Zurich Airport
Successful systems built using Kickuth BioReactor Technology are now operating worldwide. Of course, of interest here is the experience that the Kickuth Organization has had with the treatment of glycol at airports. Two systems have been built to date. One, at Zurich Airport in Switzerland in the mid 1990's, and the second, a full-scale system at Schonefeld Airport in Berlin, Germany, in 1996.
The Zurich system was the first reed bed installed for treatment of glycol in the world. The Schonefeld system has worked exceptionally well since installation and it continues to treat the entire glycol runoff from the airport. The treated effluent from this system (<75 mg/l COD) is discharged into a lake adjacent to the airport.
The Kickuth organization has constructed two sites for the treatment of airport runoff with glycol. These are located at Schonefeld Airport, Berlin and in Zurich Airport, Switzerland.
Attached is one graph showing performance data from the Zurich Airport. The graph shows an initial inlet concentration of 6100 mg/l COD. Outlet concentrations are shown to average 45 mg/l COD which is below the required 70 mg/l.
Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Surface area 0.5 ha
Type of Wastewater precipitation runoff with de-icing agents
Mean hydraulic capacity 70 m³/d 7,300 m³/a
Mean contamination / deicing load 120 kg C/d 12.5 t C/a
Degradation capacity 99.7%
Outflow concentration < 70 mg/l COD
Beginning of operation Spring 1995
