ISO 9001:2000 Certified |
Biosolutions
Newsletter
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Introduction In the 1970's wastewater treatment plants serving the food processing industry were among the first to apply bioaugmentation techniques to lower the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of effluents. While there were some facilities that treated toxic or inhibitory wastes, such as those generated periodically by processing citrus, the majority of plants were simply overloaded during peak periods. There was too much "food" entering the plant for the naturally-occurring biomass to digest during the available residence time in the system. The result, of course, was periodic excess BOD discharged to rivers and streams, occasionally local, state or federal fines, and bad community relations, especially when the plant was an overloaded lagoon serving a meat processor. Relatively simple biological additives -- microorganisms selected for their activity on various food substrates, adapted to those environments, grown in quantity on a base such as wheat bran, and reconstituted in water before adding to the system -- produced significant effects in stabilizing and reducing effluent BOD, in some cases even restarting totally wiped-out plants without reseeding with municipal sludge, the customary process 30 years ago.
Food processing continues to be a major market for bioaugmentation products and has expanded from primary suppliers to end users such as restaurants, institutions, and fast-food chains. One of the early restaurants to use biological products to keep grease traps clean and free-running was the famous "21" restaurant in New York City, although like may users in the food industry, it was somewhat reluctant to endorse its methods in public.
BOD Spikes High BOD, resulting from proteins, lipids, sugars and carbohydrates, is still one of the primary obstacles to efficient wastewater treatment in the food processing industry. High BOD concentrations present a challenge to the treatment plant if it does not have adequate residence time or aeration capacity or when design limitations fail to accommodate high loadings. This is especially true of plants that operate normally during most of the year, but become overloaded during the peak processing periods characteristic of seasonal harvesting and processing of foodstuffs. Bioscience, Inc.'s MICROCAT®-SX, ST and SXM microbial additives improve the efficiency of the biomass to prevent upsets at such times. Through regular daily addition, they provide stability by enhancing the mixed liquor makeup to provide quick response to variable influent levels and changing wastewater character. The products can also reduce costs by eliminating the necessity of additional aeration, chemicals or mechanical equipment to cope with peak loads.
FOG Buildup Since it is formulated to break down fats, oils and greases (FOG) as well as fibrous proteins, MICROCAT-SXM is also used to prevent FOG buildup in mechanical chambers in the treatment plant and upstream in grease traps and lift stations. Another Bioscience product, MICROCAT-DNT, is specifically designed to liquefy and minimize the buildup of FOG in grease traps, drains, plumbing and sewer lines in dairies, bakeries, and meat and fish processing plants. Special DNT formulas have been put together for both hot and cold water applications as well as particularly odorous situations.
Odor Control Odor control is an important consideration in treatment plants, lagoons and sewer systems serving dairy, meat, fish, fruit and vegetable processors. Odors may be caused by nitrogen bearing compounds or by hydrogen sulfide - the "rotten egg" odor that occurs where there is high demand for oxygen due to a high concentration of waste material in wastewater but insufficient oxygen. Inadequate aeration (oxygen) means that material is degraded anaerobically, which can create hydrogen sulfide, a material that not only smells bad, but is toxic in larger doses and corrodes both metal and concrete. One solution is MICROCAT- ANL, a blend of microorganisms capable of oxidizing sulfides to elemental sulfur, which is surrounded by the bacterial cell wall, thus suppressing odors. MICROCAT-XNL Ammonia Oxidizing Bioformula should be used when odors are caused by ammonia-containing wastes. In lagoon applications MICROCAT- ANL is often used in conjunction with MICROCAT-LF and MICROCAT- ECL to naturally emulsify, break down and remove odor-causing materials
Filament Control Low dissolved oxygen levels, plus high concentrations of nutrients from food processing, often result in the growth of filamentous organisms, causing poor sludge settling and over-ride of solids into sewers or clean receiving waters. This is especially a problem in activated sludge systems. This problem is often dealt with non-biologically, with costly polymer additions or use of toxic chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. A natural control method is MICROCAT- XF which reduces filamentous populations by controlling the amount of filamentous organisms in the floc. The additive contains natural enzymes that attack and destabilize the filaments and microbes that aid in the displacement of filamentous organisms, such as Nocardia, with more beneficial microbial forms.
Composting of Solid Residues Many food processors today are composting their output of hard-to-dispose-of solids and semi-solid wastes such as fruit and vegetable wastes, and in some cases, even shells and other seafood byproducts. Such operations, if successful, can transform a costly problem into an additional source of revenue, if composting can be done in a timely and economical way and the product sold as a soil conditioner. While composting is still in many ways a cottage industry, relying on naturally-occurring microorganisms to degrade waste products into compost and eventually into humus, the process can be accelerated (or with recalcitrant materials made possible at all) by bioaugmentation with MICROCAT-CC. Bioaugmentation also generates a more uniform and stable end product, which is especially important now that commercially-available composts are being independently evaluated for nutrient content. Where vegetable wastes may contain pesticide residues that could limit the value of the resultant compost, it would be a good idea to consult Bioscience about testing for the biodegradability of such pesticides, and whether their levels could be reduced or eliminated during the composting process by the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. See the problem-solving section of our website at www.bioscienceinc.com.
Bioscience, Inc. has entered into an agreement with BioResources, Inc. to jointly market Bio-Klean A Dispersant, a very effective, all-natural hydrocarbon dispersant, and Bio-Klean B Specialized Microbial Hydrocarbon Degrader. Extensive laboratory testing and field applications have shown that this combination is extremely effective for a wide range of spilled and waste hydrocarbon applications ranging from the oil patch to mining to oily parts cleaning and equipment rebuilding. We have established a Bio-Klean Services Division to provide these products and associated services to equipment (eg., electric motor) rebuilding operations and related activities. Contact us for more information about your applications.
Cold weather getting your biotreatment down? Talk to your Bioscience Representative. Bioscience, Inc. now offers most popular dry MICROCAT microbial formulations in a "cold weather" (or "CW") form by incorporating microbes into the formula with a known ability to grow faster at colder water temperatures than many microbes in the standard formulations. Give us your application details and let us put together an application program and quotation for you.
Cold weather can cause ammonia removal to suffer. Need a fix? Use MICROCAT--XNL or XNC nitrifiers to get things going again. Remember that sludge age, alkalinity, pH and other factors need to be taken into account. And, remember that the BI-2000 Respirometer and EZ-BOD Meter can help maintain nitrification rates and determine potential sources of nitrification problems.
Bioscience , Inc. recently was granted certification under the new ISO 9001:2000 Standard. This new certification sets an even higher standard than the ISO 9002 level previously held. The new ISO 9001:2000 underscores our strong commitment to high quality, consistent product integrity and customer satisfaction that Bioscience has always followed.
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CD-ROM and application manuals to support your efforts: CD-ROM Videos: Accu-TEST™
Demo and Instruction
Specialized Manuals: MICROCAT
Products for Agriculture, Aquaculture and Composting Manual
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