Nitrification process [US Patent Application No. 09/830418]

Dempsey, Michael J. (2003) Nitrification process [US Patent Application No. 09/830418]. United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Abstract

The present invention concerns the field of nitrification of fluids, and particularly relates to the treatment of aqueous fluids to oxidize ammonia and nitrites to produce nitrates. One aspect of the present invention seeks to provide an alternative nitrification process which is readily capable of commercial implementation, and in which the nitrification rate more nearly approaches the rate of ammonia generation. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a microbiological process for the nitrification of a fluid comprising passing the fluid to be nitrified through an immobilized biomass comprising nitrifying bacteria, characterised in that the bacteria are immobilized as a biofilm grown on porous particles, in particular coke.