Whether you are in the wastewater treatment, dairy, automatic car wash, or food processing and production industry, there is one common challenge everyone faces: Total Suspended Solids (TSS).
TSS includes any particles suspended in water which does not pass through a filter. As TSS levels increase, water begins to lose its ability to support aquatic life. Suspended solids also absorb heat from sunlight, increasing the water temperature and decreasing the level of dissolved oxygen, which may disrupt the water balance and can have an adverse effect on aquatic life.
A high concentration of TSS can also make drinking water unpalatable, and may even have an adverse effect on people. High TSS levels can also reduce the efficiency of wastewater treatment operations as well as any industrial processes that use raw water.
This is why it is extremely important to manage TSS levels to ensure your operations comply with government regulations and to maximize the efficiency of your facilities and plants. Read on to learn more about how Histosol – an effective, economical and environmentally-friendly TSS management product – has helped 7 companies to significantly reduce their TSS levels.
What is Histosol?
Histosol is a natural product derived from organic matter consisting of natural soil constituents, making it a safe, environmentally friendly and economical odor control solution for a wide range of odorous compounds and applications in various industries.
Histosol contains a combination of humate salts, humic acids, lignin matter and extractions of highly humified organic matters – powerful components that capture odorous compounds and interrupt their corrosive reactions and enhance biological activities for solids degradation.
Total Suspended Solids Reduction for Food Processing Plants
TSS Reduction Problem
A chicken processing facility in Ohio was looking for a more effective solution to manage their 140,000-gallon aerobic digester. The polymer was originally applied to the sludge stream, but the product didn’t provide very good results in settling the sludge.
Another chicken processing plant in South Georgia was facing a major solids problem. The grease, fats, and feathers from chicken had built up one of the plant’s wastewater treatment ponds, which greatly reduced the retention capacity of the pond.
A cheese plant was also experiencing poor settling in their 140,000-gallon aerobic digester as well as odor problems. The polymer was also used, but it was ineffective in settling the solids. Similarly, a dairy farm was facing a large concentration of straw and animal waste generated from the pump of its holding tank.
TSS Reduction Solution
Histosol OP-Bio was added, along with a commercial bacteria product, to the first chicken processing facility’s digester. Similarly, at the cheese plant, Histosol OP-Bio and commercial bacteria were added to the aeration tanks.
The second chicken processing plant applied Histosol into the pond that was experiencing the solids buildup problem. The dairy farm also treated its holding tank with Histosol.
TSS Reduction Results
After several days of Histosol application, the first chicken processing facility was able to decant four foot of clean water. This was about 36,000 gallons of water the plant normally had to have a private hauler pump and dispose of. The facility saved approximately $1,600 in hauling and disposal charges with Histosol treatment. After 30 days of Histosol application, the second chicken processing plant saw a reduction of grease and fat by 47%.
Within 24 hours, the odors generated from the cheese plant were reduced by 95-100%. When Histosol was applied daily to the aeration tanks, the cheese plant saw a significant improvement in settling and stopped using polymer, which saved the factory a considerable amount of money.
After 30 days of Histosol treatment, the dairy farm reported total degradation of all the straw and animal waste. Not only did Histosol degrade the waste, including the cellulose found in straw, but the product also simplified the dairy farm’s pumping and land application process.
Total Suspended Solids Reduction at Wastewater Treatment Plants
TSS Reduction Problem
Two wastewater treatment facilities were experiencing poor settling in their clarifiers and digesters as well as poor degradation of waste, grease, and oil in the aeration tanks.
The first plant had several aerobic digesters and their sludge was processed through a roll-off container for disposal at the landfill. The second plant had hired a private hauler to dispose of their solids, which was costing the facility $7,500 to $9,000 every month.
TSS Reduction Solution
For the first wastewater treatment facility, Histosol was applied to the plant’s aeration tanks and clarifiers. For the second plant, Histosol was added to the wastewater stream and directly into the digesters.
TSS Reduction Results
At the first wastewater treatment plant, degradation and settling of solids were significantly improved after only one week of treatment. The color of the water in the aeration tanks changed from gray to light brown, and the black foam in the clarifiers turned into a light tan color.
Prior to Histosol treatment, the roll-off container could only handle 30,000 gallons of sludge. But with Histosol, the wastewater treatment plant was able to process 60,000 gallons of sludge per roll-off container, increasing the efficiency of their operations by 100%.
For the second wastewater treatment facility, the plant saw a significant reduction in solids in the digesters after only two days of Histosol application. The total amount of solids was also reduced from 125-150 tons to 4 tons – a remarkable 96.8% reduction in wasted solids. Not only did the plant save over $7,000 in hauling and disposal fees, but Histosol treatment also improved the overall plant operations by reducing the hours needed by their personnel to run the facility.
Total Suspended Solids Reduction for Automatic Carwash Applications
TSS Reduction Problem
Many automatic carwash operators were requested by the city government officials to reduce the hydrogen sulfide found in carwash water recovery tanks, which was released to the city sewer system. These automatic carwash operators also needed a product that could purify the carwash water so it could be recycled back into the carwash water system.
TSS Reduction Solution
A single Histosol application was directly applied to the carwash water recovery tanks. A daily 1-ounce of Histosol application was then added to the recovery tanks as part of an ongoing maintenance program.
TSS Reduction Result
Within 48 hours of Histosol treatment, the hydrogen sulfide odors had dissipated. After only four days of treatment, the water in the recovery tanks cleared up and could be recycled for use in the carwash cycle. Carwash operators were able to recycle the water from the recovery tanks on a daily basis now, and their use of freshwater had been reduced by 70-80%.
Moreover, after Histosol was applied to the recovery tanks, the cars coming out of the washer were cleaner than before. Histosol also helped solve the water spotting problems carwash operators were experiencing before when freshwater was being used.
For more information about Histosol click here or contact ChemTech.