Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concreteby ... · Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concreteby Pervious Concrete Gregory M. Majersky, ... •• Void space allows

2010 Concrete Sustainability Conference 1 © National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Filtration of Polluted Waters Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concreteby Pervious Concreteby Pervious Concreteby Pervious Concrete

Gregory M. Majersky, MSCE, EI President Liquid AssetPresident Liquid Asset

Development, LLC


Problems, not just issues• ~10,000 years of mining around the world.

1. Acid mine drainage enters surface water.2. The metal concentrations are more toxic than the low pHtoxic than the low pH.3. Metals have value as commodities.A i lt l ff t i il• Agricultural runoff contains soil, microorganisms, phosphorous and nitrogen compounds which can promotenitrogen compounds which can promote algea blooms. Also see “peak phosphorous”




Problems continued• Humanitarian needs are becoming dire, even in

the US. 1. Growing legal battles between the SW states g gand the Great Lakes Compact and Mississippi River states. 2. Growing armed conflict in Africa (Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia), Central Asia, SE Asia (Mekong River), and China/India (Arunachel Pradesh).3. Complete loss of infrastructure (Haiti).4. Even when drinking water is available in disaster areas, washing and bathing water may not be.


Problems continued• Oil and gas operations generate polluted water• Oil and gas operations generate polluted water

from fracking solutions containing metals and metals already present in the water around the deposits.

• New regulations require the treatment of the discharged water And market potential existsdischarged water. And market potential exists to treat the fracking water to a certain standard and sell it.

• Desalinization pre treatment requires:• Desalinization pre-treatment requires:1. Screening of organisms and debris2. pH elevation to protect filter membranes3. Sea water contains dissolved metals.


Introducing Pervious Concrete•• Pervious concrete is simply concrete without Pervious concrete is simply concrete without

sand.sand.•• Pervious concrete has approximately a 15Pervious concrete has approximately a 15--25% 25% pp ypp y

void structure allowing between 3 to 8 gallons of void structure allowing between 3 to 8 gallons of water per minute to pass through one square water per minute to pass through one square foot section of concrete [NRMCA, 2005].foot section of concrete [NRMCA, 2005].[ ][ ]

•• Proven 30 year track record in parking lots for Proven 30 year track record in parking lots for removing brake dust, brake fluid and oil.removing brake dust, brake fluid and oil.

•• High void space greatly reduces freeze damageHigh void space greatly reduces freeze damage•• High void space greatly reduces freeze damage.High void space greatly reduces freeze damage.•• High pH environmentHigh pH environment•• Void space allows air to mix with water.Void space allows air to mix with water.



Research Results• Three filter sizes and two types ofThree filter sizes and two types of

concrete tested.• 50%, 85% and 99% of iron removed• 5%, 60% and 70% of sodium removed• 67% and 74% of zinc, 56% and 65% of

dcopper removed.• 25% of arsenic, 3% of magnesium, 66%

of maganese removed (Honduras fieldof maganese removed (Honduras field trial).

• Phosphorous removal, measured as total phosphorous 3-5x better than other, more complex systems at 2008 CSU competition


Research Results• Over 60% of sulfate removed or reduced

(P3 trial).A i i di l d f 1 8• Avg. increase in dissolved oxygen of 1.8 mg/L and avg. decrease in temp of 1 C (P3 trial).( )

• No colony forming units (CFUs) of total or fecal coliforms present in some effluent samples (Honduras), >99.99 % removal of Microccocus leteus bacteria (P3 trial).


AMD Results Percent Total Species

Concentrations Present in Filtrate

60 00

80.00

tion

Sulfate

20 00

40.00

60.00

once

ntra

t Sulfate

Iron

Sodium

0.00

20.00

1 hour 2 hour 3 hour 4 hour 5 hour

% C Zinc

Sample hour


AMD ResultsCompressive Strength TestingCompressive Strength Testing

Pre-filtration (psi) Post-filtration (psi) % difference Filter Compression Strength

Top 1979 1261 36Middle 2101 1910 9Bottom 1106 958 13Average 1543 1110 28

1000

1500

2000

2500

psi Pre-filtration

Post-filtration

Average 1543 1110 28Std. Dev. 543 486 15Variance 294506 236552 214

0

500

Top Middle Bottom

Core location

Influent pH was 2.3, effluent pH was ~ 5.8


Colorado State Colorado State University CompetitionUniversity Competition

Influent simulated Bangladesh flood waters.Influent simulated Bangladesh flood waters.The filter is represented by UCD Note the Total PThe filter is represented by UCD Note the Total PThe filter is represented by UCD. Note the Total P The filter is represented by UCD. Note the Total P

effluent concentrations. Each team had one minute to effluent concentrations. Each team had one minute to filter 40 L.filter 40 L.

Category P UCD CSU NMT Ttech UNMCategory P UCD CSU NMT Ttech UNM

Volume Discharged [L] 33 40 33 25 32Total N [mg/L] 171 153 152 161 153[ g ]Total P [mg/L} 37 120 131 161 108Conductivity [mS/cm] 5 5 5 5 5pH (closest to 7.0) 11 7 7 7 7T bidit [NTU] 122 55 26 191 22Turbidity [NTU] 122 55 26 191 22COD [mg/L] 5 5 5 5 5DO [mg/L] 6 9 9 6 9


Honduras Charts Villenueva Metals Filtrate Profile I

5060

70

80

/L)

CalciumMagnesium

0

1020

30

40

50

Con

c. (m

g/g

SodiumPotassiumarsenicpH

Villenueva Metal Filtrate Profile II

0.07

PRETEST TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3 TEST 4

Test series

0 02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

Conc

. (m

g/L) Copper

ZincIronManganese

0

0.01

0.02


Test Series

C g


Honduras Charts La Lima Metals Filtrate Profile I

60708090

g/L)

CaciumMagnesium

01020304050

PRETEST TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3 TEST 4 TEST 5

Con

c. (m

g

SodiumPotassiumArsenicpH


Test Series

La Lima Metals Filtrate Profile II

0.09

0 020.030.040.050.060.070.08

Con

c. (m

g/L) Copper

ZincIronManganese

00.010.02


Test Series


Honduras Charts Villenueva Water Characteristics

600700800900

1000

e

ConductivityTDS

0100200300400500600


Valu

e TDSAlkalinityHardness


Test Period

La Lima Water Characteristics

1000

300400500600700800900

c. (m

g/l),

(us/

cm)

ConductivityTDSAlkalinityHardness

0100200300


Test Series

Conc


Filtration Mechanisms

• “Armoring”, Kd,m (rate of deposition of metals), subject to Gibb’s Free Energy.P i i i h h H d DO• Precipitation through pH and DO increase, temperature decrease, subject to Gibb’s Free Energyto Gibb s Free Energy.

• Physical filtration of suspended solids, microorganisms, precipitates, etc.microorganisms, precipitates, etc.

• High pH environment can kill microbes.• Settling ponds can serve to removeSettling ponds can serve to remove

precipitates and solids to extend life.


Metals Recovery Feasbility

http://clu-in.org/greenremediation/subtab_d20.cfm

• Recovered 30 tons of material (containing approximately 25%Recovered 30 tons of material (containing approximately 25% manganese oxide) over eight years of operation• Derives funds for future AMD treatment systems through sale of recovered manganese and iron oxides to artists or manufacturers specializing in green products

http://www.srwc.org/projects/desale.php

Again, this should highlight the economic feasibility of recovering metals from spent concrete filters, as the amount of energy that goes into processing the saturated mushroom compost (crushinggoes into processing the saturated mushroom compost (crushing, burning, acidic solution) is more time, energy and therefore money intensive than would go into processing the spent concrete filters (acidic solution only).


Mining Waste Market Opportunities• Acid Mine Drainage recovery of metals:• Acid Mine Drainage, recovery of metals:• $200 million/yr in the US, $40 billion globally

based on:Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Pennsylvania Department of Environmental

Protection Protection [[RathbunRathbun, 2004], 2004]““thth ll tt ff AMDAMD di tidi ti ii““thethe annualannual costcost……forfor AMDAMD remediationremediation isisprojectedprojected atat $$2323 millionmillion dollarsdollars aa yearyear andandthe estimated state wide value of sludge from the estimated state wide value of sludge from ggthese systems to these systems to contain millions of dollars contain millions of dollars

in metalsin metals, yet is handled as waste., yet is handled as waste.$220 billion USD/year in remediation costs• $220 billion USD/year in remediation costs globally.


Desalination Market Opportunities• Desalinization pre-treatment is 25% of

the total desalinization process.1. Total desalination market value of $66 billion USD per year between 2006 and 2010 d $126 billi USD2010 and $126 billion USD per year between 2010 and 2015. 2 These figures do not include the US2. These figures do not include the US, India and China, from 2015 to 2020 each of these three markets expect to grow atof these three markets expect to grow at 15%.


Desal Market Opportunities, cont’d

3. Membrane desalination currently occupies 60% of the market and is expected to occupy 65% of the market byexpected to occupy 65% of the market by 2015.4 For a total pre-treatment market value4. For a total pre-treatment market value

of $40 billion per year by 2015.


Farm Runoff Market Opportunities

• Metals such as phosphorous, sodium and selenium are forcing farming communities to potentially use desalination technologyto potentially use desalination technology to treat this water before it is discharged.1 The cost of treatment can cost up to 901. The cost of treatment can cost up to 90

times more to treat brackish water than to transport clean water from its p

source.2. Reliable market value or potential

market value has been difficult to find as farm runoff has only recently entered the scope of the EPA


Farm Runoff Market Opportunities, cont’d3 O h ll i l d il i l3. Other pollutants include soil, animal

waste products and fertilizers, which promote algae bloomspromote algae blooms.

4. It can be deduced that the yearly cost of installing and maintaining theof installing and maintaining the passive systems in each state may approach the $23 million USD per year value cited by the Pennsylvania DEP study in the mining sector analysis.


Phosphorous Market Opportunities4. “Peak phosphorous” is a newly sounded alarm revolving around new studies showing that at best, the world has 100 years of hard t at at best, t e o d as 00 yea s o a drock phosphorous reserves, with the vast majority of this mineral present in China, the US and South Africa As phosphorous is a metaland South Africa. As phosphorous is a metal commodity, its price will fluctuate daily. However, as there is no replacement for this

i l i b i bi l i l imineral in basic biological processes in microorganisms, plants and animals and therefore a required staple of human agricultural activity, the market value of phosphorous cannot be underestimated.


Humanitarian Market Opportunities

• Humanitarian applications:1. Improve quality of available water for consumption in severe cases.2. Where “potable” water is available, sufficient water for hygiene is notsufficient water for hygiene is not.3. Hygienic water treatment in disaster areas.


Humanitarian Opportunities, cont’d

• The World Bank projects that over the next decade the developing world will need about $600 billion or more to augment water reserves $600 b o o o e to aug e t ate ese esand meet water quality needs.http://www.itt.com/waterbook/page95.pdf

• These developing nations will need to provide up to 90% of the financing to meet humanitarian needs and do not have nearly the tax revenue, y ,capital markets or other traditional sources to pay for their share.

• $600 billion USD over 10 years *0 9 (financing• $600 billion USD over 10 years *0.9 (financing provided by nations) = $540 billion


Business Discussions• Joint Venture discussions in Sweden, the UK

and Australia.• Published thesis ISBN 978-3-639-02618-4• Published thesis, ISBN 978-3-639-02618-4• OOSKA News Water Weekly Feb 17, 2008, vol.

2, Issue 7 (written by Rami Abdelrahman).• Interest from Molson Coors, URS, Sumitomo

USA, the US-India Chamber of Commerce, oil and gas services industry etcand gas services industry, etc.


Business Discussions cont’d

• Received exposure at major China environmental/energy expo through CO Exportenvironmental/energy expo through CO. Export Office, http://www.greenchn.com/info/detail/19-398.html

• Invited to present at the 2009 Int’l Desalination Congress in Dubai, UAE.

• Invited to present at the 2010 US Nat’l ReadyInvited to present at the 2010 US Nat l Ready Mixed Concrete Association Sustainability Conference in Tempe, AZ.

Documents

Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concreteby ... · Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concreteby Pervious Concrete Gregory M. Majersky, ... •• Void space allows