International Water & Irrigation

16 process of nitrates in water and direct transformation of these into nitrogen gas. The process uses hydrogen and a catalyst produced by immersion of nanometric metal particles on fabric woven from micron size active carbon filaments. This technology was developed initially by researchers from the Chemical Engineering School at the Haifa Technion. The use of these fabrics as a substrate for the catalyst generates a very low pressure gradient in the system, together with large surface area. This combination leads to reduced water pumping costs and the large surface area allows for the required reaction for nitrate breakdown. The bottom line of this technology is that it allows a direct conversion of nitrate into nitrogen gas without producing any by-products. So far only pilot projects were performed to test this technology. The next generation of wastewater treatment with microorganisms This study was presented by Noam Yogev and Hassan Aziza form the Tel Hai Academic College and the Regional Research Center of the Galilee Association and Ofir Menashe from the Water Engineering Department at Kineret College. The objective of this study is to make use of a technology known as SBP in order to streamline wastewater treatment processes, performed at the present using various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and yeasts. These secrete enzymes which in turn break down various organic compounds present in the wastewater. This is a complex process that ends with the generation of sludge, that in turn, requires additional treatment. Operating in this manner requires large land areas, that is expected only to grow further so as to handle the growth in the world’s population. The SBP technology is based on packaging the various microorganisms inside capsules with a semi permeable membrane. So the microorganisms can be fed with the organic matter and nutrients in the wastewater and in turn these secrete enzymes which break down the wastewater. The use of capsules in this process makes it also less sensitive to the hydraulic forces at play in the aeration pools used in water treatment plants in the course of the microorganisms based bio treatment process. A capsule is used for 2-3 months and after this period the capsule dissolves completely. In addition to the use of capsule, the intention is to develop a reactor based system to be placed in water treatment facilities. By constant flow of wastewater into the reactor, together with various catalysts, some specific enzymes secretion is enabled. These may be used to treat problematic wastewater, such as olive oil presses wastewater, medical industry wastewater, etc. A System of reactors operating in bio processes was constructed in the scope of this study, and it contains various microorganisms packed in capsules. The initial results show that the proteins are secreted. Pollution removal facility adjusted for small settlements This is an older technology which use was presented by Keren Isenberg for the Triple T Company, and it too handles nitrogen, the most common and so problematic pollutant of various water usages in agriculture as well as drinking water. In order to meet use of wastewater standards for purposes such as irrigation there is a need for a combination of nitrification and denitrification processes (and discharge of nitrogen to the atmosphere) in order to remove the nitrogen. In the current treatment processes there is a need to construct two separate reactors where conditions are adjusted for the different bacteria populations required in order to perform the nitrogen removal processes. This fact makes the operation of such wastewater treatment facility both difficult and complicated. The Tripple T company has presented a technology known as YTHT which purpose is to combine the nitrification and denitrification processes, and it The reactor storing the enzymes secreting capsules Photography: Noam Yogev