Development of microbial electrochemical cells for hydrogen production and autotrophic denitrification

随着加拿大人口和产业的扩张，市政污水处理厂(WWTP)面临着越来越大的污染物负荷。兴建新的污水处理厂并不是一个可行的解决办法，以应付因缺乏资金或可用土地面积而增加的污染物负荷。作为另一种选择，许多地区和市政当局已经启动了针对超标工业废水的附加费计划。基本水解决方案公司(EWS)专门从事工业废水处理，已成功地将食品和饮料废水中的生化需氧量(BOD)和总悬浮固体降低到低于市政法规限制的水平。然而，一些地区和直辖市正在实施包括总氮低于100 mg/L的下水道排放规则。目前EWS已经使用的污水处理系统无法降低总氮，而潜在客户的废水总氮浓度超过100 mg/L。为了保持竞争力和扩大市场份额，EWS开发高效的生物氮化工艺是必不可少的。本研究的目的是以工业废水为电子供体，评价微生物电化学池(MECs)的产氢性能。我们将评估脱除BOD时的氢气产率及其产率。然后，对获得最高氢产率和氢气率的操作条件(施加电压和水力停留时间)进行优化。该项目的成果将使EWS能够继续开发可持续的氮控制工艺，将产氢MEC与自养反硝化工艺相结合。

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) faces increasing pollutant loads as populations and industries have expanded in Canada. Construction of new WWTPs would not be a feasible solution to deal with increasing pollutant loadings due to either a lack of funding or available land area. As an alternative, many regions and municipalities have initiated surcharge programs for overstrength industrial wastewaters. Elementary Water Solutions Inc. (EWS) that specializes in industrial wastewater treatment have successfully reduced biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids in food and beverage wastewaters below municipal bylaw limits. However, some regions and municipalities are implementing a sewer discharge bylaw including total nitrogen below 100 mg/L. Current wastewater treatment systems that EWS has worked with cannot decrease total nitrogen, while wastewaters of potential clients have total nitrogen concentration more than 100 mg/L. For EWS to keep its competitiveness and expand its market share the development of an efficient biological nitrogen process is essential. The objective of the proposed research is to evaluate hydrogen gas production with microbial electrochemical cells (MECs) using industrial wastewaters as electron donor. We will evaluate hydrogen gas yield against BOD removal and its production rate. Then, operating conditions (applied voltage and hydraulic retention time) for the highest hydrogen yield and rate will be optimized. Results of this project will allow EWS to continue development of a sustainable nitrogen control process that combines the hydrogen-producing MEC with autotrophic denitrification process.