Feasibility of Using Bio-denitrification for Contaminated Groundwater

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On our project site, we are experiencing a high level of nitrate in water. I would like to know if someone has installed bio-denitrification system for treating nitrate-contaminated groundwater. 

If you have experience of nitrifying groundwater, please tell me which method were you using ?

Please share your experience, especially with the bio-denitrification systems, I would like to know about the limitations and restrictions of using these systems.

A couple of years ago, my Spanish friends, professionals, told me about the progress they have had in the processes of denitrification of groundwater. It would be great to know what new has come up in the recent years.

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9 Answers

  2. Here in CA we have a huge problem with high levels of nitrogen in groundwater and surface water from fertilizer runoff into our lakes, rivers and reservoirs causing massive algal blooms that impair water used for potable and non-potable uses. From my professional experience as an Environmental Engineer dealing with high levels of nitrogen in groundwater for construction dewatering projects my firm works on for treatment for non-potable uses discharging into rivers, bays and estuaries we use selective ion exchange resins for treatment.

    While it is true that ion exchange resins do require a bit more maintenance and need to be monitored closely and changed out/serviced quite a bit especially when dealing with groundwater with elevated nitrogen concentrations in the influent, using denitrification for treatment is always too prohibitively expensive for most clients. So while I know the process of denitrification and the importance of using it for groundwater treatment using for drinking potable uses, I do not have any professional experience using it in projects yet. I hope to gain some experience using it soon though like ion exchange resins it does have its advantages and limitations as well that need to be assessed based on the application, feasibility and cost.

    Thanks for sharing a very valid and timely issue here in CA and all over the US and world with protecting waterbodies from excessive nitrogen causing eutrophication and serious impairment of water body beneficial uses.

    1 Comment

    1. Amir, your observation is correct about that for water treatment involves different considerations that technological implementation or not of different processes will feasible. One variable is the scale factor of the quantity and quality of water to be treated. In the case of Ion Exchange in addition to nitrates in the effluent and the amount of NaCl to be used in the regeneration of the resins, the chloride concentration in the water product must also be considered, as this process of exchange of nitrates chloride concentration rises and could be out of regulation. Also, having continuous effluent in the process will always generate a commitment to the environment. This is why in my search for greater efficiency and control of cleaner processes.

  4. Hi Claudio Clean TeQ has operating biodenitrification plants for nitrate control in groundwater for drinking water use. We are using immobilised heterotrophic bacteria and acetic acid as the carbon source. The HRT is low - a hour or so - and so the footprint and capital cost is acceptable. A better option may be to use IX to extract and concentrate the nitrate to produce clean water and use biology on the by-product stream. We are currently  investigating the use of our Continuous Ionic Filtration (CIF) technology coupled with biodenitrification for this purpose.

    1 Comment

    1. Hi Peter. Thank you for your comments. As mentioned in other reviews, the IX today is causing us problems of logistics and operation, as we have 13 plants located a long distance from one another, therefore, I am investigating small autonomous plants (60 to 120 m3 / h) of biodenitrification avoid continuous effluent and use base regenerants for resins NaCl. I would be interesting to know the progress of the process of Continuous Ionic Filtration (CIF) technology coupled with biodenitrification.

      I wish as much as possible to maintain contact with you.

       

  5. In this web title http://www.spawhe.eu/synergic-plants-files/  you can download the file " VERTICAL SYNERGIC BUILDINGS (VSB) FOR CO2 AND WATER DEPURATION PLUS BIOMASS PRODUCTION" where are described the overlapping biological ponds that overlapping biological ponds that do not require energy to consume nitrates as the waters rise.

    In this web title http://www.spawhe.eu/hydroelectric-energy-files/  you can download the file "HYDROPOWER PLANTS WITH LIFTING, RECYCLING AND WATER DISTRIBUTION" whwer is described as they raise the water producing energy instead of consuming it.  But the world of the experts is silent on Sustainable inventions describd on web site http://www.spawhe.eu alt="Physics and hydraulics are not personal opinions.png" eid="FKZK8J6wuExAS60locAw3w" src="/storage/FKZK8J6wuExAS60locAw3w/lg/Physics and hydraulics are not personal opinions.png" />

    1 Comment

    1. Hello Luigi. I see that in both references preliminarily your technical articles denitrification process is part of a thread within the project. I see in detail the items you sent me are of much curiosity and attention. Thank you for your contact to surely keep.

      2 Comment replies

      1. Luigi fully agree with you. Fortunately we are at the stage of leveling the technological renovation with strong environmental preservation and use of renewable energy. After several years of watching others do today, from our company and country, we are taking the position to put ourselves in front of the challenges that presents the planet.
        Luigi thank you very much again for your contribution.

        Claudio

      2. Ok it is a pleasure to work with people who understand the meaning of intervening globally on environmental problems. Unfortunately, today the multinationals, small companies, public and private scientists, focus on individual technologies, it does not solve anything. The systems that I propose are energy and water treatment at the same time, but they only collect silences.

  6. Thanks Kim for your information that is useful for our purposes. You see, we are the largest public company in Argentina and technical reference for most companies in our country. We provide our sanitation and water production to more than 10 million people and permanently seek to optimize our processes. 10 years ago we are denitrification groundwater with ion exchange that represents less than 5% of our production of drinking water, but due to peripheral distances of our service area (over 1,800 km2) we wean water treatments logistics inputs and disposal of liquid effluents.

    VA TECH WABAG I see is a combination of Austrian and German companies in these countries and other Eastern European plants use such processes as well as in other countries like Spain. I would be useful to know the portfolio of plants, capabilities and evolution in biodenitrification treatment of groundwater.

    Kim reiterate my gratitude for your willingness.

     

    Claudio Nagy

    Eng. Responsible R+I to AySA

    Argentina

  7. Dear Claudio

     

     My company WABAG has many years of experince with Biological Denitrification of Groundwater bot using Autothrophic bacteria using Hydrogen and Heterothrophic using Ethanol or Acidic Acid see:

    http://www.wabag.com/performance-range/processes-and-technologies/bioden/

     

    Kim Soerensen
    Group Chief Technology Officer

    address: WABAG Water Technology Ltd, Bürglistrasse 31, P.O. Box, CH-8401 Winterthur
    office: +33 9 67 15 56 37
    mobile: +33 620 96 25 94
    web: www.wabag.net

  8. Prof. Sudhakar Rao thanks for sharing your experience. In our company 95% of the production of drinking water through surface sources and only 5% (peripheral radios) comes from groundwater. Here we have the same problem of pollution sources that you, and since 2006 we treat contaminated wells with nitrates through IX (less than 100 mg / l NO3 with minimum production of 60 m3 / h) with regeneration NaCl and its subsequent effluent. The intention now is to eliminate continuous effluent rich with nitrates and avoid handling and supply of NaCl and get the N2 gas of biodigestión processes and only effluent from backwashing. We know biodenitrification plant in Europe supplying small towns and that we focus our attention.

    We are testing at laboratory with anoxic native bacteria with electron donor through acetic acid in a medium supporting activated carbon, but we want to know more about the experiences of times crops and hydraulic retention times to extrapolate the experience to industrial level.

     

    Eng. Claudio Nagy

    Buenos Aires

    Argentina

  9. We have been working with bio-barriers composed of organic manure and sand to remove nitrates from pit toilet leachate. A prototype barrier has been installed at a test pit in Mulbagal town in Karnataka and trial tests with nitrate contaminated groundwater has shown that bio-barrier reduces nitrates from initial values of 170 mg/L to

    The research project has been funded by Arghyam Foundation, Bangalore.

    Prof Sudhakar Rao

    Bangalore