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Nutrient Management
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are essential components of all plants, animals and the biosphere. While both N and P are natural and vital nutrients in our ecosystems, changes in land use (e.g. intensive agricultural development) have radically altered the amounts of N and P being delivered to our aquatic systems, particularly rivers, reservoirs and lakes. Excessive nutrient loads in these systems can cause eutrophication, a process leading to deteriorating water quality and the increased occurrence of toxic and unsightly algal blooms such as blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).
USERRG is fast becoming an industry leader in practical, economically feasible and environmentally-sound nutrient management technologies. Our innovative technology (WP-1™) has been scientifically proven to rapidly reduce soluble P and N concentrations in soil and water. WP-1™ assists Federal, state and local government agencies and water utilities with nutrient load reduction efforts from agricultural and urban sources. Our technology is specifically formulated for use in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s), industrial waste water and sewage treatment, aquaculture and a variety of natural aquatic systems e.g. ponds, lakes, reservoirs, lagoons, rivers, estuaries, dams, ornamental ponds and natural wetlands.
Environmental and practical advantages of WP-1™ technology
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WP-1™ also has many advantages over alternative N and P removal technologies (e.g. aluminium sulphate, lime, ferric chloride) in that it will simultaneously remove a wide range of other potentially hazardous trace elements (e.g. As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Zn) from solution to extremely low concentrations.
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WP-1™ consists of minerals that are not known to pose any environmental hazard. Consequently WP-1™ is classified as a non-hazardous, inert solid for transportation and is completely safe for unskilled workers to handle.
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WP-1™ adsorption mechanisms are not redox sensitive. WP-1™, unlike iron salts, will not release bound P under an aerobic reduced redox conditions.
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WP-1™ does not produce large volumes of unstable sludge. WP-1™ generates a "sediment" that is typically >50% more consolidated than traditional flocculants e.g. alum, lime.
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Once settled on the sediment-water interface unreacted sites in the WP-1™ matrix will continue to remove additional N and P from the water column and also act as a sediment capping agent, inhibiting the diurnal and seasonal fluxes of N and P that occur between the sediments and the overlying water column.
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WP-1™ treatments can be targeted to achieve sustained reductions in soluble P concentrations.