Treatment and Applications
Treatments
Our treatment processes make it possible to eliminate refractory chemical pollutants and resistant micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, etc.) for water coming from a treatment process or even water coming from groundwater or contaminated catchments.
To respond to the problem of heavy metals, we combine our technology with bio-based adsorbent materials to limit the system’s carbon impact.
- Directly at the source of the pollutant. In some cases, it is possible to treat the pollutant(s) at its production source. This limits the volume of effluent to be treated downstream. We are still studying this possibility which can drastically lower treatment costs.
- Upstream of the collective sanitation system. Our processing allows us to reach the rejection standards (Decree of August 24, 2017) or to comply with the rejection agreement with the local Waste Water Treatment Plant.
- Downstream of the existing treatment chain. Our complementary treatment eliminates refractory pollutants little or not treated by the treatment plant before discharge into the natural environment
- Instead of off-site treatment often expensive (incineration). We set up on-site treatment which limits the transport of effluents and the costs of destruction.
- Groundwater or contaminated catchments
Here are typical applications of treatment:
Reduction of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
AIncrease in the biodegradability of refractory effluents (leachate, dyes, etc.)
Wastewater recycling (REUSE)
Reduction of specific organic molecules:
Hydrocarbons(Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), MTBE, benzene…)
Pesticides(Atrazine, glyphosate, diuron…)
Solvents(Dioxanne-1,4)
Pharmaceutical products(hormones, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, methiolate compounds, etc.)
Organometals(organomercurians, organoplatin)
Volatile organic compounds(Phtalates, Phenols, Toluene…)
Other organic molecules
References and application examples
Water and effluent treatment
WWTP (Waste Water Treatment Plant):Treatment of refractory micropollutants downstream of a filter planted with reeds (Jura)Find out more
Agrochemicals:Treatment of a table contaminated with 40 active organic substancesFind out more
Bleaching:Development of a wastewater recycling process (patented technology)Find out more
Technical studies & expert report
Pharmaceuticals:Pre-treatment of organomercury by advanced oxidation. Hard mercury adsorption on bio-based material
Industrial waste(confidential) treatment of leachate by advanced UV/H2O2 oxidation
Depollution manufacturers:
- Tests for the treatment of hydrocarbons in sediments
- Sludge treatment by advanced oxidation (catalytic ozonation)
Industrial conglomerate:International benchmark of the effluent treatment potential by inclusion complexes (cage molecules)
WWTP detailed
technical sheet:
Water treatment
and recycling
ContextThe pressures on water resources are increasing as agricultural, industrial or urban activities lead to the discharge of many pollutants into surface water and groundwater. This pollution, which can be biological or chemical, impacts ecosystems to varying degrees, going as far as threatening the survival of aquatic species.
The solutions to limit the dispersion of pollutants are found not only in the reduction of pollutant emissions at the source but also in the efficiency of wastewater treatment. Improving the treatment capacity of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) can help improve the quality of surface water but also allow the production of water that can be directly used for many uses. This recycling of treated wastewater is part of an environmental and economic approach which concerns agricultural (irrigation), industrial (process water) or urban (street cleaning, watering of green spaces) uses. In the near future, the recharge of groundwater or even the production of drinking water from treated wastewater can be envisaged after an advanced oxidation treatment.
The Vercia projectStudy and implementation of a micropollutants treatment system with UV/H2O2 at the outlet of a purification plant using a planted bed network for the reuse of treated wastewater (Jura).
Commissioned in September 2004, the Vercia STPU treats, by means of a Reed Planted Filter (RPF), the wastewater of the inhabitants of the villages of Rotalier and Vercia (470 PE), but also that from the activity generated by five winegrowers. The load linked to viticulture can reach 600 PE in peak period, that is to say at the time of the harvest, between mid-September and mid-October. This installation uses a vertical flow filtration technique. The objective here is to disinfect the water and eliminate the refractory micropollutants by a tertiary treatment process.
Issues
- Scarcity of water resources
- Refractory molecules not treated by treatment plants
- Regulations on the recycling of treated wastewater in France (April 2016)
Technologies implementedAn advanced UV/H2O2 oxidation process was dimensioned and set up downstream of the WWTP. The monitoring of the treatment efficiency shows a complete disinfection and the elimination of the initially detected refractory pollutants.
- Power supply and PLC
- Dosing pump
- UV reactor
- H2O2 storage
WWTP detailed
technical sheet:
Water treatment
and recycling
Bacterial allowances following UV/H₂O₂ treatment of Vercia water
| Microorganisms | Input Concentration | Output concentration | Allowance (log) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germs 36 ° C - Total (CFU/mL) | 15500 | 0 | > 5,19 |
| Germs 22 ° C - Total (CFU/mL) | 43000 | 0 | > 4,6 |
| Total Coliforms (CFU/100 mL) | 37000 | 0 | > 5,57 |
| Escherichia coli (Microplates) (CFU/100 mL) | 34659 | <15 | > 3,4 |
| Enterococci (Microplates) (CFU/100 mL) | 16740 | <15 | > 3,0 |
Example of molecules detected before and after UV/H₂O₂ treatment and calculated allowances
| Molecules | [input] (μg/L) | [output] (μg/L) | Allowance (%) | LQ (μg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diclofenac | 0,254 | <LQ | 98,0 | 0,01 |
| carbamazepine | 0,311 | <LQ | 98,8 | 0,01 |
| roxythromicin | 0,049 | <LQ | 89,8 | 0,01 |
Support/Funding
Agrochemical
technical sheet
Groundwater
treatment
ContextIndustrial sites can present pollution of their underground water tables (leaching of the site during rainy episodes and infiltration, historical pollution, etc.). The site of which this project is the subject has a contaminated groundwater table. Nearly 40 active molecules have been detected at concentrations ranging from ng/L to µg/L, which can nevertheless vary depending on local weather. The volumes of water to be treated are significant. The complexity of pollution is based on the diversity of molecules to be treated which can have different physicochemical properties.
These different factors make advanced oxidation the appropriate technology to provide answers to these problems.
Issues
- Diversity of organic pollutants
- Volume of water to be treated
- Possible variations in pollutant concentrations
- Stricter regulations
Technologies implementedTreewater has tested and optimized its advanced UV/H2O2 oxidation process on approximately 40 organic molecules at concentrations of the order of ng/L u µg/L. From effluents sampled on site, Treewater technicians and engineers defined the optimal treatment parameters to degrade at least 90% of all target molecules. The use of Treewater pilots makes it possible to get closer to real conditions by carrying out tests on representative flow rates and volumes. UV/H2O2 is perfectly suited for various reasons:
- High dose UV irradiation can degrade part of the target molecules (high UV absorption)
- The hydroxyl radicals generated make it possible to degrade the most refractory molecules
- The system continuously adapts to the change in incoming water quality
Agrochemical
technical sheet
Groundwater
treatment
Laundry Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
ContextThe laundry industry is a large consumer of water and generates a significant amount of wastewater. However, certain French regions are constrained by scarce water resources which could ultimately reduce the economic activity of the sector. On the other hand, the cost of water is a significant burden for these businesses. In France, the price per cubic meter of water is almost 4 euros when it takes on average 10 to 15 liters of water to wash 1 kg of laundry. Depending on its size, a laundry then consumes volumes of water between 30 and 400 m3 per day which generally ends up in the sewerage network with high levels of pollutants. Washing clothes results in the emission of micropollutants such as phthalates (DEHP, DEP, etc.), phenols, heavy metals, solvents or surfactants, which are very poorly treated in a treatment plant. The problem of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms is added to this list of pollutants present in laundry wastewater.
The project (confidential)Installation of an innovative treatment system by advanced oxidation allowing treatment and recycling of laundry effluents
Issues
- Emissions of pollutants subject to new regulations (phthalates, nonyphenols, etc.)
- Decrease in water resources
- ignificant water consumption
- Saturation of local WWTPs
- Significant costs of current treatment solutions
Technologies implementedTreewater has developed an innovative recycling process with the support of the RMC water agency and the DEEP INSA laboratory. This patented system is in the pilot stage (TRL 6) and makes it possible to envisage recycling 80 to 85% of laundry wastewater. It was installed in a laundry in the south of France with the aim of limiting water consumption and discharges into the local saturated wastewater treatment plant. The technology’s core is based on advanced oxidation in combination with robust and inexpensive treatments (physico-chemical, adsorbent materials). The abatement rates obtained for problematic pollutants are maximum (see Figure). The water quality is compatible with reuse of the water in the washing process at the chemical and microbiological level (total disinfection)
Laundry Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
Support/Funding