Biosolids (sludge) disposal is becoming an increasingly difficult and costly problem for wastewater treatment plants. If biosolids disposal is a current, expensive pressing problem for you, then BiO₃ Bioaugmentation can offer relief through biosolids reduction. System-wide implementation of BiO₃ Bioaugmentation should result in a reduction of biosolids (dry weight tons) in the 15% to 50% range depending on the current sludge handling and digestion effectiveness of the treatment plant in question. Much of the biosolids disposed of contains digestable organics. When the microbes consume organics they are converted to heat, energy, gas and water much the same way that we utilize what we consume.

Sludge Case Study

To measure the effeciency of biosolids (sludge) reduction of a treatment plant we use the following: Dry weight tons of biosolids produced divided by MGD of Influent. For example if a WWTP runs 10MGD and produces 6 tons (dry weight) of biosolids, the WWTP has an efficiency of .6. WWTP's can vary some based on loading, which we have to consider, but most WWTP have about the same BOD and TSS ppm's in the enfluent.

BiO₃ Bioaugmentation can greatly enhance the WWTP efficiency. Those with higher effeciency's of .6 to 1 can usually be decreased to .3 to .4. We have three WWTP's operating below .35. They were all operating at .5 and higher effeciencies prior to BiO₃ Bioaugmentation. Check the efficiency ratio of your WWTP and consider contacting us for a operational cost savings.

The injected BiO₃ microbes beneficially impact the digestive effectiveness and efficiency of the biosolids processing pathway in the treatment plant (pond) in several ways:

Less SRB’s Enter the Treatment Plant – In the treatment plant SRB’s become part of the pollutant removal problem rather than part of the solution.

Through competitive exclusion, the BiO₃ microbes will replace the SRB’s as the predominate biofilm species on the interior surfaces of the collection piping walls. Since about 80% of microbe growth in the collection system comes from the biofilm, this means with less biofilm wall space there will be fewer and fewer SRB’s and less sulfides (since SRB’s create sulfides) in the wastewater to be removed in the treatment plant.

Hence, fewer SRB’s means less biosolids to treat, handle, and dispose of.

But, you might ask, what about all the aerobic, facultatively anaerobic microbes being injected and grown? Will they not increase the biosolids? No, because as they grow much of the food (organic load) is converted to energy, gas (carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, & nitrogen), heat, and water. When the food (organic load) is depleted the microbes begin consume their own protoplasm to obtain energy for cell maintenance. This phenomenon is called endogenous respiration. The bottom line is less biosolids are produced.

BiO₃ Bioaugmentation Microbes consist of Multiple Strains & Synergistic Interaction – Multiple strains of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic microbes are selected for their compatible, symbiotic metabolic pathways, which metabolize (digest) CBOD (Carbon Biological Oxygen Demand), BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), and TSS (Total Suspended Solids). This means that the combination of these strains will successively break down and digest the waste in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions to a far greater degree than the same quantity of only one of the microbe strains (especially if that one microbe is a SRB). They’re a team, not one individual superbug.

Treatment Plant Biosolids Processing Performance is Enhanced –Biosolids Processing Treatment Plant performance is enhanced several ways:

The influent waste is already partially broken-down by the BiO₃ microbes so it is more conducive for treatment than before. Therefore, it is easier to remove.

BiO₃ microbes, which are now great in number, continue to function in the treatment plant aerobic and anaerobic digestion processes. The microbes are young and robust and join the plant biology in the digestion task. Also, because they are in constant supply, the plant biology remains young. It is accepted by the wastewater treatment industry that the addition of fresh microbes in the treatment plant influent will improve the plant performance and stabilize plant operation. Recovery from treatment plant biology ‘wash-outs’ is also much quicker.

With fewer SRB’s and dead microbes with which to contend and with more microbes capable of endogenous respiration assisting in the biosolids digestive processes, more of the organics and pollutants will be converted to gas (i.e. carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane and nitrogen) heat and energy, thereby increasing the digestion efficiency of the plant. More biosolids are consummed - Less biosolids are produced.

Hence, the biological impact of the BiO₃ Bioaugmentation on the biosolids processing results in less biosolids than before. A biosolids reduction of 20% to 50% or more can be realized.

To observe an actual biosolids reduction trend, see chart below. See Testimonials for ongoing sludge reduction data and Wastewater Professionals who have graciously concented to accept your phone calls.

If you have additional questions and/or want to discuss a specific problem, please contact us . cliff@biothree.com