BioGills focusing the force of nature
BioGills provide effective and low cost wastewater treatment and water recycling. By focusing the power of microorganisms in a unique bioreactor, BioGills treat wastewater more efficiently and more cost effectively.
There are millions of species of bacteria in nature and they play an essential role in maintaining the ecology of the earth. In fact, microorganisms, bacteria and fungi, are nature’s best decomposers and recyclers and are used in most wastewater treatment systems.
Traditional technologies are based on making the microbes do what we want them to do. In developing BioGills our approach was different. We asked, “What can we do for the microorganisms?” The answer was simple — build the best possible habitat for them to work effectively.
Above ground accommodation for bacteria and fungi
BioGills are specially built bioreactors that provide “five-star accommodation” for microbes. By providing the perfect home, above ground and surrounded by oxygen, the microorganisms grow and flourish.
BioGills are manufactured using a Nano-Ceramic Membrane™ incorporated into a bioreactor that effectively operates as both a “stomach” and a “lung”. Bacteria and other microorganisms “eat” waste out of the water and “breathe” air to grow and multiply.
The microorganisms develop on membranes folded to form a series of “gills”. Wastewater travels down between these “gills” and oxygen is freely available, providing the ideal environment for the microbes.
The result is that each BioGill treatment core has an enormous biomass loading, delivering a treating biomass of 10 to 15 times that of conventional biological wastewater treatment systems.
Oxygen and fungi
Most existing technologies use large tanks housing bacteria which are submerged in water and aerated like the bubbles in a fish tank. Aeration is energy hungry and can create a ‘sludge cake’ on top of the water which is difficult to treat.
BioGills are above ground so oxygen is freely available. This allows for the growth of fungal biomass, which is not possible in submerged cultures. The fungal biomass is much more effective than bacterial biomass in removing nutrients from the liquid stream.
