GOALI: WERF: WRF: Mainstream Nitritation and Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate Synthesis in a Next-generation Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)

PI姓名：Erik R. CoatsProposal编号：1705728从废物中回收资源已经提倡了几十年。强化资源回收现在被废水行业所倡导，废水处理厂（WWTP）甚至被重新命名为水资源回收设施（WRRF），以强调资源价值。与资源回收过程相关的是需要提高水资源回收利用效率-特别是在能源使用和氮（N）和磷（P）的去除方面。该项目将推进对WRRF中存在的细菌如何将氨转化为亚硝酸盐的更深入的理解和知识;通过在亚硝酸盐处停止生物反应（与更传统的完全转化为硝酸盐相反），可以实现节能。PI将在实现废水N和P的最大生物去除的背景下调查这一过程。作为对废水营养物去除研究的补充，将进行调查，以回收废水碳作为商业上可行的塑料;这种资源回收替代方案可以提高WRRF的整体经济性。该研究项目将聘请两名研究生与环境工程教授和实践工程师;相结合的经验将为学生提供显着的深度和广度在分析和设计废水资源回收系统。该项目将解决以下研究问题：（i）后缺氧生物脱氮（BNR）亚硝化：必须采用什么样的操作条件来维持这种浓缩和亚硝化？亚硝化后缺氧BNR过程的稳健性/弹性如何？什么是硝化杆菌属的相对物种。和硝化螺旋菌属（Nitrospira spp.）在持续的亚硝化下，亚硝酸盐氧化细菌（NOB）是如何维持主流亚硝化的？(ii)聚羟基丁酸-共戊酸酯（PHBV）合成：碳/电子途径（特别是三羧酸循环（TCA）循环和PHBV合成）之间的相互作用如何影响混合微生物聚生体（MMC）如何最大限度地将挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）转化为PHBV？在最大PHBV合成条件下，这些相互作用与底物添加/本体溶液VFA浓度之间的关系是什么？代谢组学数据如何为工艺操作提供信息？以下假设解决了研究问题：（1）稳定和弹性的主流亚硝化可以持续与丰富的硝化菌属。硝化螺旋体属（Nitrospira spp.）通过控制曝气时间，可以实现目标富集和结果（亚硝化）。(2)通过控制PHBV间歇反应器中本体溶液VFA浓度，可以实现VFA向PHBV的最大转化。这项研究将产生知识，以推进一项新技术，使增强的N和P去除可以通过可持续的生物手段更可靠地实现，减少能源足迹。 与城市和工业合作伙伴的合作将通过对实验室和试点规模运作的严格审查来实现对研究的适当审查。

PI Name: Erik R. CoatsProposal Number: 1705728Resource recovery from waste has been advocated for decades. Intensified resource recovery is now being advocated by and within the wastewater industry; wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have even been re-branded as water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in an effort to emphasize resource value. Linked with resource recovery processes is the need to improve WRRF efficiency -- specifically in the use of energy and removal of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This project will advance a deeper understanding and knowledge of how bacteria present in WRRFs convert ammonia to nitrite; by stopping the biological reaction at nitrite (in contrast to the more conventional conversion fully to nitrate), energy savings can be realized. The PIs will investigate this process within the context of achieving maximum biological removal of wastewater N and P. Complementing the wastewater nutrient removal research, investigations will be conducted to recover wastewater carbon as a commercially viable plastic; this resource recovery alternative could enhance the overall economics of WRRFs. The research project will engage two graduate students with both an environmental engineering professor and practicing engineers; the combined experience will provide students with significant depth and breadth in the analysis and design of wastewater resource recovery systems.This project will address the following research questions: (i) Post-anoxic biological nutrient removal (BNR) with nitritation: What operational conditions must be applied to sustain this enrichment and maintain nitritation? How robust/resilient is the nitritating post-anoxic BNR process? What is the relative speciation of Nitrobacter spp. and Nitrospira spp. under sustained nitritation, and how is mainstream nitritation sustained with nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) present? (ii) Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) synthesis: How do interactions between carbon/electron pathways (in particular the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle and PHBV synthesis) affect how mixed microbial consortia (MMC) maximize volatile fatty acid (VFA) conversion to PHBV? What is the relationship between these interactions and substrate addition/bulk solution VFA concentrations under maximum PHBV synthesis conditions? How can metabolomics data inform process operations? The following hypotheses address the research questions: (1) Stable and resilient mainstream nitritation can be sustained with an enrichment of Nitrobacter spp. over Nitrospira spp. The targeted enrichment and outcome (nitritation) can be achieved through the control of the aeration period. (2) By controlling bulk-solution VFA concentrations in the PHBV batch reactor, maximum conversion of VFAs to PHBV can be achieved. This study will generate knowledge to advance a new technology such that enhanced N and P removal can be more reliably accomplished through sustainable biological means with a reduced energy footprint. Collaboration with the city and an industrial partner will achieve proper vetting of the research through critical review of laboratory and pilot-scale operations.