Wastewater treatment systems and methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved wastewater treatment systems and methods. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes microbial consortia and the final effluent of the treated wastewater is remarkably clean, and has low levels of hazardous chemicals, unwanted nutrient values and/or total solids. Advantageously, the wastewater treatment system and method of the present invention reduces the use of chemical compounds in the treatment process. Further, valuable biomasses can be produced from the wastewater using the treatment process of the present invention.

1 . A wastewater treatment system, comprising:
 a wastewater treatment basin comprising an inlet for receiving wastewater and an outlet for discharging wastewater; and   a compressed gas source capable of releasing compressed gas into the basin.   
     
     
         2 . The wastewater treatment system, according to  claim 1 , comprising a microbe consortium comprising a population of microorganisms that consume one or more N-, P-, S- and/or metal-containing substances. 
     
     
         3 . The wastewater treatment system, according to  claim 2 , wherein the microbe consortium comprises one or more species selected from  Acaryochloris, Amphora, Anabaena, Anacystis, Anikstrodesmis, Asteromonas, Azoarcus, Bacillus, Botryococcus, Chaetoceros, Chlorella, Chlorococcum, Closterium, Crocosphaera, Cyanotheca, Cyclotella, Cylindrotheca, Desmodesmus, Dunaliella, Escherichia, Euglena, Halobacterium, Halomonas, Halospirulina, Hematococcus, Isochrysis, Lyngbya, Marinichlorella, Micratinium, Microcystis, Monochrysis, Monoraphidium, Nannochloris, Nannochlorum, Nannochloropsis, Navicula, Nephrochloris, Nephroselmis, Nitrobacter, Nitrococcus, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosomonas, Nitrosopumilus, Nitrospina, Nitzschia, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oochromonas, Oocystis, Oscillatoria, Pavlova, Pediastrum, Phaeodactylum, Picochlorum, Platymonas, Pleurochrysis, Porphyra, Prochlorococcus, Pseudoanabaena, Pseudomonas, Pyramimonas, Rhodoceros, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomonas, Rubrivivax, Scenedesmus, Selenastrum, Spirulina, Stichococcus, Synechococcus, Synechocystis, Tetraselmis, Thalassiosira, Thermosynechocystis, Trichodesmium, Thiobacillus, Uronema , and  Zoogloea.    
     
     
         4 . The wastewater treatment system, according to  claim 1 , further comprising an inlet for introducing one or more biologics into the basin. 
     
     
         5 . The wastewater treatment system, according to  claim 1 , further comprising a dewatering system functionally connected to the basin, and is configured to receive wastewater discharged from the basin.