Ammonia Removal with ProBio Media ceramic nanotechnology

Background:

ProBio Media is an inorganic non-fired ceramic made with nanotechnology that provides superb ammonia removal of 99.7%. Biological removal of ammonia is known in two processes, aerobic (nitrification) and anaerobic (anammox). The aerobic process is well characterized while the anaerobic process is not, leading to inefficient industrial application. During nitrification, for every mg of ammonia oxidized, 7.14 mg of alkalinity as CaCO3 and 4.57 mg O2 is consumed. Therefore, it is important to maintain an adequate alkalinity and dissolved oxygen content for inorganic carbon and oxygen supply. The necessary conditions for ammonia oxidation are for bacteria to be physically in contact with all the necessary ingredients: ammonia, carbonate and oxygen. The main bottleneck to efficient ammonia removal is the number of active microbes as biofilm, that is present. Simply aerating water does not result in ammonia oxidation, surface area is also necessary. However not all surface area is created equal. Plastic for instance is a poor biocarrier since the main biofilm producing substances are polar while plastic is hydrophobic. The positive charge, rough texture, hierarchical pore structure and superb hydraulic conductivity of ProBio Media make it the most effective biocarrier yet invented (Fig. 1).

The PBM ammonia removal process works as follows:

  • A low energy compressor supplies air to the ProBio Media, where small bubbles flow upward
  • Bubbles supply oxygen and circulate water through porous ceramic media
  • Special bacteria blend is used to ‘jump start’ biological breakdown
  • Microbe colonies grow on surfaces inside the porous ceramic, consuming nitrogen
  • Microbe colonies are protected inside the porous ceramic from upsets or nutrient transitions in tank

The Pro Bio Media lowers Total Nitrogen to below 3 mg/L and ammonia as low as 0.1 mg/L and non-detect, much lower than other aeration approaches. After this intensive biological ammonia removal, a final polishing by resins or RO can be more economically applied. ProBio Media was validated with independent lab testing for removal of ammonia from raw septic tank effluent in the conditions of 5 hours retention time and 5 mg/L DO. The PBM removed ammonia from 30 mg/L to 0.1 mg/L (99.7% removal) and nitrate from 50-80 to 8 mg/L (84-90% removal) (Fig 2).

Probio Media is in use in many settings for ammonia removal such as surface water (lakes, rivers), aquaculture and wastewater treatment. The following are some examples:

Aquaculture:

  • Monodon Black Tiger Shrimp hatchery, Minh Phu, Vietnam
  • Dagon Tilapia Farms, North Israel
  • Tilapia Farm, Alabama, USA
  • Ecuador Shrimp hatchery and grow out tanks

Surface Water:

  • Ponds and Lakes in Michigan, USA
  • Sports Fishing Lakes
  • Irrigation reservoirs, recreational water

Wastewater:

  • Onsite treatment systems (septic tanks, anaerobic lagoons upgrade)
  • Activated sludge treatment upgrade

The benefits of ProBio media include long-lasting durable material, environmentally friendly manufacturing and materials, safe for human interaction (NSF-50 certified) and excellent performance.

 

For more information please reach out to our team.

Sincerely,

Ezra Orlofsky PhD, CTO

On Behalf of Ceramic Nano-Tech

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