WATER REUSE
Given the context of drought that we are experiencing, solutions in agriculture such as water reuse are necessary. Through this solution, it is possible to give a new use to the water used in the production lines, through effective water treatment systems that recirculate the water to the same process or for irrigation.
With our applications of nanobubbles in the treatment of the water used and then in the irrigation dam, benefits are obtained such as:
- Improved water quality in the plant’s effluent : increased removal of suspended solids and organic matter
- Control of emanating odours
- Operational improvements in equipment maintenance
- Increased oxygen available in irrigation water
- Plant benefits: nutrient uptake, root development, resilience.
Methodology
01_ RILes Treatment Plant (PTR):
The test consisted of recirculating the water from the PTR equalization pond, which is located prior to the sedimenter and whose clarification reaches the irrigation dam. In this pond a Kran machine was connected using air NB. A test was carried out with a duration of 1 month, where the equipment remained on for the same working time of the plant (5 days a week, 24 hours a day).
Two samples per day of the clarification of the PTR settler, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, were taken during the five days a week that the plant is in operation.
These samples were measured for pH, TSS contents, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In addition, once a week, in situ, the potential for oxide reduction (ORP) and dissolved oxygen (DO) is measured to monitor the quality of the clarification. In addition to these quantitative data, qualitative parameters such as sludge consistency and odors were also monitored.
02_ Irrigation dam:
The control treatment corresponds to the initial conditions of the dam prior to the test and the second treatment was defined as the tranque state after the application of nanobubbles. Dissolved oxygen and ORP were measured. Oxygen nanobubbles were injected into a 2,500 m3 dam that receives water from the canal and the waste treatment plant, and is then used to irrigate plum, cherry and table vines.
Results
- Increased removal of OSH by 25.6%
- Decrease in COD by 14.3%
- Increased available oxygen
- Odor Control
How nanobubbles work
- Size: We are talking about bubbles invisible to our eyes smaller than a bacterium and a virus with unique physicochemical characteristics that at certain concentrations allow us to solve different problems.
- Stability: They remain in the liquid environment for a longer period of time than conventional bubbles. Ex: Achieve a stable dissolved oxygen level for 14 days in controlled locations.
- Free Radical Release: It facilitates the mass transfer of cations and increases hydrophobic interactions. Ex: Adsorption of colloidal material improving the precipitation of SST and organic matter in the operation.
Testimony
“We have increased the efficiency of our riles plant on the industrial side and substantially improved the quality of the irrigation water. The latter is vital given that our orchards are being irrigated with water that has a high concentration of dissolved oxygen, transmitting this element to the substrate of the plants with the consequent benefit that this brings to the development of microorganisms”
Ricardo Bustamante
Agricultural Manager
Frutexsa