Biotechnological Phytodepuration System for High COD Wastewater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing phytodepuration systems are ineffective in treating wastes from wineries, dairy, olive oil processing, livestock, and aquaculture due to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD5) in the treated water, which can harm aquatic ecosystems.
Innovation Solution
A biotechnological phytodepuration system using a tank with a filtration bed of porous materials and hydrophilic plants, inoculated with a consortium of symbiont fungi, saprophytic fungi, rhizosphere bacteria, biosurfactant fungi, and bacteria to reduce COD and BOD5, and limit odors from aerobic and anaerobic fermentations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional phytodepuration systems with inert porous materials (gravel, sand) are used, then the system structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the treatment efficiency for high COD and BOD5 wastes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the filtration bed from inert materials (gravel, sand) to chemically active materials (zeolites, volcanic rock, diatomaceous earth). This parameter change enables the filtration bed to actively participate in pollutant removal through adsorption and biological processes, significantly improving treatment efficiency for high COD and BOD5 wastes while maintaining system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite filtration beds combining multiple active materials (zeolites, volcanic rock, diatomaceous earth) with specific physical and chemical properties. This composite approach enhances treatment efficiency by leveraging the complementary advantages of each material for pollutant adsorption and biodegradation, while still maintaining structural simplicity
2Reliability
If agro-food wastes with high COD and BOD5 are treated using conventional methods (methanization, evaporation, composting), then alternative treatment options are available, but the treatment efficiency is insufficient and additional treatments are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple treatment functions (filtration, adsorption, biological degradation) into a single phytodepuration system. The combination of active filtration materials, hydrophilic plants, and microbial communities creates an integrated system that simultaneously removes suspended solids, adsorbs pollutants, and biodegrades organic matter, reducing the need for multiple separate treatment stages
Solution Approach 2:
The phytodepuration system performs multiple functions simultaneously: physical filtration of suspended solids, chemical adsorption of pollutants by zeolites and volcanic rock, biological degradation by microorganisms and plants, and odor control. This multi-functionality allows efficient treatment of high COD and BOD5 wastes in a single system rather than requiring sequential specialized treatments
3Reliability
If the filtration bed uses chemically active materials (zeolites, volcanic rock), then treatment efficiency improves, but the cost of materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter to use naturally occurring chemically active materials (zeolites, volcanic rock, diatomaceous earth) that can be sourced from natural deposits. While these materials are more expensive than inert gravel, their superior performance in pollutant removal and adsorption provides better value by eliminating the need for additional treatment stages and reducing operational costs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces polluting contents and odors, enhancing the treatment efficiency of polluted water from agro-food and aquaculture sources, making it suitable for releasing treated water into superficial waters without harming aquatic life.
Implementation Method 1
filtration bed of porous inert material (such as sand and gravel) on which hydrophilic plants are planted and through which the polluted water is made to flow
Implementation Method 2
use in filtration beds of materials with diverse physical characteristics (for example, porosity) and of chemically 'active' materials (for example zeolites)
Implementation Method 3
the biological actions and interactions between hydrophilic plants and the resident microbial communities provide spontaneous auto-depuration of the water. During the gradual flow from the inlet to the outlet of these systems there is a continuous process of filtration and oxidation of suspended organic solids
Implementation Method 4
procedures of spreading onto agricultural lands, which are limited by local laws, among other things, c) evaporative procedures that separate the solid from the liquid fractions
Implementation Method 5
a consortium inoculum consisting of: a) symbiont fungi belonging to the genera Glomus spp. and Gigaspora spp., b) saprophytic fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma spp., and c) bacteria of the rhizosphere belonging to the genera Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Actinomycetales spp.
Implementation Method 6
said consortium permits the reduction of the polluting contents as well as the COD and/or BOD5 of the treated waste
Implementation Method 7
d) biosurfactant fungi belonging to the genera Acinetobacter spp., Pichia spp., Torulopsis spp., Candida spp., Saccharomyces spp., Schizonella spp., and Ustilago spp., and e) biosurfactant bacteria belonging to the genera Agrobacterium spp., Serratia spp., Flavobacterium spp., Mycobacterium spp., Nocardia spp., Corynebacterium spp., Rhodococcus spp., Arthrobacter spp., Thiobacillus spp., Gluconobacter spp., Aspergillus spp., and Alcanivorax spp.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A biotechnical phytodepuration system (1) comprises a filtering bed (6) constituted by inert porous materials and vegetable species (7) planted on the filtering bed (6), where the filtering bed is inoculated with a consortium of microorganisms comprising : a) at least one symbiont fungus belonging to the genus Glomus spp. or Gigaspora spp., b) at least one saprophytic fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma spp., and c) at least one bacterium of the rhizosphere selected among the genera Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Actinomycetales spp.