Algal-bacterial treatment facility removes selenium from drainage water

Journal Article · Tue Jan 25 04:00:00 EST 2000 · California Agriculture

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.v054n06p50· OSTI ID:841978

Quinn, Nigel W.T. ^[1]; Lundquist, Tryg J; Green, F Bailey; Zarate, Max A; Oswald, William J; Leighton, Terrance

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1. LBNL Library

A demonstration algal-bacterial selenium removal (ABSR) facility has been treating agricultural drainage water in the Panoche Drainage District on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley since 1997. The project goals are to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ABSR technology for selenium removal, to investigate potential wildlife exposure to selenium at full-scale facilities, and to develop an operational plant configuration that will minimize the life-cycle cost for each pound of selenium removed. The facility consists of a series of ponds designed to promote native microorganisms that remove nitrate and selenium. Previous treatment research efforts sought to reduce selenium concentrations to less than 5 mu g/L, but the ABSR Facility demonstration focuses on providing affordable reduction of the selenium load that is discharged to the San Joaquin River. During 1997 and 1998, the best-performing ABSR plant configuration reduced nitrate by more than 95 percent and reduced total soluble selenium mass by 80 percent. Ongoing investigations focus on optimizing operational parameters and determining operational costs and scale-up engineering requirements. The preliminary total cost estimate for a 10-acre-foot per day ABSR facility is less than $200 per acre-foot of treated drainage water.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; US Bureau of Reclamation through the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 841978
• Report Number(s): LBNL--44923
• Journal Information: California Agriculture, Journal Name: California Agriculture Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 55
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
CONFIGURATION
DRAINAGE
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MICROORGANISMS
NITRATES
PONDS
REMOVAL
SELENIUM
WATER