Problem: Low rate anaerobic lagoons in the meat processing industry can have compromised performance issues due to an inadequate supply of essential trace metals. The essential anaerobic trace metals nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum, and boron (to a lesser extent – selenium, vanadium, and tin) are essential in the growth and metabolism of anaerobic bacteria and archaea. The outer orbits of these trace metals are used by bacteria and archaea to enhance their metabolic activity and to be utilized as enzyme activators. Anaerobic bacteria are organized into trophic levels where the metabolic by-product of one trophic level is utilized in turn by another trophic level of bacteria and archaea. The buildup of excess hydrogen, volatile acids, or volatile fatty acids can disrupt the metabolic and anabolic activities of the bacteria and archaea of the trophic level above or below the disrupted trophic level bringing about poor anaerobic bacteria and archaea performance. The break-through of incomplete anaerobic degradation products could lead to high concentrations of volatile fatty acids (which are inhibitory to nitrifying bacteria) , volatile acids, fats, oils & greases, the incomplete conversion of TKN, increased levels of reduced sulphur compounds (which are inhibitory to nitrifying bacteria), and increased BOD loading to the aerobic wastewater treatment system.
In the cold weather late Fall, Winter and early Spring months, the cooler wastewater temperature (below 88°F) leads to the slow-down of anaerobic activity bringing about increased amounts of biological solids and organic materials building up on the bottom of the lagoon and increasing the size of the anaerobic grease cap to a size that is untenable. The following late Spring or Summer these materials are then broken down leading to the excess production of gas bringing about the “benthic burp” of solids, the release of reduced Sulphur compounds and incompletely degraded proteins that flow out of the anaerobic lagoon into the aerobic process bringing about the potential loss of aerobic basin dissolved oxygen, nitrification, and final clarifier performance. In addition, if quaternary ammonium compounds are used in the processing plant, they tend to build up on the anaerobic solids and when the “benthic burp” phenomena takes place there is a rapid increase in quaternary ammonium compounds in the aerobic treatment system bringing about the potential loss of nitrification or whole effluent toxicity.
Solution: The utilization of Essential Micros 1 to correct essential trace element deficiencies or imbalances. Essential Micros 1 is a trace element formulation containing from 6-10 of the essential anaerobic trace elements in a formulation that contains specific sequestering agents for each of the trace metals utilized to ensure their bioavailability to the anaerobic bacteria and archaea and to protect the trace elements from waste stream sulfides, hydroxides, phosphates, phosphonates, soluble microbial products and chelants. Essential Micros 1 is formulated after the specific waste stream testing of the indigenous trace metals by EPA Method 770 R4.4 with an inter-coupled plasma (ICP).
Essential trace elements are an excellent tool to boost the performance of anaerobic covered lagoons. Anaerobic bacteria (and Achaea) are at the low end of the “energy spectrum”, and their metabolic rate and anabolic process’ are absolutely tied to a group of essential trace metals that act as “enzyme activators” and allow for the narrow energy bridge in which anaerobic bacteria utilize hydrogen, iron, sulfate, CO2, and other sources to drive their metabolic/anabolic process’. Cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, manganese, copper, zinc, and boron (and to a lesser extent selenium, tin, and vanadium) are absolutely essential to “cycle up” the limited energy input of the terminal electron acceptors/donors and catalyze the anaerobic enzymes, and thus make possible the utilization of anaerobic environments in industrial wastewater treatment (and throughout “nature”).
Essential Micros 1 utilizes essential trace elements sequestered by the appropriate chelating agent to provide protection from anaerobic waste stream sulfides, phosphates, carbonates, hydroxides, chelants, soluble microbial products, etc., to deliver the trace element in a bioavailable form to the targeted anaerobic bacteria and to assist in not creating a situation where gross levels of metals break through and interfere with down-stream aerobic wastewater treatment or sludge application/disposal venues. Essential Micros 1 will assist the indigenous anaerobic bacteria and archaea in their anabolic growth and complete metabolic breakdown of meat processing waste stream components thus optimizing anaerobic methane gas production, the reduction of accumulated solids on the bottom of anaerobic lagoons, reduce the throughput of volatile fatty acids, and improve the aerobic treatability of the anaerobic waste stream in Winter and Summer operating seasons.
For more information on Essential Micro 1 visit our website at www.hydrosolutions.com or contact Randy Drake at 502-899-7107.

Problem – INSUFFICIENT GRANULE PRODUCTION AND LOSS OF ANAEROBIC GRANULES IN AN HIGH RATE ANAEROBIC TREATMENT SYSTEM:
In high rate anaerobic wastewater treatment systems (UASB’s, EGSB’s etc.) the development of granular sludge is a key factor for successful operation of high rate anaerobic treatment systems. Criteria for determining if granular sludge has developed in a UASB or EGSB reactor is based on the densities and diameters of the granular sludge. The composition and shape of granular sludge can vary greatly. Typically, granules are a spherical form with a diameter from 0.14 to 5 mm. The inorganic content varies from 10% to 90% of the dry weight of granules and is dependent on the makeup on the waste stream composition. The concentration of the major cations (calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, sodium and aluminum) play a significant role here. The concentration of and the bioavailability of the trace elements cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, vanadium, selenium and tin also play a role in the formation of granules (via determining which methanogens, acetogens, acidogens and sulfate reducing bacteria/archaea dominate the biocenoces. The extracellular polysaccharide content varies from 0.6% to 20% of the volatile solids and consists mainly of polysaccharides and protein. Due to the energetics of anaerobic bacteria/archaea they do not produce extracellular polysaccharide at near the rate of aerobic bacteria. This limitation in anaerobically produced polysaccharide is paramount in the production of anaerobic granules. Anaerobic biomass that has low concentrations of extracellular polysaccharide will build granules at a slower rate and will also lose granules via washout out of the high rate anaerobic reactor.
Solution to INSUFFICIENT GRANULE PRODUCTION AND LOSS OF ANAEROBIC GRANULES IN A HIGH RATE ANAEROBIC TREATMENT SYSTEM: GRANULE MAID
Granule Maid is a blended biopolymer that closely resembles the biological polymers produced by anaerobic bacteria and archaea. The addition of Granule Maid assists in a more rapid formation of granular biomass. This phenomena occurs due to enhancement in the flocculation of anaerobic bacteria/archaea leading to a faster sludge formation and higher density of sludge retained in the reactor. Another benefit involved with the introduction of Granule Maid is that it lowers the surface tension of the wastewater. The adhesion of bacteria involved in anaerobic consortia is related to surface thermodynamics. The adhesion of hydrophilic cells are enhanced at a low liquid surface tension. The addition of Granule Maid will decrease the wastewater surface tension and thus improve the granular biomass yield.
A UASB or EGSB start up period can be shortened with the addition of Granule Maid or assist in a more rapid rebuilding of granular biomass when anaerobic granular biomass is lost. The infusion of Granule Maid will also lead to increased anaerobic reactor stability. In addition, the introduction of Granule Maid can assist in lowering effluent VFA and increasing anaerobic gas production. Finally, Granule Maid has some inherent biochemical qualities that can reduce wastes stream toxicants leading to improved gas production and granular biomass yield. For more information on Granule Maid contact Randy Drake at 618-946-9694 or call our office at 502-899-7107.

Problem: Loss of Wastewater Nitrification or Inadequate Nitrification
Wastewater systems that are laden with ammonia nitrogen and have an ammonia nitrogen limit must have competent waste stream nitrification. Often times due to waste stream toxicity or inhibition, over-wasting of biomass (that contains the nitrifying bacteria), cold wastewater temperatures or over grazing by biomass micro-fauna, wastewater system nitrification is compromised to the point where it impacts the NH3-N effluent permit limit. At this point either another wastewater plants’ mixed liquor is brought in to boost the nitrifier content or a commercial nitrifier product is poured into it to correct the problem.
The problem with the first of these two approaches is that when someone else’s mixed liquor is fed into a wastewater plant, along with the nitrifying bacteria that you want for your system, you also get their filamentous bacteria that may lead to a huge filamentous bloom. Now the second approach in which you add a commercial nitrifying bacterial product may work also. The downside is that the commercial nitrifying bacterial products out there contain mostly water. When examining the average commercial nitrifying bacteria, the pink/red material laying on the bottom (after you let it settle) is the nitrifying bacteria. Usually, there’s not much there. Just as important as you compare containers of nitrifying bacteria, the red/pink portion that settles out is an indication that you are purchasing a different amount of active nitrifying bacteria cultures each time. This makes dosing this material very difficult and leads to erratic performance.

Solution of Loss of Wastewater Nitrification or Inadequate Nitrification
The introduction of a concentrated population of nitrifying bacteria harvested directly from a fermenter growing nitrifying bacteria cultures will allow for both a larger mass of nitrifying bacteria to be fed into your wastewater system and will provide for consistency for future applications of nitrifying bacteria.
RED TIGER is a highly concentrated form of nitrifying bacteria that has a deep red paste-like consistency indicating the large mass of nitrifying bacteria contained in the vessel. The larger the inoculation of nitrifying bacterial cultures into a nitrifying wastewater system will bring about a greater chance to reestablish competent waste stream nitrification. The large populations of Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Nitrococcus and Nitroscoccus found in RED TIGER is unmatched in the commercial nitrifier industry. The consistency from batch to batch is unvaried which helps greatly in dosing nitrifying bacterial cultures to bring about competent wastewater nitrification. The chances of bringing about improved nitrification when utilizing a commercial nitrifying product is greatly enhanced when RED TIGER is utilized.

For more information on Red Tiger contact Randy Drake at 618-946-9694