Glycol Treatment
Glycol is used by many industries throughout the world. Most often glycol-contaminated effluents must be recovered and/or treated before being released to the environment. Two groups that have to deal with glycol recovery on a regular basis are airports and companies in the oil and gas industry.
Tthe Kickuth Organization has designed and built two systems for treatment of glycol. 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.
Glycol is used at most major northern airports to de-ice aircraft prior to their departure in cold weather conditions. As such, it is an essential element of airport safety and substantial quantities are used (approximately 400 liters per typical large jet). However, glycol also poses serious
threats to the environment and regulatory authorities have recently increased collection and treatment requirements at airports and are imposing large fines for failure to comly.
Kickuth BioReactorTM systems manage and treat glycol at Schonefeld airport in Berlin, Germany and Zurich Airport in Switzerland. Influent Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentrations exceeding 5000 mg/l are reduced to less than 75mg/l. The glycol system has proven to be economical to construct and maintain.
