Wastewater algae control details

Wastewater is any water that has suffered in quality by human intervention. A wide variety of contaminants in various concentrations can be present in the water. Purification and treatment can reclaim this water which is then recycled for the use as drinking water or other types of usage such as for industrial purposes, irrigation and reconstruction of damaged ecosystems.

In dry regions recycled wastewater is crucial to supply the required water resources to the agricultural economy. The nutrient-rich water may not only irrigate the farmland but can also help to reduce the need for fertilizers. However the nutrients in the water can also cause problems as they enable algae to grow and multiply rapidly. High concentrations of algae in the wastewater will negatively influence the efforts needed to reclaim the water in water treatment plants. In addition they will use the nutrients that also feed the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that work to clear the water of suspended solids.

A chemical free solution to control algae growth in your clarifiers and tanks.

The LG Sonic systems can be applied in several tanks from the wastewater system. The units are, for example being placed in DAF (dissolved air floatation) tanks, flocculation tanks, clarifiers and sedimentation ponds. In all tanks the units have their benefits.

Maintenance of the LG Sonic devices only involves cleaning the transducer head once every 1 or 2 weeks. Once in operation (in either one of these tanks) the LG Sonic units send out ultrasound of various, very specific frequencies. All these frequencies have been determined by years of research and have proven to be the most effective to control filamentous and floating green algae but also blue-green algae. The different frequencies of the LG Sonic cause certain sound pressures and oscillation of the algal cells through which some compartments within the algal cells will rupture. For example the cell’s vacuole and/or gas vesicles.

How does the LG Sonic work in your (waste)water installation?

• Existing algae in the reservoir are being reduced, the algae cells will sink to the bottom of the tank and are degraded by the bacteria present. New algal growth is being prevented. Overall the LG Sonic establishes a 90% reduction in algae concentration.
• In addition, levels of physico-chemical components will be reduced by the LG Sonic solution. Examples are nitrates, phosphates, sulphates, ammonium, 5-days biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and pH-levels.

These reductions seem to be a mixture of direct and indirect effects of the LG Sonic treatment. By inhibiting the algae in their growth they no longer consume the nutrients that the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria need. Furthermore the ultrasound emitted by the LG Sonic causes a vibration that can help bacteria with their food finding efforts and speed up the nutrition process. Both phenomena have a positive effect on the growth and population of bacteria, which will speed up the reduction of sludge.