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Date Completed:
Total Grant Amount: $61,852 (awarded in Feb. 1995)
Contact: Environmentally Sensitive Solutions, Inc. (414) 963-4055
Project Objectives: The use of microorganisms to remediate various wastes is undoubtedly the oldest form of waste treatment used in the world. Microorganisms are Mother Nature's way of cleaning up pollution and contamination. Mankind has harnessed the use of microorganisms in cleaning up soil contamination as well as in municipal wastewater treatment facilities. New uses of microorganisms are being discovered all the time.
One new use proposed by Environmentally Sensitive Solutions, Inc. (ESS) of Shorewood, Wisconsin, is to use microorganisms to remove organic and heavy metal contaminants from industrial wastewater, primarily in the metal processing industries. These microorganisms would be used in a bioremediation pre-treatment system that would clean up the raw wastewater enough to meet discharge standards enforced by the local POTW. The big advantage to such a proposed system is that it would be sludge-free and require very little support chemistry in order to meet the POTW discharge standards.
Background/Challenges: Custom Products Corporation, the largest machine job shop in the mid-west, agreed to be the first company to take a serious look at such a system. Custom Products does a lot of precision machining for clients such as Ford, Caterpillar, and Case, as well as other large manufacturers in the automotive and transportation industries. This precision machining requires a large quantity of oils, coolants and other lubricants to be used in the machining process. In most cases, these oils need to be washed from the finished parts before shipping to the customer.
The total wastewater generated from the facility in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, averages between 1000 to 1500 gallons per day for a six-day production week. Custom Products was collecting this wastewater in holding tanks and having them pumped out weekly by a licensed wastewater hauler for disposal off-site. Taking into account planned facility expansions, Custom Products was going to spend in excess of $100,000 for this off-site disposal. Custom Products had a desire to reduce these costs, but was unsatisfied with the drawbacks of traditional wastewater treatment technologics.
ESS approached Custom Products with the idea of microorganism-based wastewater treatment. Custom Products liked the fact that this system avoided the many disadvantages of traditional wastewater treatment technologics and the fact that it would be virtually sludge-free. The only by-products would be carbon dioxide and water. Custom Products consented to a pilot study. ESS was then awarded a Waste Reduction and Recycling Demonstration Grant to help defray the costs of demonstrating this exciting technology.
In a joint venture between ESS and Custom Products, along with the grant from the Wisconsin DNR, the bioremediation system was constructed. Once the conversion to neutral cleaning chemistry had taken place, the key element to a successful system were the microorganisms, including algae, fungus, bacteria and protozoa. Aquatic plants would be used as well. In essence, a partial wetland ecosystem would be created indoors where the important parameters such as temperature, pH aeration and flow could be rigorously controlled for maximum degradation efficiency. The system would be virtually sludge-free with the only by-products being carbon dioxide and water.
Results/ Knowledge Gained: The microorganisms were able to sufficiently degrade the organics and meet the discharge limit for FOG. The data also clearly shows that the heavy metal levels were reduced below discharge limits. The heavy metals were removed by the microorganisms through the mechanism of electronic conversion. The solubilized heavy metals are converted to non-soluble and fall harmlessly to the tank bottom as a microscopic chip. These microscopic chips accumulate at such a slow rate that the tanks will not require cleanout for a number of years. When the tanks do require cleanout, the heavy metals sludge will be removed, dried and put into the metal chip bin for recycling. Any heavy metals not converted by the microorganisms are absorbed by aquatic plants. These plants can hold ten times their weight in heavy metals.
Summary: The initial results from the bioremediation system are encouraging. In combination with neutral cleaning chemistry, this unique use of established technology should offer wastewater generators, particularly in the metalworking industry, another option to meet ever tightening government discharge regulations.
For questions or comments about the Community Financial Assistance pages, send mail to: CFA.
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