Wastewater treatment

Abstract

An antimicrobial method of treating wastewater and a wastewater antimicrobial dispenser containing an antimicrobial agent for treating a body of wastewater to kill microorganisms by increasing the concentration metal ions therein. The antimicrobial method includes the step of increasing the effectiveness of the biocidal component in the body of wastewater to thereby lessen the need for a supplemental biocide by adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring where the compound containing a hydantoin ring may or may not have any antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial agent including a source of biocidal metal ions and a compound containing a hydantoin ring where the antimicrobial agent may be a powder, a liquid a solid or combinations thereof.

1 . A method for treatment of wastewater containing solid pollutants comprising:
 removal of the solid pollutants from the wastewater;   killing microorganisms in the wastewater after removal of the solid pollutants by adding a biocidal component to a body of wastewater; and   enhancing the effectiveness of the biocidal component in the wastewater by adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring to the wastewater, which may or may not have any antimicrobial properties, to thereby enhance the effectiveness of the biocidal component by increasing the solubility of the biocidal component in the body of wastewater.   
     
     
         2 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 1  wherein the step of adding a biocidal component to the body of wastewater comprises adding a transition metal, a transition metal oxide, a transition metal salt, or a combination thereof to the body of wastewater. 
     
     
         3 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 2  wherein the step of adding the transition metal, the transition metal oxide, the transition metal salt, or a combination thereof to the body of wastewater comprises adding silver, silver oxide, silver salt, or a combination thereof to the body of wastewater or a substrate that has been coated or impregnated with metallic silver, silver salt, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 1  wherein the step of adding the biocidal component to the body of wastewater comprises adding a silver-containing material, a silver alloy or a silver nitrate to the body of wastewater and the compound containing the hydantoin ring lacks biocidal effectiveness when used alone 
     
     
         5 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 1  wherein adding the compound containing a hydantoin ring is a compound selected from the group consisting of dimethylhydantoin (DMH) Bromochlorodimethylhydantoin (BCDMH), Dichlorodimethylhydatoin (DCDMH), Dibromodimethylhydantoin (DBDMH). 
     
     
         6 . The method of treatment of waste water of  claim 1  including the step of placing a dispenser containing both the biocidal component and the compound containing a hydantoin ring in the wastewater and allowing the wastewater to come into contact with both the biocidal component and the compound containing a hydantoin ring. 
     
     
         7 . The method of treatment of waste water of  claim 1  wherein step of adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring includes adding a concentration of 5,5-dimethylhydantoin to the body of wastewater to obtain a final concentration of at least 5 ppm 5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 
     
     
         8 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 1  wherein the compound containing a hydantoin contains a halogen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of treatment of  claim 1  wherein the step of adding a biocidal component to a body of wastewater comprises adding the biocidal component to the wastewater after unwanted liquid pollutants are removed from the wastewater. 
     
     
         10 . A method of treating a body of wastewater to kill microorganisms therein by increasing the effectiveness of an antimicrobial agent comprising the steps of:
 adding a source of biocidal metal to the body of wastewater to generate biocidal metal ions in the body of wastewater; and   adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring to the body of wastewater, where the compound containing a hydantoin ring may or may not have any antimicrobial properties, to interact with the source of biocidal metal to increase an availably of biocidal metal ions in the body of wastewater.   
     
     
         11 . The method of treatment of  claim 10  wherein the wastewater is greywater or ballast water. 
     
     
         12 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 10  wherein the source of biocidal metal ions comprises a source of silver ions and the compound containing the hydantoin ring comprises 5,5-dimethylhydantoin and the level of 5,5-dimethylhydantoin in the body of wastewater is at least 5 ppm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 10  wherein the step of adding the source of biocidal metal to the body of wastewater comprises adding a source of metallic silver or metallic silver alloy to the body of wastewater. 
     
     
         14 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 12  including the step of placing a dispenser containing both the source of biocidal metal and the 5,5-dimethylhydantoin in the body of wastewater and allowing wastewater to come into contact with both the source of biocidal metal and the 5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of treatment of wastewater of  claim 11  wherein the step of adding the source of biocidal metal to the body of wastewater comprises adding silver chloride to the body of wastewater. 
     
     
         16 . A wastewater antimicrobial dispenser for killing microorganisms in a body of wastewater comprising;
 a dispenser containing a source of biocidal metal ions releasable into the body of wastewater to generate a santizing level of biocidal metals insufficient to kill the microorganisms in the body of wastewater and a compound containing a hydantoin ring releasable into the body of wastewater wherein the compound containing the hydantoin ring increases the antimicrobial level of biocidal metal ions in the body of wastewater to a biocidal level sufficient to kill microorganism in the wastewater.   
     
     
         17 . The wastewater antimicrobial dispenser of  claim 16  including
 a first housing having a water accessible compartment containing the biocidal metal; and   a second housing having a water accessible compartment containing the compound containing a hydantoin ring.   
     
     
         18 . The wastewater antimicrobial dispenser of  claim 16  wherein the source of biocidal metal comprises silver chloride and the compound containing a hydantoin ring comprises 5,5-di methyl hydantoin. 
     
     
         19 . The wastewater antimicrobial dispenser of  claim 16  wherein the biocidal metal is selected from the group consisting of a metallic silver alloy, pure silver or a substrate impregnated with metallic silver and the compound containing the hydantoin ring is either 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH) Bromochlorodimethylhydantoin (BCDMH) or Dichlorodimethylhydatoin (DCDMH) or combinations thereof wherein the compound containing the hydantoin ring is either a powder, a liquid, a solid or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The wastewater antimicrobial dispenser of  claim 16  wherein the compound containing a hydantoin ring lacks biocidal effectiveness to kill microorganisms.