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​EBR

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EBR Overview
EBR Case Studies
Industries We Serve
Publications

 

EBR Overview

The electro-biochemical reactor (EBR) is a patented high-efficiency denitrification, metals, and inorganics removal technology with systems that use proven concepts to provide electrons directly to the EBR as a substitute for using excess nutrients. EBR systems have been proven in third-party technology comparison programs and have been demonstrated to be effective for a broad spectrum of contaminant removals from various mining, power generation and refining wastewaters. EBR systems have been demonstrated to be cost effective, modular format, low-footprint alternatives to conventional bioreactors (CBRs) that require excess nutrients for electron donors and as a consequence, produce large amounts of bio-solids. 

The EBR is also a more economical alternative to other treatments such as RO that produce lower volumes but higher concentrated wastes that must be treated further or disposed of in an appropriate manner. EBR systems can be implemented in active and semi-passive configurations, as pump and treat or gravity flow, through the high-surface-area media containing a high-concentration stable biofilm. EBR systems provide electrons directly to the system microbes and use significantly less nutrients, produce effluents very low in bio-solids, while meeting the highest contaminant removal efficiencies and kinetics at high and low temperatures.
Low TSS (low biomass) in the EBR effluent.
​Microbes mediate the removal of metal and inorganic contaminants through electron transfer (redox processes). For example, denitrification and Se reduction can be described by the following redox reactions:
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The biotransformations shown in reactions 1-2 occur under anaerobic, reductive conditions, and thus require low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and a negative oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) environment. Five electrons are needed to reduce one molecule of nitrate to nitrogen gas and six electrons to reduce one molecule of selenate to elemental selenium. Other co-contaminants, such as arsenic, cadmium, sulfate, etc., add to the electron demand.

One molecule of glucose, often used as a cost-effective electron donor, can provide up to 24 electrons under complete glucose metabolism (this complete reaction is measured in 10’s of hours). In environmental applications, this efficiency or the number of electrons actually realized is usually considerably less; only a few of these electrons are available within a 4 to 6-hour retention time.
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Conventional biological treatment systems supply electrons in the form of excess nutrients added to the system. They require excess nutrients/chemicals to compensate for inefficient and variable electron availability needed to adjust reactor ORP chemistry, compensate for system sensitivity (fluctuation), and to achieve more consistent contaminant removal. These excess nutrients lead to greatly increased biomass production and result in additional CAPEX and OPEX (higher nutrient consumption and management of the excess biomass production).
ORP stabilization with the EBR bioreactor.
ORP STABILITY: A two-stage Conventional Bioreactor (CBR) and a one-stage EBR were used to treat a split sample of the same mining water over a period of 7 months with several water chemistry changes. Both reactors were constructed and operated the same way, using the same retention times. The EBR system was provided ½ the nutrient amounts. Note the ORP stability in the EBR system. 
​The Electro-Biochemical Reactor (EBR) technology overcomes these shortcomings by directly supplying needed electrons to the reactor and microbes, using a low applied potential across the reactor cell (1-3 V) at low milli-Amp levels (the current of 1 mA provides 6.2x10^15 electrons per second). The small amount of power required can even come from a small solar/battery source. These electrons replace and supplement the electrons normally supplied to the conventional bioreactor/microbial system by excess nutrients resulting in considerable OPEX savings and multiple reactor, microbial, and environmental benefits. The directly supplied electrons are readily available to the microbes in a consistent controllable manner without metabolic energy expenditure. Moreover, these “free electrons”, from the microbes’ standpoint, make the EBR bioreactors more robust and less sensitive to wide fluctuations in water chemistries and temperatures than the past generations of conventional biotreatments.
The EBR can be implemented in a stand-alone configuration in many situations, but can also be combined with other treatment options for more rigerous ​wastewater treatment applications. Options are available to convert existing systems to EBRs and reduce bioreactor size or increase the systems treatment capacity, minimize or eliminate use of backwash pumps, and reduce the size of or eliminate filters and presses, thereby significantly reducing operating costs. EBR systems are designed and configured to be mostly self-sufficient and self-regulating with few moving parts. EBR system development moves through a tiered testing program, from bench-level water chemistry and microbial evaluations to site specific bench- and pilot-scale testing to full-scale design and implementation, in order to achieve maximum contaminant removal efficiencies and kinetics. This testing sequence is structured to provide clients assurance that water can be treated and that on-site pilot testing will provide the data required for a successful full-scale implementation of the tested technology. For full-scale implementations, Inotec has collaboration agreements in place with large engineering firms (including Stantec and AMEC) or can partner with a client’s preferred engineering firm to bring an EBR system implementation in on time and budget.
Tiered testing and process development for EBR bioreactors.
 

EBR Case Studies

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It's not only Selenium!


The EBR technology is well suited for removal of variety of oxyanions, such as nitrates, sulfates, and dissolved metals.
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Industries We Serve

EBR bioreactors for mining industry.
EBR bioreactors for power industry.
EBR bioreactors for refining industry.
 

PUBLICATIONS

If you'd like to dig deeper, below is a list of our publications from the last decade, with links wherever possible.
​You can also check out the articles published by others on the topic of microbe/electron interactions.

What we've published

What others have published

  • Opara, A. O.; Adams, J.; Fudyma, J.; Bowden, J. Selenium, Uranium, and Nitrate: Treatment of Troublesome Contaminants in Mining Wastewaters – EBR Case Studies.Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, 2018, Vol. 7, Issue 2, pp. 19-34.
  • Opara, O.; Fudyma, J; Bowden, J.; Adams, J. Sulfate and Nitrate Removal from Mining Wastewaters using the Electro-Biochemical Reactor (EBR) Technology. 25th Annual Mine Design, Operations & Closure Conference, May 2017, Fairmont, MT.
  • Opara, O.; Fudyma, J.; Bowden, J.; Adams, J. Successful Application of Synergistic Active and In Situ Treatment Combinations. 24th Annual Mine Design, Operations & Closure Conference, May 2016, Fairmont, MT.
  • Opara, A.O.; Fudyma, J.; Adams, D.J. Selenium Removal from Flue Gas Desulfurization Wastewaters with the Electro-Biochemical Reactor Technology. 19th North American Metals Council – Selenium Working Group Meeting. November 2015, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Peoples, M.; Opara, A.; Adams, D.J. Treatment of Leach Pad Waters at the Landusky Mine. 23rd Annual Mine Design, Operations & Closure Conference, May 2015, Fairmont, MT.
  • Opara, A.; Peoples, M.; Adams, D.J. The Landusky Mine: Conversion of an Existing Biotreatment System into an Electro-Biochemical Reactor for Removal of Metals and Inorganics. 27th Annual Environmental and Ground Water Quality Conference. March 2015, Pierre, SD.
  • Enegess, D.; Bohner, A.; Webster, T.; Opara, A.O.; Adams, J. New Techniques to Reduce Long-Term Operations Costs of Biological Systems Removing Oxyanions in Water Treatment Operations. 75th Annual International Water Conference. November 2014, San Antonio, TX.
  • Opara, A.; Peoples, M.; Adams, D.J.; Martin, A. J. Electro-biochemical reactor (EBR) technology for selenium removal from British Columbia’s coal-mining waste waters, Minerals & Metallurgical Processing, 2014, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 209-214.
  • Peoples, M.; Opara, A.; Adams, D.J. Electro-Biochemical Reactor Water Treatment Technology Demonstrates Low Selenium and Other Metal Effluents in Hardrock Mining Wastewaters. EPA, National Conference on Mining-Influenced Wastewaters: Approaches for Characterization, Source Control and Treatment, August 2014.
  • Opara, A.; Peoples, M.; Adams, D.J. In-Situ Nitrate and Selenium Reduction/Stabilization within Coal Waste Rock: Bench-Scale Evaluation. EPA, National Conference on Mining-Influenced Wastewaters: Approaches for Characterization, Source Control and Treatment, August 2014.
  • Opara, A.; Peoples, M.; Adams, D.J., Maehl, W.C., The Landusky Mine Biotreatment System: Comparison of Conventional Bioreactor Performance with a New Electro-Biochemical Reactor (EBR) Technology. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, February 2014.
  • Adams, D.J.; Clark, J.P.; Opara, A.; Peoples, M.J. Discussion of Regulatory Compliance Strategies to Achieve Receiving Water Quality Standards Using Selenium Reduction/Removal Options, British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium, September, 2013.
  • Opara, A.; Peoples, M.; Adams, D.J. Site-specific Electro-Biochemical Systems: Bench- to Pilot- to Full-scale Selenium Removal. The 53rd Annual Conference of the Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vancouver Island, November 2013.
  • Adams, D.J.; Peoples, M.; Opara, A. Site-specific Electro-Biochemical Systems to meet Real World Selenium and other Contaminant Treatment Challenges. North American Metals Council - Selenium Working Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 2013.
  • Adams, D.J.; Peoples, M.; Opara, A. Electro-Biochemical Reactor (EBR) Taking Proven Bioprocesses to the Next Level of Performance and Cost Effectiveness. British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC, Canada, May 2013.
  • Opara, A.; Adams, D.J.; Peoples, M.;Pilot System Successfully Removes Metals, Inorganics. Industrial Water World, April 2013.
  • Adams, D.J.; Peoples, M.; Opara, A. New Electro-Biochemical Reactor for Treatment of Wastewaters. In Water in Mineral Processing, Drelich, J., Ed., Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, 2012.
  • D. Jack Adams and Michael Peoples. 2010. New Electro-biochemical Reactor for Removal of Selenium, Arsenic, and Nitrate.  Paper/Presentation.  IMWA, Sydney, NS.
  • Adams D. J., M. Peoples, N. Newton, and M. Nanduri. 2009. Electrobiochemical Reactor: Removal of Metals, Nitrate and BOD. INAP, Thatcher, AZ.  
  • Newton, N.N., D.J. Adams, and J.D. Miller. 2008. Biotreatment of Cyanide and Arsenic in Drinking Water and Mine Waste Streams. SME Presentation/Publication, Denver, CO.
  • Adams, D.J. 2008. Keynote speaker at the International Conference on Biotechnology and Biotreatment. Iquique, Chile - Arsenic and Mercury Biotreatment.
  • Aulenta, F.; Majone, M. In: Rabaey K, Angenent LT, Schroder U, Keller J, editors. Bioelectrochemical systems: From extracellular electron transfer to biotechnological application. London: IWA Publishing, 2009.
  • Aulenta, F.; Canosa, A.; Reale, P.; Rossetti, S.; Panero, S.; Majone, M. Microbial reductive dechlorination of trichloroethane to ethene with electrodes serving as electron donors without the external addition of redox mediators. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2008, Vol. 103, pp. 85-91.
  • Bond, D.R.; Holmes, D.E.; Tender, L.M.; Lovley, D.R. Electrode-Reducing Microorganisms That Harvest Energy from Marine Sediments. Science, 2002, Vol. 295, pp. 483-485.
  • Cheng, S.; Xing, D.; Call, D.F.; Logan, B.E. Direct biological conversion of electrical current into methane by electromethanogenesis. Environ Sci Technol, 2009, Vol. 43, pp. 3953–3958.
  • Clauwaert, P.; Rabaey, K.; Aelterman, P.; De Schamphelaire, L.; Boeckx, P.; Boon, N.; Verstraete, W. Biological denitrification in microbial fuel cells. Environ Sci Technol, 2007, Vol. 41, pp. 3354– 3360.
  • Cordas, C.M.; Guerra, L.T.; Xavier, C.; Moura, J.J.G. Electroactive biofilms of sulphate reducing bacteria. Electrochim Acta, 2008, Vol. 54., pp. 29–34.
  • El-Naggar, M.Y.; Finkel, S.E. Live Wires. The Scientist, May 2013, pp. 38-43.
  • Gregory, K.B.; Bond, D.R.; Lovley, D.R. Graphite electrodes as electron donors for anaerobic respiration. Environmental Microbiology, 2004, Vol. 6, pp. 596–604.
  • Jia, Y.-H.; Tran, H.-T.; Kim, D.-H.; Oh, S.-J.; Park, D.-H.; Zhang, R.-H.; Ahn, D.-H. Simultaneous organics removal and bio-electrochemical denitrification in microbial fuel cells. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2008, Vol. 31., pp. 315–321.
  • Lovley, D.R.; Nevin, K.P. A shift in the current: New applications and concepts for microbe-electrode electron exchange. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2011, Vol. 22, pp. 441–448.
  • Lovley, D.R. Extracellular electron transfer: wires, capacitors, iron lungs, and more. Geobiology, 2008, Vol. 6, pp. 225–231.
  • Lovley, D.R. Electromicrobiology. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 2012. Vol. 66, pp. 391–409.
  • Lovley, D.R. Powering microbes with electricity: direct electron transfer from electrodes to microbes. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2011, Vol. 3, pp. 27–35.
  • Park, H.I.; Kim, D.; Choi, Y.-J.; Pak, D. Nitrate reduction using an electrode as direct electron donor in a biofilm-electrode reactor. Process Biochemistry, 2005, Vol. 40, pp. 3383–3388.
  • Rabaey, K.; Rodriguez, J.; Blackall, L.L.; Keller, J.; Gross, P.; Batstone, D.; Verstraete, W.; Nealson, K.H. Microbial ecology meets electrochemistry: electricity-driven and driving communities. The ISME Journal, 2007, Vol. 1, pp. 9–18.
  • Reguera, G.; McCarthy, K.D.; Mehta, T.; Nicoll, J.S.; Tuominen, M.T.; Lovley, D.R. Extracellular electron transfer via microbial nanowires. Nature, 2005, Vol. 435, pp. 1098-1101.
  • Rosenbaum, M.; Aulenta, F.; Villano, M.; Angenent, L.T. Cathodes as electron donors for microbial metabolism: Which extracellular electron transfer mechanisms are involved? Bioresource Technology, 2011, Vol. 102, pp. 324–333.
  • Strycharz, S.M.; Woodard, T.L.; Johnson, J.P.; Nevin, K.P.; Sanford, R.A.; Loffler, F.E.; Lovley, D.R. Graphite electrode as a sole electron donor for reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by Geobacter lovleyi. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008, ​vol. 74.
  • Su, W.; Zhang, L.; Li, D.; Zhan, G.; Qian, J.; Tao, Y. Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction by Pseudomonas alcaliphila With an Electrode as the Sole Electron Donor. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2012, Vol. 109, pp. 2904-2910.
  • Tandukar, M.; Huber, S.J.; Onodera, T.; Pavlostathis, S.G.  Biological chromium(VI) reduction in the cathode of a microbial fuel cell. Environ Sci Technol, 2009, Vol. 43, pp. 8159–8165.
  • Thrash, J.C.; Coates, J.D. Review: Direct and Indirect Electrical Stimulation of Microbial Metabolism. Environmental Science & Technology, 2008, Vol. 42, pp. 3921-3931.
  • Villano, M.; Aulenta, F.; Ciucci, C.; Ferri, T.; Giuliano, A.; Majone, M. Bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to CH4 via direct and indirect extracellular electron transfer by a hydrogenophilic methanogenic culture. Bioresour Technol, 2010, Vol. 101, pp. 3085–3090.

ABOUT

​Inotec is an environmental engineering and biotechnology company providing innovative solutions to remove metals and inorganics from industrial waters. Inotec combines source treatment, semi-passive, and bioreactor technologies into site-tailored systems to address a broad spectrum of water treatment issues in a sustainable manner. The company's goal is to combine proven technologies and expertise to deliver the most reliable and economical water treatment solutions. Our objective is to reduce industry costs and environmental impact relative to water use and discharge.
OUR TEAM

CLEAN TECH OPEN

Inotec won the 2010 Rocky Mountain Division Clean Tech Open Award. 
The Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech business competition. Its mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. The program provides the infrastructure, expertise and strategic relationships to turn clever ideas into successful global cleantech companies. ​
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email: info@inotec.us
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