Elimination of Hydrogen Sulfide(H2S) using Oxygen from Ambient Air

George Federico, Theia LLC, TDM Inc.

Gary Smith, Venturi Aeration Inc.

ABSTRACT
Odor and corrosion in collection systems has long been an issue for Wastewater operators.
Today, with population moving in closer proximity to once remote odor sources like lift stations
and wastewater plants, there is in increasing demand on those operating these wastewater
systems to mitigate these odors. Odor and corrosion control is a full time job for many
Wastewater Authorities.
While there are no shortage of companies offering new and improved technologies, one
technology has been in use successfully for over 40 years. This technology, today offered by
Theia and Venturi Aeration, is the simplest and most effective technology for the elimination of
odors and corrosion caused by Sulfides. The technology enjoys a near perfect record of success
and has been employed in a variety of applications for wastewater and leachate.
The efficiency and effectiveness of this approach has invited a number of competitors but it is
still usually the most effective as well as the most cost effective approach to the mitigation or
elimination of odors and corrosion in collection systems, headworks, septage facilities, sludge
tanks, and wastewater treatment plants.
This technology, first called the Hydro-Vac then the Venturi Aerator and today is known best
as the Oxygenator is a powerful tool in the war against odor and corrosion for todays
wastewater operator. Part of its success is a result of the judicious and careful application of this
technology and in the under-promising and over-performance of the team promoting its use.
Keywords: Hydrogen Sulfide, corrosion, odor, oxidation, oxygen, Oxygenator, Venturi
INTRODUCTION
Background the issue
The discussion of odors and collections in wastewater collection and treatment system typically
centers around Hydrogen Sulfide(H2S) and other sulfide molecules. Hydrogen Sulfide is formed
in wastewater systems under anoxic conditions, when the dissolved oxygen levels in the
wastewater are at or near zero. In the absence of elemental oxygen, the bacteria go looking for
other sources of oxygen.
SO42- is reduced to S2(Source EPA 832-R-92-001 )
This sulfide ion combines with hydrogen ions in the wastewater to form Hydrogen Sulfide.
Depending on the pH of the wastewater the H2S will dissociates to dissolved H2S gas,

hydrosulfide ions and sulfide ions. At pH 7, the two forms are evenly split. At pH 6, 90% is
H2S gas, at higher pH the inverse is true. (Source EPA 832-R-92-001 )
Even after it is formed, H2S which has a high degree of solubility in water, will remain in the
wastewater until it is agitated at lift stations, traps, etc that are plentiful in most wastewater all
collection systems.
Inside tanks, pipes, and other structures, the H2S becomes airborne causing nuisance odors. As
this occurs a portion of this H2S is biologically oxidized by acidobacillus that lives in the slime
layer inside the pipes or structures and forms Sulfuric acid ( in the presence of Oxygen)
H2S + 02 aerobic bacteria H2SO4
(Source EPA 832-R-92-001 )
Addressing the issue
There are a variety of ways to address odors and corrosion in collection systems as well as
headworks, and treatment plants. We can eliminate the odor at the source by preventing or
eliminating the sulfides while they are still in the wastewater or change the wastewater itself
such that the sulfide remain soluble and do not off-gas. Alternatively, we can address the odors
after they have become airborne and reduce the corrosion by actively venting the pipe, tank, etc
and treating the odorous air.
Some issues can be addressed using one technique and one product while more complex issues
can require both approaches and/or multiple products. For many of these more complex and
severe applications, it is actually more efficient and more cost effective to employ multiple tools.

Different approaches to addressing the issue

The following is an overview and a simplistic list of alternatives for H2S prevention/elimination
Prevention
We can prevent H2S from forming by supplying the SRBs with a food source that they prefer
more than sulfates. These food sources supply oxygen to the bacteria by either providing them
actual oxygen from air or pure oxygen or from a chemical source like Nitrates or H2O2, etc.
The other alternative is to use a disinfectant that will kill the bacteria in the wastewater which
will also prevent the formation of H2S
Elimination
Once the H2S is formed in the wastewater, it can be eliminated through a variety of reactions.
The H2S can be oxidized again by use of either oxygen or a chemical oxidant.
Other solutions remove the H2S by precipitating it out of solution and tying it up by bonding
to it to form a more complex molecule which is no longer gaseous and is no longer of interest
to the bacteria.

Increased Solubility
A third solution is to increase the pH of the wastewater such that the sulfides take the form of the
soluble sulfide ions and will remain in solution.
Eliminating and preventing H2S using Air/Oxygen
The use of oxygen to eliminate existing H2S and to prevent future formation is a wellestablished and accepted idea and technique. The difficulty has always been in the application
and applicability to the difficult world of wastewater collection and treatment systems and other
odor sources. While there are a variety of ways to introduce oxygen into tanks and reactors,
getting oxygen into collection systems and even certain tanks can represent a substantial
challenge. Further, this air/oxygen must be introduced in such a manner that the mechanical
energy does not strip more of the H2S than it oxidizes.
As with all solutions this approach has its limitations. This approach treats and conditions the
wastewater at the lift station before or as it is pumped into the forced main. Once the wastewater
leaves the station, we no longer have access to it. Thus, the effects of this conditioning will
wear off over time and the wastewater may return to a less desirable state. In the case of the
Oxygenator approach, we are recirculating the wastewater back to the wet well and, as such, as
limited by Henrys law in terms of how much oxygen we can add. ( 7-8 mg/l for air injection, 22
mg/l when using oxygen injection) Once the pressurization pumps push the oxygenated
wastewater into the forced main, the clock begins to tick.
In our application experience, the effect of the conversion lasts 6-8 hours for air and 10-12 hours
for oxygen injection, before the wastewater runs out of oxygen and the bacteria begin to once
again utilize the sulfate molecules as their source of oxygen.
Fortunately, the Oxygenator can be combined with a variety of other solutions to accommodate
virtually any length of forced main.
Approaches:
Just as there are no shortage of products in the market designed to eliminate odors and corrosion,
they are no shortage of methods offered today or in the past to introduce air or oxygen to
wastewater in an attempt to eliminate H2S.
Into the main
There are several approaches which use the pressure of the forced main leaving the lift station to
aid in the dissolution of oxygen into the wastewater. As the pressure of the wastewater goes up,
the amount of gas that can be dissolved into the wastewater also goes up. Technologies that rely
on this concept face a number of additional challenges.
Mixing: it is difficult to get the required mixing once the mixture is in the main
This approach introduces supersaturated wastewater or injects gas directly creating an
excess of gas in the main which can create a number of problems. The areas where
corrosion actually occur in forced mains tend to be wherever trapped gas that contains
oxygen is allowed to build up. This approach can add to this issue
Power use. Pushing against the pressure of the forced main can require a great deal of
power

Debris; Systems utilizing saturator concepts tend to use a small slip stream of wastewater
which is supersaturated and pushed into the forced main. These systems are often ill
equipped to deal with the nature of the wastewater they are drawing from.

Principle of operation Oxygenator Systems ( Venturi Aeration)

Wastewater passing through an Oxygenator nozzle creates a low pressure area (vacuum) and it is
this vacuum that draws in outside ambient air into the device. A portion of the oxygen in the air
is absorbed by the liquid and is transferred as dissolved oxygen (DO). However, when the
discharge piping from the Oxygenator is submerged in a wet well or tank, an additional portion
of the "entrained" air will also be absorbed into the wastewater in much the same way as a
diffuser would transfer oxygen based on depth of release and the partial pressure. This is a
hybrid aeration device using both a Kinetic Transfer and a Buoyancy Transfer modality to add
DO to wastewater.

The Oxygenator ( Venturi Nozzle)

Application of the Oxygenator approach

Theia and TDM have been working with Venturi Aeration for 15 years to implement and
improve the oldest and most effective H2S elimination system in the marketplace. The
Technology itself has been around for a long time, with the first known installation occurring in
1971 and the technology itself being discussed in the 1985 EPA manual on odor and corrosion
control. Since that time, the technology and the approach has steadily been improved.
The solution is simple and effective. The system uses a pump and an Oxygenator ( Venturi)
nozzle which is an upgrade on the self -aspirating aerator nozzle concept. The system draws
wastewater through the nozzle and discharges back to the source from where it was extracted (

wet well, tank, etc. )As the wastewater passes through the nozzle, the system oxidizes H2S
(Hydrogen Sulfide) back into soluble sulfate to inhibit release of H2S into the air to reduce odors
and corrosion. This system does NOT strip H2S but directly oxidizes it instantly in a first order
reaction. The picture below shows the discharge from an Oxygenator nozzle into the top of a
tank of septage. This open top tank has no release of H2S.
NOTE: the nozzle will strip less soluble compounds which are not directly oxidized.

Discharge from Oxygenator being sprayed on top of Septage storage tank Salunga, PA
As the wastewater passes through the nozzle, sufficient oxygen is dissolved into the wastewater
to saturate it with dissolved oxygen. This process converts the wastewater to an aerobic
environment eliminating the future production of Hydrogen Sulfide.
This technology and approach can be( and has been) applied to lift stations and forced mains,
septage receiving and storage, sludge storage, headworks, leachate storage and transmission.
The Oxygenator is one of the more efficient aeration devices in the marketplace, and, as such,
has been applied regularly simply to add dissolved oxygen where odor was not the driving issue.
Typically, the system accomplishes its task using only ambient air and with a simple
recirculation loop. For larger flow rates and longer main retention time, oxygen injection can
also be utilized with this approach. The use of oxygen from a VSA or from a storage tank will
greatly reduce the recirculation rate as well as to enhance the solubility of the gas.

Use of Oxygenator to inject pure oxygen at a papermill in Jay, Maine

The base design withdraws wastewater from the tank and recirculates into the same tank after it
passes through the nozzle. The nozzle draws in its own air without blowers or compressors.
For lift stations, the same basic approach is used. Wastewater is drawn out and pumped back
into the wet well.
The withdraw and discharge of the wastewater is designed specifically for the application to
allow for maximum effectiveness without creating any operational issues for the customer. As
mentioned above, the system is simple and requires little if any maintenance outside of the
maintenance one would conduct on the pump itself. The Oxygenator nozzle is a non-clog design
and the system is specifically designed to avoid drawing any solids that would clog the pump or
nozzle. The system includes a zero clog trap on the inlet of the system to prevent drawing
rags, bags, or any items that would create a problem.
The recirculation design provides both opportunity and challenges. The challenges are covered
below. The main advantages of this design are

Mixing. The system provides oxygen addition as well as mixing

Hydraulic control. We are able to draw wastewater from virtually anywhere in the tank
and push highly oxygenated wastewater to wherever it will achieve the best contact with
less aerated wastewater. This control opens up a lot of possibilities
o More oxygen uptake the wastewater leaving the Oxygenator nozzle has more
oxygen than it can hold. When it mixes with oxygen deficient wastewater, some
of the excess oxygen is dissolved into this wastewater, adding to the aeration
efficiency.

o H2S scrubbing. The wastewater being discharged from the nozzle can be used to
suppress any vapors that may be coming off the surface of the water from filling
or other agitation
No diffusers need to be installed which means that the tank or wet well does not need to
be drained. Installation can be very simple requiring only an inlet and outlet pipe.

The Oxygenator system can eliminate virtually any level of liquid phase Hydrogen Sulfide
present in the water. While it is limited by Henrys law in terms of the dissolved oxygen level it
can achieve, the air being drawn into the water contains enough oxygen to apply 300 mg/l or
more of oxygen to any compounds ready to accept it. Tests have been done in the field with
over 200 mg/l of H2S.
Lift Stations/forced mains
There are almost an endless variety to lift stations and, as such, there are a number of designs
that must be applied to allow the Oxygenator to work with the particular application. The
overall concept is quite simple.. Wastewater is drawn out from the wet well of the lift station and
pumped through the Oxygenator and back into the wet well. Because we are pumping the
wastewater, we can configure the suction and the discharge of the system to fit the application.
All the Hydrogen Sulfide is eliminated and the wastewater is saturated with oxygen to prevent
the future formation of Hydrogen Sulfide
We utilize two (2) components, a pump and a nozzle. The system is simple but effective and
requires little attention or maintenance. We use a non-clogging pump and the Oxygenator itself
will not clog. The Oxygenator itself requires no maintenance and the pump is selected such that
it is one that is familiar to your team and easy to maintain.

Basic Concept for lift stations

While the technology and the basic principal are very simple, the application of the technology is
anything but simple. The wet well can be an inhospitable place and there is always a danger to
pumps and even our nozzle from foreign objects. Inlet screens on pumps or suction inlets can
easily clog, which will eventually starve the pump. We have developed several innovative
designs for protecting our pump and our nozzle and have eliminated, or at least greatly mitigated
this potential problem. These designs are non-clogging in their basic design and do not allow
debris to build up or foul the system inlets while also not allowing anything to pass into the
suction.

Basic Principal
Each application is taken as unique but relies on the many past installations in terms of which
technique to apply. The cost of a system is usually less than the cost of one years purchase of
chemicals for the same application
Once applied, the Oxygenator will:
Mitigate or eliminate any nuisance odors from the station and wet well itself
Eliminate existing H2S present in the wastewater coming into the station
Prevent the formation of H2S for 6-8 hours when using ambient air ( up to 12-14 hours
when pure oxygen is used. )
Begin to reduce the size and volume of solids in the wastewater
Reduce or eliminate the anoxic slime layer on the inside of the pipe leaving the station
Begin to reduce BOD

Self Priming Pump used for canned station

Dry Pit Installation

Submersible Pump Wareham Massachusetts

The system is applied to headworks in a similar manner.

Septage Facilities/Sludge Storage tanks
Receiving facilities are the source of many difficulties. This high strength waste creates the
worst odor problems and corrosive environment imaginable. Most septage receiving facilities

consist of one or more storage tanks along with some security apparatus as well as screening
and/or shredders.
Periodically, septage is drawn from the tank for treatment. At stand alone facilities, this
withdraw is performed by tanker truck. When placed at the headworks of wastewater treatment
plants, the septage is trickled into the headworks and is mixed with the incoming wastewater.
Either way, we are once again dealing with high odors during storage and transmission of the
septage. This septage creates a serious odor and corrosion issue wherever it is sent.
Application of the Oxygenator System is accomplished in a similar manner to the lift station
though this installation is typically far simpler. Septage is drawn out and pumped through a
nozzle where the H2S is oxidized and eliminated and dissolved oxygen is added. The tank is
mixed and aerated.
The effect on these installations is quite dramatic. As with lift stations, the application of this
technology may not be able to completely eliminate the odors, the level of the odors is
substantially mitigated. Further, as the transmission of the septage is typically well under 6
hours, we are able to eliminate H2S issues where the septage ends up.
Once applied, the Oxygenator will:
Mitigate or eliminate any nuisance odors from the septage tank itself
Eliminate existing H2S present in the Septage
Prevent the formation of H2S for 6-8 hours
Begin to reduce the size and volume of solids in the septage
Begin to reduce BOD. This reduction can be substantial allowing the facility to remove
the septage more quickly, allowing the facility to receive more septage
De-gasses organic materials enhancing settling of solids.
Causes Fats, oils, & greases to hydrolyze and float for skimming

Oxygenator installation at Septage tank The technology is applied to sludge storage tanks in a similar manner.

Installation at a Sludge Storage tank

Hull, Massachusetts
Challenges:
The Oxygenator system, being a mechanical system requires planning as well as design to make
it work, and it will not work in every location. Lift stations are especially challenging due to the
tight spaces and the presence of large pumps often in the wet-well itself. Lift stations come in a
wide range of designs and as such, developing a standard design has been difficult.
Drawing out wastewater and returning it to the same wet well or septage tank, etc is not always
feasible at every location. Many of these locations contain material that can easily clog a
recirculation pump. ( rope, trash bags, large solids, etc). The recirculation pump is often many
times smaller than the pump would be in the wet well in the case of lift stations. For existing
tanks and lift stations just finding a connection or a way to extract and return the wastewater can
be difficult.
Lift stations are also such a critical element in the wastewater infrastructure that tinkering in any
way with these stations can be enough to send potential customers running from the room
covering their ears. However, for the customer that is seeing his/her station, pipe and their
manways disappear, or who is presently paying a large portion of the maintenance budget on
chemicals, this approach can be a savior and they are willing to work with our team to find a
way. There is usually a way to make the approach work but, again, it requires careful design.
While chemical addition may have its downsides, it is typically very easy to apply from a
logistical standpoint.
Advantages of the Oxygenator Approach
The application of the Oxygenator has a great number of advantages over other approaches.

Cost
This approach typically has a much lower operating and overall cost than using chemicals. This
simple system typically also represents a far lower capital and installation cost than other
systems using air or oxygen. Typical total cost of the Oxygenator system is lower than the cost
of one year of chemical purchases.
Safety/environment
The oxygenator approach does not use any dangerous or hazardous chemicals and represents no
danger to the environment.
Unlike most chemicals, the Oxygenator approach actually improves the state of the biology and
helps reduce solids as well as BOD by jump starting the natural aerobic microbial activity in the
wastewater. Where the system is used feeding into a plant, the load on the initial aeration
system is reduced and the headworks issues are typically eliminated.
Simplicity
Typical Oxygenator systems have two components. A pump and an Oxygenator Nozzle.
Reliability
Once installed, the Oxygenator systems are rarely removed and, to our knowledge, have never
broken down or failed. The system does require regular maintenance, typically once a year on
the pump and once every 10-20 years on the nozzle.
CASE STUDIES:
The following are several application/case papers on the use of the Oxygenator( Venturi) nozzle
on a variety of odor control applications. The applications are a cross section from 40 years of
application of the concept.