Download The Living Machine

The Living Machine
Vishal Mehta
Daniel Perez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oberlin_Living_Machine2.JPG
The Goal
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The goal of the “living
machine” is to convert
murky, dirty water
into crystal clear
water.
This mimics the
natural cleansing
processes that takes
place in wetlands.
The concept was
created by John Todd.
Making A Difference
http://www.livingmachines.com/
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The overall potential of this treatment
process is that it removes pollutants in water.
Unlike regular treatment plants, it doesn’t
use chlorine and filters out metals using
natural means.
How It Works
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First, sewage goes in an
anaerobic settling tank.
This is where large
particles settle to the
bottom of the reactor.
It then goes into a biofilter,
which is made of bark and
humic material. This helps
to reduce odors.
Next, the sewage moves to
aerobic tanks. It contains
photosynthetic algae that
put oxygen back in the
water.
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Organisms Used
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http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/machine.html

Bacteria are also used
for producing nitrates.
Managers have to add
calcium for these
types of bacteria to
survive.
Taller plants are also
used to isolate heavy
metals from the
environment.
Fish, snails, and clams
are also used in the
filtering procedure.
Technological Obstacles
 Bacteria
have to be kept in specific
conditions to use.
 This includes temperature, food
sources, and pressure.
 In addition to bacteria, all other
processes have to be kept in check.
Political / Economic Obstacles
 No
political or economical obstacles
exist.
 The cost of living machines actually
much less than other waste
sanitation processes by millions of
dollars.
Negative Environmental Impacts
 No
negative impacts exist as long as
the system is designed correctly.
http://www.livingmachines.com/
Bibliography
 http://www.rps.psu.edu/0009/machi
ne.html
 http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/I
nformation/LivingMachine.html
 http://www.livingmachines.com/