Exploitation of Raman spectroscopy as an investigative tool for MBBR biofilm treatment systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

New federal wastewater effluent regulations restricting the discharge of four deleterious constituents from treatment plants have been recently implemented across Canada. Biological treatment is the most common and economical means of wastewater treatment. In particular, biofilm wastewater treatment technologies offer a cost effective and low footprint technology that has demonstrated a strong promise of meeting the new stringent federal regulations in Canada. Biofilms consist of live cells, a substratum and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that form the immediate environment for the cells. We propose to apply Raman spectroscopy to investigate the physicochemical makeup of the biofilm, and ultimately relate it to the efficiency of the wastewater treatment.