the use of BiNutrix®. |