Yellowstone Environmental Science, Inc.

Yes Technologies

Tamara Darsow

Frank M Stewart

Robert M Hunter

Macgregor L Fogelsong

An apparatus and method for anaerobic biodegradation, bioremediation or bioprocessing of hydrocarbons dissolved in an aqueous matrix, such as wastewater, groundwater, or slurry. Dissolved alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons), alkenes (unsaturated hydrocarbons), aromatic hydrocarbons and/or halogenated hydrocarbons are metabolized or cometabolized. In one form, the invention involves introducing an aqueous stream comprising at least one dissolved aromatic hydrocarbon (such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, or p-cresol) and a dissolved oxide of nitrogen &lsqb;such as nitrate (NO,), nitrite (NO,), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N,O)&rsqb; to a reactor, and operating said reactor under conditions that support denitrification of the aromatic hydrocarbon. Alternatively, the aqueous stream may comprise at least one alkane (such as ethane) and/or at least one alkene (such as ethene or ethylene) and biodegradation of these compounds is accomplished. In a preferred form, the aqueous stream also comprises at least one dissolved halogenated hydrocarbon (such as tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, or 1,1,1-trichloroethane) and dehalogenation of the halogenated hydrocarbon is accomplished. The reactor may be a continuous stirred tank reactor, a batch (or sequencing batch) reactor, a plug-flow reactor, a fixed-film reactor, or a pore space in an underground aquifer in situ. The reactor is operated in such a way that molecular oxygen is excluded from the space or zone in which the biodegradation is occurring and the other requirements of denitrifying bacteria are met. In some implementations, kinetic control (control of mean cell residence time) is used to enrich a denitrifying culture in the reactor.

Anaerobic biodegradation of unsaturated, saturated, aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons

An apparatus and method for anaerobic biodegradation, bioremediation or bioprocessing of hydrocarbons dissolved in an aqueous matrix, such as wastewater, groundwater, or slurry. Dissolved alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons), alkenes (unsaturated hydrocarbons), aromatic hydrocarbons and/or halogenated hydrocarbons are metabolized or cometabolized. In one form, the invention involves introducing an aqueous stream comprising at least one dissolved aromatic hydrocarbon (such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, or p-cresol) and a dissolved oxide of nitrogen �such as nitrate (NO.sub.3.sup.-), nitrite (NO.sub.2.sup.-), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N.sub.2 O)!to a reactor, and operating said reactor under conditions that support denitrification of the aromatic hydrocarbon. Alternatively, the aqueous stream may comprise at least one alkane (such as ethane) and/or at least one alkene (such as ethene or ethylene) and biodegradation of these compounds is accomplished. In a preferred form, the aqueous stream also comprises at least one dissolved halogenated hydrocarbon (such as tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, or 1,1,1-trichloroethane) and dehalogenation of the halogenated hydrocarbon is accomplished. The reactor may be a continuous stirred tank reactor, a batch (or sequencing batch) reactor, a plug-flow reactor, a fixed-film reactor, or a pore space in an underground aquifer in situ. The reactor is operated in such a way that molecular oxygen is excluded from the space or zone in which the biodegradation is occurring and the other requirements of denitrifying bacteria are met. In some implementations, kinetic control (control of mean cell residence time) is used to enrich a denitrifying culture in the reactor.

Anaerobic biodegradation of unsaturated, saturated, aromatic and

A method and apparatus for extraction of precious metals from their ores and the product thereof. Oxidized ore comprising a precious metal is exposed to a leaching solution (lixiviant) comprising a relatively high concentration (fugacity) of dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas, a relatively high concentration (activity) of bisulfide ions, and a relatively low concentration (fugacity) of dissolved hydrogen gas. The hydrogen sulfide gas and bisulfide ions are preferably added to the solution by sulfate-reducing bacteria growing in a medium comprising dissolved sulfate ions and dissolved nitrate ions, but abiotic sources may also be used. Examples of such bacteria include mesophilic, fresh-water species such as Desulfobacterium catecholicum DSM 3882 and Desulfovibrio simplex DSM 4141; mesophilic, salt-water species such as Desulfovibrio salexigens DSM 2638; and thermophilic, fresh-water species such as Desulfomaculum kuznetsovii VKM B-1805. The complexed precious metal is recovered from the lixiviant.

Growing community of inventors

Gallatin, MT, United States of America

Tamara Darsow