Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Bruce E. Rittmann · Robert Nerenberg · César I. Torres ·
Assignee(s)	Northwestern University ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. ·
Primary Examiner	Chester T Barry ·
Application Number	US12025953
Filing date	02/05/2008
Issue date	12/15/2009
Predicted expiration date	06/25/2024
U.S. Classifications	210/767  · 210/500.23  ·
International Classifications	C02F142  ·
Kind Code	B1
Related U.S. Application Data	This application is a continuation of and claims priority benefit from application Ser. No. 10/876,745 filed on Jun. 25, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,338,597 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Patent Family

Abstract

An apparatus and method for treatment of water borne oxidized contaminants, using hydrogen as an electron donor for denitrification and reduction of other oxidized contaminants. Preliminary results reported here show that a biofilm of autotrophic denitrifiers accumulates rapidly in the wastewater setting, the MBfR can drive NO3− concentrations below 1 mgN/L, and the H2 pressure controls the NO3− flux.

Independent Claims | See all claims (21)

1. 1. An apparatus, comprising: a support grid having a plurality of openings extending through the grid; a plurality of hydrogen permeable hollow fiber membrane components, each said membrane component having a first end, a second end, and a passage; wherein the first ends of at least a portion of the plurality of membrane components are coupled to a first of the plurality of openings and extend therethrough; and an inlet component for coupling said plurality of membrane components to a hydrogen source.