Joint Venture to Demonstrate Bioreactor Treatment of Perchlorate-Laden Groundwater

Envirogen Technologies (USA), in a joint venture with Shikun & Binui Water Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Shikun & Binui, Israel's largest construction and real estate group, announced recently that it has been selected to perform a pilot-scale demonstration of its fluidised-bed bioreactor (FBR) technology for the remediation of perchlorate-laden groundwater in the Israeli city of Ramat Ha’Sharon. The pilot demonstration was designed in response to an Israeli Water Authority request for proposal to address pollution at a former Israel Military Industries (IMI) site in the city, located north of Tel Aviv. The pilot is aimed at demonstrating the FBR’s efficacy for removing high levels of perchlorate along with nitrates, RDX and chromates from contaminated groundwater at the site. The pilot project would lead to the development of a full-scale treatment system that would be one of the largest perchlorate treatment installations in the world at a site that is destined for residential development.

According to Dr. Todd Webster, Western Region Vice-President for Envirogen, the upcoming pilot study will further validate the FBR’s position at the forefront of technology for dealing with high levels of perchlorate contamination. “Having been involved in its development and optimisation over the past two decades, we’ve known for some time how ideal the FBR is for treating contamination of this nature,” Webster said. ”The FBR’s selection over several competing technologies proposed for this project is further proof of its growing acceptance in the industry. The process stability is excellent, even in cases of higher loadings. It’s also a low-cost and environmentally-friendly treatment option with greatly reduced chemical, energy and labour requirements and minimal waste generation. In Ramat Ha’Sharon, perchlorate loadings and flow rates are potentially an order of magnitude higher than what has been addressed before, and we’re confident of our ability to scale the FBR to this application. We’re excited to bring these elements to this project and to the region, and excited about the opportunity to partner with Shikun & Binui,” he continued.

The pilot plant to be developed for the Ramat Ha’Sharon site will consist of two fluidised-bed bioreactors, a solids-handling system and an effluent polishing system. Influent loadings of perchlorate in excess of 400,000 micrograms per litre (µg/l) will be reduced to a guaranteed maximum of 4 µg/l, along with reduction of nitrates, chromates and the military explosives RDX to meet regulatory standards.

Envirogen’s FBR is a fixed-film bioreactor in which biological media is suspended, or fluidised, within the reactor vessel by the upward flow of water through the system. The suspended media provides a large surface area for microbial growth and allows a biomass density several times greater than that of other bioreactor designs under similar loading conditions. Microorganisms in the reactor completely destroy influent perchlorate and other targeted contaminants under anoxic conditions, while generating limited waste by-products. Over the last 15 years, Envirogen has installed and started up over 60 aerobic and anoxic FBRs throughout the United States – advancing the technology with these systems to handle a broad range of organic contaminants, as well as inorganics such as nitrate, perchlorate and selenium. Applications for Envirogen’s FBR technology range from groundwater remediation and mining water treatment to wastewater and potable water treatment.