An On-site biological Graywater Treatment System Suitable for a Small Business Phase I: Proof-of-Concept

Abstract

The objective of Phase I was to demonstrate that a biological treatment system, or living system, would be able to lower the concentration of contaminates in salon graywater coming from the sinks where hair treatments and shampooing occur. Individual plants were batch tested. Plant health during these tests was monitored using qualitative criteria (e.g. color, size and robustness) and fluorescence measurements. Concentrations of contaminant in the salon graywater was determined with a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. Removal efficiencies were seen to be between 30 to 85 percent over three days and 60 percent to complete removal over eight days. The plants themselves seemed to thrive in the salon graywater samples. They became greener and more vigorous. Chlorophyll florescence readings quantitatively confirmed this qualitative observation. The pilot-scale living system was a series of gravity-flow fed tanks and ponds with a recirculating pump. The plants in the system were : Lemna, Pontederia cordata, Juncus effuses, Typhaangustifolia, Loliummulti florum, Pistia stratiotes (water hyacinth), Eichhornia crassipes (water lettuce) and Medacago sativa. Removal of contaminates from the salon graywater by the living system was observed to be up to 40 percent with one pass through the system (24 hours). The final installed system should process about 300 gallons of graywater per day and create a retention time of 24 to 48 hours which indicates the need for recirculation through the system. Design, testing and installation of the prototype living system in Haircut 101 will be the primary focus of Phase II research.Leave the word Abstract. then type your abstract here. For a new paragraph, do not tab over or indent, just hit the Enter key. It will look like a double space between paragraphs. If your abstract is long, choose a smaller font or let it run onto the next page.