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Living Machine is a trademark and brand name for a patented form of ecological sewage treatment designed to mimic the cleansing functions of wetlands.〔Living Machine Systems, L3C, http://www.livingmachines.com. "Factsheet: Tidal Wetland Living Machine System -- Description and Scientific Basis." http://www.livingmachines.com/images/uploads/resources/tidal_wetland_living_machine_technology_description.pdf. Retrieved 2011-8-18.〕 Similar to Solar Aquatics Systems,〔Maple Reindeers Group. (Ontario Science Centre Solar Aquatics System ).〕 the latest generation of the technology is based on fixed-film ecology and the ecological processes of a natural tidal wetland, one of nature’s most productive ecosystems.〔United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Importance of Wetlands." http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/aquatic/importance.html. Retrieved 2011-8-18〕〔Water and Wastewater Plant Directory. (NEB Solar Aquatic System )〕 The diversity of the ecosystem produced with this approach allows operational advantages over earlier generations of Living Machines and over conventional wastewater treatment technologies.〔Living Machine Systems, L3C, http://www.livingmachines.com. "Creating a Sustainable Water Infrastructure for the 21st Century" whitepaper. Kirksey PE, Will. Retrieved 2011-8-18.〕 The Living Machine system was commercialized and is marketed by Living Machine Systems, L3C, a social benefit corporation based in Charlottesville, Va. The trademark Living Machine is owned by Dharma Group, LC, the parent company of Worrell Water Technologies.〔United States Patent and Trademark Office. "Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval" page. http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76264897. Retrieved 2011-8-18.〕 The Living Machine is an intensive bioremediation system that can also produce beneficial byproducts, such as reuse-quality water, ornamental plants and plant products—for building material, energy biomass, animal feed. Aquatic and wetland plants, bacteria, algae, protozoa, plankton, snails and other organisms are used in the system to provide specific cleansing or trophic functions. The tidal process operates outdoors in tropical and temperate climates. In colder climates, the system of tanks, pipes and filters may be housed in a greenhouse to prevent freezing and raise the rate of biological activity. The initial development of the technology in the United States is generally credited to Dr. John Todd, the internationally renowned ecological designer, and evolved out of the bioshelter concept developed at the now-defunct New Alchemy Institute. The Living Machine system falls within the emerging discipline of ecological engineering, and many systems using earlier generations of the technology are built without being dubbed a Living Machine. ==Design theory== The scale of Living Machine systems ranges from the individual building to community-scale public works. Some of the earliest Living Machines were used to treat domestic wastewater in small, ecologically-conscious villages, such as Findhorn Community in Scotland,.〔(Ecovillage Findhorn: Biological Waste Water Treatment )〕 Some treated the mixed municipal wastewater for semi-urban areas, such as South Burlington, Vermont (this plant closed recently).〔http://www.epa.gov/owmitnet/mtb/living_machine.pdf〕 The latest-generation Tidal Flow Wetland Living Machines are being used in major urban office buildings, military bases, housing developments, resorts and institutional campuses.〔McNair, Dave. ("The Tao of Poo: Can Worrell's Green Sewage System Save Water and Planet?" ) ''The Hook''. June 11, 2009. Retrieved 2011-9-24.〕 Each system is designed to handle a certain volume of water per day, but the system is also tailored for the qualities of the specific influent. For example, if the influent contains high levels of heavy metals, ecological wastewater treament systems must be designed to include the proper biota to accumulate the metals.〔Todd, Nancy J. 2005, A Safe and Sustainable World: The promise of Ecological Design. Island Press, Washington D.C.〕 During the “spring cleaning” season, there may be high levels of bleach in the water. This sudden concentration of a toxin is an example of a ''steep gradient''. *''Steep gradients'' are drastic changes in conditions throughout the system that challenge the ecosystem to become resilient and stable.〔Todd, John and B. Josephson. “The Design of Living Technologies for Waste Treatment.” Ecological Engineering 6 (1996) 109-136.〕 A well-designed treatment system requires little management, so managers may intentionally create abrupt environmental or biochemical changes to promote ecosystem self-regulation. This mimics nature’s power and trains the ecosystem to adapt to influent variations. *Designers seek to increase the surface area of contact that biota have with the sewage to promote high reaction rates. When organisms have ready access to the sewage, they can treat it more thoroughly. *Ecological wastewater treatment systems are cellular, as opposed to monolithic, in design. If influent volume or makeup changes, new cells can be added or omitted without halting or disturbing the ecosystem. *Photosynthetic plants and algae are important for oxygenating water, providing a medium for biofilms, sequestering heavy metals and many other services. Species diversity is a design goal that promotes complexity and resiliency in an ecosystem. Functional redundancy (the presence of multiple species that provide the same function) is an important example of the need for biodiversity. Snails and fish filter sludge and act as diagnostics; when a toxic load enters, snails will rise above the water level on the wall of the tank. *The micro-ecosystem of a Living Machine system can be integrated with the macro-ecosystem just as ecosystems fade into one another naturally. This connection is commonly made with an outdoor constructed or natural wetland into which the effluent flows. Some living machines are partially or completely open to the outdoors, and this promotes interaction with the surrounding environment.〔Todd, John and B. Josephson. “The Design of Living Technologies for Waste Treatment.” Ecological Engineering 6 (1996) 109-136.〕 ''The above points are an incomplete synthesis of a .'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Living machine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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