	US 12,077,461 B2
	Method for treating reducible compound residues using iron-containing bioreactor
Heather Marie Knotek-Smith, Vicksburg, MS (US); and David Lyman Smith, Vicksburg, MS (US)
Assigned to UNITED STATES of AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, Alexandria, VA (US)
Filed by United States of America—US Army, Alexandria, VA (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/721,886.
Application 15/721,886 is a division of application No. 14/685,311, filed on Apr. 13, 2015, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/978,581, filed on Apr. 11, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2023/0055262 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. C02F 3/28 (2023.01); C02F 1/70 (2023.01); C02F 3/00 (2023.01); C02F 3/34 (2023.01); C02F 101/00 (2006.01); C02F 103/00 (2006.01); C02F 103/06 (2006.01)

CPC C02F 3/2806 (2013.01) [C02F 1/705 (2013.01); C02F 3/2813 (2013.01); C02F 3/284 (2013.01); C02F 3/346 (2013.01); C02F 2003/001 (2013.01); C02F 2003/003 (2013.01); C02F 2101/003 (2013.01); C02F 2103/001 (2013.01); C02F 2103/007 (2013.01); C02F 2103/06 (2013.01); C02F 2203/006 (2013.01)]

15 Claims

1. A method for removing explosive compounds from contaminated surface water using a bioreactor, said bioreactor located either on-ground or in-ground at a location across which said contaminated surface water flows, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an iron-containing bioreactor with anaerobic zones, said bioreactor comprising (i) indigenous microbes, (ii) acetate (iii) low density iron in a low density iron-containing bed, and (iv) an anaerobic zone in at least one portion of the location across which said contaminated surface water flows;

(b) providing a flow of said contaminated surface water into said bioreactor, (c) contacting said explosive compounds with said low density iron whereby said low density iron is reduced,

(d) contacting said reduced iron with said indigenous microbes whereby said reduced iron is oxidized, and

(e) repeating steps (c) and (d) such that a concentration of said explosive compounds is lowered to below 10 ppb in treated surface water, and wherein an explosive compound reduction level to below 10 ppb in treated surface water is maintained for a period of at least one year without replenishing said indigenous microbes or low density iron.