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Research biologists have long known the importance of micronutrients, such as trace minerals, amino acids and vitamins, in the growth and reproduction of healthy cells. Micronutrients are a blend of trace minerals, amino acids and vitamins designed to improve performance of biological systems at the bacterial or cell level. Much of the work on micronutrients was pioneered in the agricultural industries of poultry, cattle and pig farming. This product is fed daily as a source of vitamins to the animals.

Under controlled conditions, researchers have been able to develop formulations that provide an optimum micronutrient balance to ensure rapid and healthy growth for bacteria in a biological wastewater setting. These micronutrients enhance biological growth and providing the critical building blocks necessary to maintaining a healthy floc-forming population. This product is a naturally occurring product, not a blend of chemicals.

Basically, it is the equivalent of "Bug Vitamins". The formulation consists of three types of micronutrients: trace minerals, amino acids and vitamins. There are sixteen trace minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, cobalt, copper and zinc. The formulation also includes twenty amino acids, such as lysine, and thirteen vitamins, including folic acid.

Micronutrients are metallic cations or anions such as: Ag, B, Cr, Co, Cu, F, I, Mn, Mo, Se, Si, Sn, V, and Zn. Although their composition is small in relative quantity, (less than 1% of total microbial weight), micronutrients are indispensable for life and form bio-molecules that have specific cellular functions.

Analysis of Micronutrients Specification

16 Trace Minerals Present in trace amounts

Calcium 1.9%

Iron .08%

Magnesium .123%

Zinc .0035%

Phosphorus 0.1 %

Vitamins Present in trace amounts

A, B, D, E, K

Folic Acid 0.3mg

Ascorbic Acid 150,000 mg

Niacin 2,500 mg

Research and field tests have shown that inadequate micronutrients can lead to poor settling or high effluent suspended solids due to unhealthy floc. Addition of micronutrients may also increase the biological degradation rate in many situations that will allow the biomass to respond more quickly to sudden increases in loads or toxic shocks. By maintaining adequate micronutrient levels, the system should also be more resilient to load swings or toxic shocks.

Literature has many references of the importance of trace metals and other micronutrients in the formation of biological floc to provide good settling.

"The biomass requires nitrogen and phosphorus in order to effect metabolism and removal of organics in the process. In addition to this, however, trace levels of other nutrients are required to assure good floc formation."

Note: The section goes on to say that most trace elements are usually (but not always) present in sufficient quantities in the incoming wastewater.

MINOR BIOELEMENTS. Several elements are required by organisms in minute quantities, and are termed the minor, or trace, bioelements. Zinc, manganese, cobalt, copper, and molybdenum are required by all organisms for various growth functions and play important roles in the activation and structural integrity of enzymes, energetic (energy conservation) pathways, and the formation of certain organic compounds, such as vitamins required for growth. Some organisms require other trace bioelements, such as tungsten or nickel.

Deficiencies in nitrogen, phosphorus, iron or trace elements may cause bulking. This factor has not received much attention. The growth of S. natans, Thiothrix and Type 021N can be associated with nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies. It has been suggested that the C/N/P ratio should be 100/5/1 (U. S. EPA, 1987a). It has also been suggested that iron and trace element deficiencies may cause bulking.

Iron Compounds (e.g., ferrous sulfate, potassium ferrate, Fe-custein) strongly inhibit the respiration of filamentous bacteria such as Sphaerotilus, Thiothrix and Type 021N (Chang el al., 1979; Kato and Kazama, 1991; Lee, Koopman, and Bitton, unpublished results). These chemicals deserve further exploration.

Laboratory studies indicate that an application of microntutrients can lower final effluent BOD₅ levels by maintaining a healthy population capable of a more efficient organic reduction. Lab and field testing have shown that micronutrients are critical in the formation of development of new, healthy cells. Micronutrients help in the development of good floc formation by increasing the

Regular application can provide numerous benefits to operators of all types of biological waste treatment processes. Daily or weekly application of micronutrients can help with settleability, filamentous control, dewatering ease, less polymer use and better solids control. Reduction in bulking sludge and better dewaterability typically results in lower solids handling costs. Studies have also shown decrease in final solids that need to be dewatered and land applied.

This graph is from a papermill in the southeast and contains actual data from monitoring and controlling the plant during the application of micronutrients. As you can see, TSS levels dropped significantly.

100% Recycle papermill-The first stage of the lagoon was aerated, second and third settling lagoons. Large amounts of algae, scum and duckweed covered the last two stages of the pond. This pond was on a bioaugmentation program for years.

An audit was conducted, recommendations to move one of the aerators to the first half of the second stage were made to allow more oxygen to carry through the rest of the system. Bioaugmentation was changed from 2-5 lbs of product per day from local supplier to 1-2 lbs of MicroClear 118 and 1 lb of Micronutrients.

In less than 2 weeks, the scum was gone off the pond, the BOD and TSS removal improved, floc structures increased significantly and higher life activity went sky high. Short, free-floating filaments disappeared. Spirillum (usually an indication of septic conditions) and zooglea were gone after changes in treatment. Some filaments are still in the floc structures, mostly Type 021N, but that is due to solids handling problems in the primary clarifier that are under consideration for optimization.

Prior to Bioaugmentation program changes

Zooglea and spirrillum                                              Smaller floc with lots of filaments

Photos taken at 100x bright field Photos taken at 400x bright field

After addition of MicroClear 118 and Micronutrients

Both of these photos taken at 100x bright field filaments and TSS

The primary clarifier still needs a bit of solids handling optimization, but the plant is waiting on an additional tank up front to store settled solids that are recycled back into the system. The plant at one point had an upset for a two-week period; twice the loading of BOD was entering the lagoons. The final BOD was still below previous year's final effluent values and way below permit levels!

100x 400x Bridging filaments and open lacy floc

After addition of Micronutrients Floc structures are larger and more compact

100x                                                 400x

**Note, this plant produces gunpowder, to the black spots do not indicate septicity or anaerobic sludge like you would normally suspect, just carbon particles that are present in the influent. The plant still has some issues with low DO from influent EQ tanks and primary clarifiers that are contributing to some of the filaments, but those are process changes that will need to be mechanically fixed with time. Overall, the health of the system is better, settling has improved and more active higher life forms, just with the addition of micronutrients. Bacterial supplements have not been implemented here since at this time, the plant already runs an extended air sludge age due to nitrification demands and BOD removal is not a problem.

MicroClear M100 is a dry powder packaged either in bulk or individual water-soluble pouches of one pound each. It comes in 5-gallon pails weighing 25 pounds each. The product is available in the water-soluble bags or in "bulk".

How do you feed it? Ideally the product would be fed continuously. You can divide the daily dosage up and feed 1/2 or 1/3 on each shift, depending on the shift schedules. The product can be fed directly to the aeration basin or into the influent to the basin or lagoon or mixed in with a RAS line.

Product Dosage Rates: The dosage required will vary from plant to plant, but is generally based on the BOD₅ or COD loading to the system. The more organic material to be assimilated into biological cells, the more micronutrient required. The product must be fed on a regular basis to ensure that the proper balance of trace minerals, amino acids and vitamins is consistently available to the bacteria.

Additional Comments: If using this for a guideline to compare biological programs and vendors, please take into consideration Total Program value, cost per equivalent product in ratio, evaluations of shake flask testing, BOD/TOC as well as TSS comparisons. Health of the biomass after addition of product, Technical support, training, program consulting, experience and additional corporate back up are also considerations that need to be accounted for. Many times the EPA can be involved with plants, new permit evaluations, etc. make sure your vendor is capable of providing you these services and recommendations if needed.

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