Novel System for the Decontamination of Firefighter Training Facility Wastes

Treatment and disposal of surfactant-laden waste waters is a significant problem at firefighter training facilities, as well as in real world use. The extremely high foaming potential and chemical oxygen demand of these waters restricts their discharge into sewage treatment plants. Improved treatment processes must be developed for aqueous firefighting foams, hydrocarbons, and their degradation byproducts. Recent work by Innovative BioSystems, Inc. (IBS) resultes in the design of a novel low energy bioreactor that is particularly adaptable for use with firefighting waste water treatment without foaming. In this Phase I SBIR program, IBS will design and test treatment processes for firefighting waste waters using this bioreactor design in bench-scale reactors. The degradability of wastes, sch as petroleum hydrocarbons (including BTEX and jet fuel), SDS and other surfactants, currently used AFFF, and Innovative BioSystems, Inc.'s AFFF, by microbial enrichments under optimized conditions, will be ascertained. In addition, IBS will prepare alternative AFFF formulations with enhanced biodegradability. IBS will make recommendations to the DoD based on the results of this promising treatment method and new aqueous film forming foams.