The process combines ThermoEnergy's ammonia recovery process with F R Mahony's biological AOx process to remove and recover nitrogen as ammonia. The process, called BioCAST can achieve more than 85% reduction in total nitrogen while recovering the majority of the nitrogen in the form of ammonia. BioCAST is suited for municipal and industrial wastewaters, landfill leachate, agricultural wastewater and many other high strength waste streams.
 

The BioCAST process has the potential of treating high volumes of water with a small footprint (approximately 1/6 that of a wholly biological process). High efficiency significantly reduces the costs of nitrogen reduction as well as reducing the emission of nitrous oxide. AECOM, a ThermoEnergy partner, will be also participating in the research by providing scientific and engineering peer review.
 

Dennis C Cossey, executive chairman of ThermoEnergy, said: “The combination of the two technologies addresses the need for sustainable, economical solutions to the increasingly stringent effluent regulations being imposed today. BioCAST is the future of wastewater treatment where the best of biological processes are combined with the best of physical/chemical treatment. Our partnership with ThermoEnergy and its unique Ammonia Recovery Process will open new ways to look at old problems.”