Selenium / Perchlorate

Toxic contaminants released to soils, groundwater, and waterways include perchlorate from the improper disposal of explosives and rocket/missile propellants, and metals containing the element selenium generated in coal, copper, and zinc mining. Perchlorate is now present in many potable water supply wells, and can have harmful effects on thyroid function if ingested, especially among women and infants. Biological treatment of perchlorate is very similar to denitrification, and denitrifying bacteria have been found to be capable of degrading perchlorate.

Toxic metals containing the element selenium generated in coal, copper, and zinc mining are increasingly contaminating soil and waterways, particularly inflicting harm on egg-laying animals, including fish, birds and other wildlife. Like with perchlorate, biological treatment is also a cost-effective option for removing dissolved selenium from wastewater.

How EOSi Can Help

Perchlorate can be removed from drinking water or groundwater by physical-chemical processes such as ion exchange or reverse osmosis, but these processes produce waste brine that can be challenging to manage. A safer and effective alternative for removing perchlorate from drinking water and groundwater is biological treatment using MicroC® as a carbon source and electron donor.

Likewise, biological treatment is a cost-effective option for removing dissolved selenium from wastewater. In this process, microbes use a carbon source such as MicroC® as an electron donor to trap selenium in the biomass. In addition to our traditional MicroC® Carbon Sources, EOSi has developed MicroC® 4000, an NSF60 certified product that can be used to remove nitrate and perchlorate in potable water systems.