Energy Efficient Wastewater TreatmentEmily Gonthier & Jennifer Lawrence
April 30, 2018
• ReNUWIt
• What is it?
• Our Partnership through ReNUWIt
• Research
• Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
• Anammox
• Broader Impacts
Outline
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ReNUWIt – REU Program
Summer 2015 – Emily joins the lab group as an REU, with Jennifer as her mentor
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ReNUWIt – REU Program
Summer 2015 – Emily joins the lab group as an REU, with Jennifer as her mentor
Fall 2016 – Emily joins the lab group as a PhD student!
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Oxygen-demanding substances
BOD 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Oxygen-demanding substances
BOD 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Pathogens Fecal Coliform105 – 108
CFU/mL500 CFU/mL
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Oxygen-demanding substances
BOD 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Pathogens Fecal Coliform105 – 108
CFU/mL500 CFU/mL
NutrientsNitrogen 30 – 50 mg/L varies
Phosphorus 20 – 40 mg/L varies
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Oxygen-demanding substances
BOD 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Pathogens Fecal Coliform105 – 108
CFU/mL500 CFU/mL
NutrientsNitrogen 30 – 50 mg/L varies
Phosphorus 20 – 40 mg/L varies
Additional chemicals
- - -
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Municipal Wastewater Treatment 101
Raw Sewage Characteristics
Pollutant ParameterInfluent
ConcentrationTreatment
Requirement
Solids TSS 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Oxygen-demanding substances
BOD 100 – 350 mg/L 30 mg/L
Pathogens Fecal Coliform105 – 108
CFU/mL500 CFU/mL
NutrientsNitrogen 30 – 50 mg/L varies
Phosphorus 20 – 40 mg/L varies
Additional chemicals
- - -
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Nitrogen Removal Technologies 101
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Nitrogen Removal Technologies 101
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Nitrogen Removal Technologies 101
• Nitrification
• Denitrification
Conventional Nitrogen Removal
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Nitrogen Removal Technologies 101
• Nitrification
• Denitrification
Conventional Nitrogen Removal
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Anammox / Deammonification
• Partial nitritation
• Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)
The Anammox Process
Strengths
Decreased aeration demands• 60% reduction in energy consumption
Decreased organic carbon demands• 90% reduction in waste biomass
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
Reduction in N2O emissions
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The Anammox Process
Strengths Weaknesses
Decreased aeration demands• 60% reduction in energy consumption
Decreased organic carbon demands• 90% reduction in waste biomass
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
Slow growth rate• Long start-up periods
Sensitivity to reactor conditions• Instability
• Periodic Failures
Reduction in N2O emissions Bacteria not yet isolated
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The Anammox Process
Strengths Weaknesses
Decreased aeration demands• 60% reduction in energy consumption
Decreased organic carbon demands• 90% reduction in waste biomass
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
Slow growth rate• Long start-up periods
Sensitivity to reactor conditions• Instability
• Periodic Failures
Research Goal: Utilize insights from microbiology to understand and improve the functionality of the anammox process
Reduction in N2O emissions Bacteria not yet isolated
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Laboratory-Scale Anammox Bioreactor
Operating Conditions
• Influent:• Synthetic wastewater
• ArCO2
• Reactor:• Volume: 1L
• Temperature: 37°C• HRT: 12-48 hours
• SRT: 50 days
1L Membrane Bioreactor
NH4+
NO2-
HCO3-
N2
NO3-
biomass
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Operating Conditions
• Influent:• Synthetic wastewater
• ArCO2
• Reactor:• Volume: 1L
• Temperature: 37°C• HRT: 12-48 hours
• SRT: 50 days
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Laboratory-Scale Anammox Bioreactor
Time (days)
Nit
rog
en R
emo
val R
ate
(NR
R) (
g N
/L·d
)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
NRR
Bioreactor Performance
10
Time (days)
Nit
rog
en R
emo
val R
ate
(NR
R) (
g N
/L·d
)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
NRR
Bioreactor Performance
10
Time (days)
Nit
rog
en R
emo
val R
ate
(NR
R) (
g N
/L·d
)
16S Sample
Metagenome Sample
NRR
Bioreactor Performance
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0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Next Steps
• Verify hypotheses with batch experiments.
• Identify strategies to deal with carbon fluctuations at the
wastewater treatment plant.
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Questions?