Characterization of optimal running parameters for the inactivation of enteric bacteria by electrocoagulation in a novel wastewater treatment unit

在偏远地区或缺乏安全管理废物的必要基础设施的地区，废水处理是一项重大挑战。化学处理或通过运输去除废水可能会非常昂贵。在这些地区，废物通常只是未经处理或倾倒在露天坑里。这些垃圾场如果选择不当，可能会对地下水造成污染。粪便微生物，特别是细菌，是主要的污染物，因为它们很容易迁移到地下水中。食用粪便细菌是一种健康风险，因为它可以引起轻微到严重，甚至致命的疾病。解决远程或紧急废水处理问题的一种方法是使用可在现场部署的移动处理单元。为了显著去除或破坏人类粪便中的大量粪便微生物，Swift环境设备有限公司设计了一种基于电凝技术的移动污水处理装置。电絮凝在废水处理中有成功应用的历史。Swift环境设备公司引入了新颖的专利设计元素，使该系统易于携带，但仍能处理大量废水。阿尼亚·乌尔里希博士（阿尔伯塔大学）与斯威夫特环境设备有限公司建立了合作伙伴关系，以评估该废水处理装置灭活粪便细菌的能力。此次合作的目标是确定模型系统中用于灭活粪便细菌的最佳电凝参数，并将其与应用实际废水条件时的单元性能进行比较。成功确定最佳处理参数将允许Swift环境设备有限公司建立一个失活动力学数据库，该数据库将用于优化和排除便携式装置的废水处理性能。

Treatment of wastewater is a significant challenge in remote areas, or those that lack the necessary infrastructure to safely manage waste. Chemical treatment or removal of wastewater by transport can be prohibitively expensive. In such areas, waste is often simply left untreated or dumped into open pits. These dump sites, if incorrectly chosen, pose a risk to groundwater contamination. Fecal microorganisms, specifically bacteria, are the primary contaminant of concern as they can easily migrate into groundwater. Consumption of fecal bacteria is a health risk as it can cause mild to severe, and even fatal, illness. A solution to the problem of remote, or emergency, wastewater treatment is to use a mobile treatment unit that can be deployed on-site. To significantly remove or destroy the large numbers of fecal microorganisms found in human waste, Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. has designed a mobile wastewater treatment unit based on electrocoagulation technology. Electrocoagulation has a demonstrated history of successful use in wastewater treatment. Swift Environmental Equipment has introduced novel proprietary design elements that allow this system to be portable, yet still treat substantial volumes of wastewater. Dr. Ania Ulrich (University of Alberta) has established a partnership with Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. to assess the ability of this wastewater treatment unit to inactivate fecal bacteria. The objectives of this collaboration are to determine the optimal electrocoagulation parameters for inactivation of fecal bacteria in a model system, and to compare this to the performance of the unit when actual wastewater conditions are applied. Successful identification of optimal processing parameters will allow Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. to construct a database of inactivation kinetics, which will be used to optimize and troubleshoot wastewater treatment performance of the portable unit.