INNOVATIVE MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY FOR DIRECT DISSOLUTION OF GASES TO ENHANCE IN SITU BIOREMEDIATION OF GROUNDWATER

THE USE OF GASEOUS MICROBIAL SUBSTRATES SUCH AS OXYGEN, METHANE, AND HYDROGEN HAS THE POTENTIAL OF ACCELERATING THE IN SITU BIOREMEDIATION OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATED WITH PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS OR CHLORINATED SOLVENTS. THE ONE FACTOR THAT MAY LIMIT THE FEASIBILITY OF USING GASEOUS SUBSTRATES IS THE RATE AT WHICH THE SLIGHTLY SOLUBLE GASES CAN BE DISSOLVED IN WATER. THE USE OF SPARGING TO DISSOLVE THE GASEOUS SUBSTRATES (A SLOW AND INEFFICIENT PROCESS) LIMITS THE APPLICABILITY OF EXPLOITING THE ADVANTAGES OF USING GASEOUS SUBSTRATES. MEMBRAN CORPORATION IS DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE GAS-TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY USING SEALED HOLLOW-FIBER MEMBRANES. THE MEMBRAN MODULES RAPIDLY DISSOLVE GASSES INTO WATER WITH A 100 PERCENT TRANSFER EFFICIENCY (ALL GAS ENTERING THE MODULE IS DISSOLVED IN WATER). BECAUSE THE MODULES ARE BUBBLELESS AND ARE NOT VENTED, THERE IS NO POTENTIAL FOR VOC EMISSIONS. THE DEVICES FIT INTO PIPES, SO THE DEVICES CAN BE USED TO RETROFIT OT AUGMENT GAS TRANSFER IN EXISTING GAS DELIVERY OR BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT SYSTEMS. SUCCESS ON THIS PROJECT COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE COSTS OF REGENERABLE FLUE-GAS DESULFURIZATION PROCESSES IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT AT SANITECH.