Phosphate reduction

[Jaime R-S]

As an environmental specialist for the DOH of Florida, I was issuing
permits for Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) on
households. While the state struggled to lower the parameters of sewage to
an optimum 10 BOD, 10 TSS, 10 N and 1 P (units in ppt) for each sample, they
never managed to obtain those readings. One final attempt with great
success in reducing Phosphorus was to enforce the new systems to be designed
by an engineer. In the systems designed and approved one comes to my mind
now that am trying to get rid of that annoying P. The drainfields were
able, in theory at least, to lower BOD and TSS with the aerobic unit
lowering N and a crushed brick liner that was to reduce phosphorus. In the
FAC it specified a certain type of brick to be used.
The point is that this crushed-brick liner was able to lower the P in
most systems. Does anyone know if there is any product using this element
(crushed bricks) or part of it? I have to say that the liner was permanent
and under the drainfield so the water runoff was going to cleanse the
sustrate.

I am experimenting with a new biofilter with little maintenance. So
far, so good, except the algae bloom caused by adding P in the form of food
and not being able to harvest enough plants to extract the excess P. My
blennis and cleanup crews are working fine but not fast enough and they just
recycle the P back to the tank in dropings. For six months now my aquarium
haven't need any water change and the levels are all great except PO4 and
PH. One affects the other and I am not adding any chemicals to the water.

Thanks for any comment!

jrs

[Wayne Sallee]

Brick is made from clay.
Clay is aluminum silicate.
Most clay also contains a fair amount of iron (gives the
brown to red color)
Aluminum oxide is used in aquariums as a phosphate remover.
Iron oxide is used in aquariums as a phosphate remover.
Maybe that brick was higher in those oxides.
But whatever,it is, it is only going to be temporary, as
any such filter medium will become saturated.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Jaime R-S wrote on 12/31/2005 5:32 PM:
> As an environmental specialist for the DOH of Florida, I was issuing
> permits for Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) on
> households. While the state struggled to lower the parameters of sewage to
> an optimum 10 BOD, 10 TSS, 10 N and 1 P (units in ppt) for each sample, they
> never managed to obtain those readings. One final attempt with great
> success in reducing Phosphorus was to enforce the new systems to be designed
> by an engineer. In the systems designed and approved one comes to my mind
> now that am trying to get rid of that annoying P. The drainfields were
> able, in theory at least, to lower BOD and TSS with the aerobic unit
> lowering N and a crushed brick liner that was to reduce phosphorus. In the
> FAC it specified a certain type of brick to be used.
> The point is that this crushed-brick liner was able to lower the P in
> most systems. Does anyone know if there is any product using this element
> (crushed bricks) or part of it? I have to say that the liner was permanent
> and under the drainfield so the water runoff was going to cleanse the
> sustrate.
>
> I am experimenting with a new biofilter with little maintenance. So
> far, so good, except the algae bloom caused by adding P in the form of food
> and not being able to harvest enough plants to extract the excess P. My
> blennis and cleanup crews are working fine but not fast enough and they just
> recycle the P back to the tank in dropings. For six months now my aquarium
> haven't need any water change and the levels are all great except PO4 and
> PH. One affects the other and I am not adding any chemicals to the water.
>
> Thanks for any comment!
>
> jrs
>
>

[Roy]

I think bricks contain alumina silicate not the same as aluminum
whatever. Aluminum sulphate is used as a phosphate reducer and is
comonly the major ingredieint in lots of algae treatments, and its
common name is alum.


On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 02:00:36 GMT, Wayne Sallee >
wrote:
>><>Brick is made from clay.
>><>Clay is aluminum silicate.
>><>Most clay also contains a fair amount of iron (gives the
>><>brown to red color)
>><>Aluminum oxide is used in aquariums as a phosphate remover.
>><>Iron oxide is used in aquariums as a phosphate remover.
>><>Maybe that brick was higher in those oxides.
>><>But whatever,it is, it is only going to be temporary, as
>><>any such filter medium will become saturated.
>><>
>><>Wayne Sallee
>><>Wayne's Pets

>><>
>><>
>><>Jaime R-S wrote on 12/31/2005 5:32 PM:
>><>> As an environmental specialist for the DOH of Florida, I was issuing
>><>> permits for Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) on
>><>> households. While the state struggled to lower the parameters of sewage to
>><>> an optimum 10 BOD, 10 TSS, 10 N and 1 P (units in ppt) for each sample, they
>><>> never managed to obtain those readings. One final attempt with great
>><>> success in reducing Phosphorus was to enforce the new systems to be designed
>><>> by an engineer. In the systems designed and approved one comes to my mind
>><>> now that am trying to get rid of that annoying P. The drainfields were
>><>> able, in theory at least, to lower BOD and TSS with the aerobic unit
>><>> lowering N and a crushed brick liner that was to reduce phosphorus. In the
>><>> FAC it specified a certain type of brick to be used.
>><>> The point is that this crushed-brick liner was able to lower the P in
>><>> most systems. Does anyone know if there is any product using this element
>><>> (crushed bricks) or part of it? I have to say that the liner was permanent
>><>> and under the drainfield so the water runoff was going to cleanse the
>><>> sustrate.
>><>>
>><>> I am experimenting with a new biofilter with little maintenance. So
>><>> far, so good, except the algae bloom caused by adding P in the form of food
>><>> and not being able to harvest enough plants to extract the excess P. My
>><>> blennis and cleanup crews are working fine but not fast enough and they just
>><>> recycle the P back to the tank in dropings. For six months now my aquarium
>><>> haven't need any water change and the levels are all great except PO4 and
>><>> PH. One affects the other and I am not adding any chemicals to the water.
>><>>
>><>> Thanks for any comment!
>><>>
>><>> jrs
>><>>
>><>>

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