Treating wastewater with ultrasound

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After 5 years of research, a research team led by Professor Nies from the Saarland University of Technology in Hamburg, Germany, has finally discovered a new method for treating wastewater using ultrasound. In the past, using microorganisms to treat wastewater and sludge that severely polluted the environment often failed to resolve the problem completely, forcing the use of expensive chemical treatment methods that could cause further pollution. Using ultrasound to treat wastewater and sludge is not only inexpensive but also does not cause any environmental pollution. According to Professor Nais, ultrasonic waves are almost completely inaudible to the human ear; they cause intense reactions in wastewater, generating large bubbles that eventually burst on their own. Tests have shown that ultrasound can generate temperatures of 5000°C and extremely high pressures in wastewater, killing even the most persistent harmful organisms; it also breaks down pollutants, with the remaining waste being completely eliminated by microorganisms. Nais also pointed out that low-frequency ultrasound is particularly suitable for purifying filtered sludge, while medium-frequency ultrasound is suitable for breaking down harmful chemicals such as pesticides. Speaking about this unique research, Nies revealed that the world’s first device for purifying sludge and wastewater using ultrasound has been in use for two years in the city of Bad Bramstedt. Currently, Germany is developing larger ultrasound-based purification systems, with the ultimate goal of handling the 60 million tons of sludge and wastewater generated in the country each year.