Title: Wastewater treatment based on reactive filter media presented by Anders Norén, Bioptech ACQUEAU Workshop on Industrial Waste Water Treatment 12 March 2015

1. Mission
“Bioptech is the market leader
in preventing eutrophication
thus ensuring access to clean water
and recycling Phosphorus
thus securing food supply for a
growing population”

2. Bioptech in the Media – A Novel Solution

3. Two Urgent, Global Problems
Euthrophication Peak Phosphorus

4. Consequences & trends
Increasing regulation P-removal Strong need for P-recycling
European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)
(http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/)
1. Worldwide food security
2. No P in Europe
3. Eutrophication
4. P-crisis affects all – Prices increase
5. Call to action on Recycling
Baltic Region Focus

5. Reactive Filter Beds
• The worlds most efficient P-filter
• Natural mineral - Opoka
• Proven and established - 4 000 small filters installed
• Scientific evidence - 20 years of research
• Ongoing upscaling - Large filter pilots in Sweden and UK
• Own opencast in Poland
• Resource provision & production capacity - 1,000-fold scalability

6. Unique technology - multitasking – Sustainable
1. One of few concurrent P-removal & recycling technologies
2. Highest P-removal (100 %) on the market
3. Concurrent bacteria & odor removal – strong added value
4. 30 % cheaper than existing technology, chemical precipitation
5. Applicable on all sources of leakage
6. Proven - Simple - Flexible - Scalable

7. 2.
Biological
step
Recyclable Reactive Filter Bed
1.
Septic tank
3.
Reactive Bed
filter
4 000 small filters (< 20 pe) in operation
End-polishing
Water + P + Bacteria Water free from P, bacteria & odor
Reactive Bed
filter
Principle
In practice
Calcination, Slow P-release,
pH-increase, nutrient
Uptake, better structure

8. HPO4
2-
Ca2+
OH-
PO4
3-
Ca3(PO4)2(s
)
Filter media based
on calcium-silicate
(hydrate) material
Dominating P-form in ww
Different forms of
Calcium-phosphates
can be created
What happens in the Polonite
during retention time?
Ca2+ + 2 OH- → Ca (OH)2 , pH decreases
pH:
12,0 - 9,0
Background data from e.g.:
Bench-scale column tests:
Nilsson, C., .. Renman, G., et al. 2013. Efficacy
of reactive mineral-based sorbents for
phosphate, bacteria, nitrogen and TOC
removal – column experiment in recirculation
batch mode. Water Research 47: 5165-5175
Pilot-scale field tests:
Renman, A., Renman, G., 2010. Long-term
phosphate removal by the calcium-silicate
material Polonite in wastewater filtration
systems. Chemosphere 79: 659-664.
P-tot:
0,1 – 0,3 mg/l

9. Baltic Sea Eutrophication
90 % Eutrophicated affecting
75 Mn people in 1 500 municipalities in catchment areas
Source: BCG: HELCOM, EUROSTAT

10. Sources of Nutrient Pollution
90 % Pollution from
Agriculture, Municipal WW, Private WW

11. A Lack of Awareness!
Source: BCG: Baltic Sea Survey
70% of municipalities not implementing measures to address problems,
25% unaware of critical status of the Baltic Sea!

12. Helcom Conclusions;
”Municipal upgrade & private WWT is a good idea!”
Need
• Structured approach to determine cost-effectiveness
• Prioritise actions to mitigate nutrient loads
• Pilot projects
Key to success
• Similar approaches  local adaptions – no one size fits them all
• Engagement - municipalities, local politicians, local org, companies and citizens
Source: BCG, ”Restoring waters in the Baltic Sea Region”
BSAP P-red. target70%
Municipal WWT
Expansion, Upgrade,
Adjustment

13. < -------------------- 30 – 65 % -------------------- >
Small P-
Filters
Large P-filters Customized
filters
WasteWater Treatment
Plants
Single houses,
scattered
settlements NA NA
Biop®
Municipalities,
industries
Farmland, animal
farms,
Constructed
wetlands etc
Modular & scalable applications adressing all needs
Products
Segments

14. Cost Effective P- Filtration
(€/kg P removed)
Bioptech
solutions
Phosphorus
removed
(kg/year)
Cost-efficiency of P-
removal
(EUR/kg)
Comparison figure
(Naturvardverket 2008)
(EUR/kg) *
P-filter
Private HH
3,4 101 215 – 637
Large filter
Muni. WWTP
6 803 49 41 – 330
Manure
Run-Off filter
500 80 50 – 9735
Farmland
Ditch-filter
375 67 50 – 9735
* (Naturvardsverket Report 5877, 2008)

15. “Traditional” solutions prevail – Need for new solutions
Technique Use Effectiv
e
Cost
effectiv
e
Less
freq.
maint.
Robust Recyclin
g
Min.
Mech.
Comment
Infiltration bed
40 % ? Traditional,
Does it work?Sand Filtration
Bed (markbädd) 17 % ?
Only septic tank
19 % ! Doesn’t work
Storage tank
21 %   ?  Logistics, CO2
Compact WWTP
2 %  ?/ ?/ ?/
Chemicals or P-
filter
Communal
treatment 1 %    ?
Source: Hav och vatten; Svenska MiljöEmissionsData (SMED), SMED Rapport Nr 44 2011.

16. BIOP – a compact wwtp for private houses
• Compact and light – little digging
• Cost Effective
• Low Energy Footprint
• No chemicals
• Good Reduction capabilities:
Technique
Infiltration bed
Sand Filtration
Bed (markbädd)
Only septic tank
Storage tank
Compact WWTP
Communal
treatment
BOD > 90 %
Phosphorus > 90 %
Ntot > 50 %

17. A New Solution Needed
Technique Use Effectiv
e
Cost
effectiv
e
Less
freq.
maint.
Robust Recyclin
g
Min.
Mech.
Comment
Infiltration bed
40 % ! Traditional,
doesn‘t workSand Filtration
Bed (markbädd) 17 % !
Only septic tank
19 % ! Doesn’t work
Storage tank
21 %    Doesn’t treat
Compact WWTP
2 %    
Communal
treatment 1 %   Expensive
???      

18. SWIM
Small-Scale Wastewater treatment
system based on Innovative filter
Materials

19. Septic Biological pretreatment
w. filtermedia
Horisontal filter w.
filter media
SWIM - Concept drawing
SamplingSampling
Open Flexible Modular Scalable Cost effective
Challenges;
- Hydraulics, retention time
- Dimensioning filter media
- Pre-treatment, BOD
- Filter change
- Logistics
Polonite & Sorbulite

20. Project Objectives & Benefits
Nutrient Discharge
to water sources
Recycling of
Phosphorus
High Efficiency
P: 90 - 100 %
N: 50 %
Bacteria: 99,9 %
BOD: > 90 %
  
10 % Cheaper
acquisition &
installation

Carefree & 25 %
cheaper
maintenance
Open solution
instead of black
box. Robust
Recycling of
100 % phosphorus

Gravity, modular,
Flexible,
scalable,
min mechanical
parts
-> Scientific evidence

21. 1. New installation
Large p-filters, large WWTP
Bioptech filters as a substitute or complement
Bio WWTP
Bio + Post chem WWTP
Bio + Simultaneous chem
WWTP
P tot 0,1 – 0,5 mg/l
4. Sewer overflow
filter 5. Reject water
”P-Mining”
3. Upgrade /
Complement
2. Substitute

22. INLET
PUMP
FLOW
SWITCH
OUTLET
#1 Retention time 1
h
#2 DRAINING
#3 DRAINED
#4 FILLING
FLOW
SWITCH
PUMP
Large P filters – Large WWTP
Sequenced Batch Processing
Benefits
- Cost effective
- Simple, flexible, scalable
- Low maintenance, corrosion
- No sludge
- Hygienization
- No chem

23. Competition P-FILTERS
P-treatment + P-recycling
Performance
Cost
Efficiency
High
Low High
Low
Chemicals
Other filter media1. Optimization
2. Cost
3. Environment?
4. No Recycling
5. A lot of SLUDGE
Global trends – driving new tech.
1. P-treatment legislation
2. P-recycling
3. Chemicals reduction

24. Field
Dual-
filter
Ditch
Dam
Ditchfilters - farmland

25. Filter concept – chicken farm manure runoff
Sand + Sorbulite®
filter Polonite®
filter
Inlet
Outlet
Robust - Effective - Life time – Dirty water
Overflow filter
Coarse Sorbulite®
Distribution well
Distribution well
Bio/Sedimentation
basin
Estimated filter performance:
- Ptot < 0.5 mg/L (80-90 % reduction)
- Ntot 50-70 % reduction
- BOD7 70-90 % reduction
- Bacteria (E.coli and coliforms) 70 - 90 % reduction

26. Polonite
Superior Filter Materials
Anders Norén
anders.noren@bioptech.se
+46 70-687 87 14