Innovative technologies for controlling dissolved methane and nitrogen in anaerobic wastewater treatment

能源安全和可持续发展是未来一段时间内需要解决的重要问题，这推动了能量回收污水处理技术在环境科学与工程领域的发展和应用。例如，近年来，由于其能量中性和可持续性，对稀释废水的甲烷回收厌氧处理进行了广泛研究。然而，厌氧废水处理存在两个主要挑战：（1）溶解甲烷的积累，以及（2）没有氮控制;磷可以很容易地用混凝剂去除。大量溶解的甲烷排入水体，特别有可能成为气候变化的一个重要因素。缺乏氮控制会污染水体（例如，富营养化），威胁水生生物和人类健康。不幸的是，目前还没有研究活动正在进行中，以解决从厌氧废水处理流出物中同时去除溶解的甲烷和氮。拟议的战略项目赠款旨在开发新技术，同时控制溶解的甲烷和氮，减少相关的环境影响，并加快实施。 为了快速推进可持续、经济高效和节能的厌氧废水处理系统，该项目的近期目标是与AMEC合作开发和原型化去除溶解甲烷和氮的技术，以应用于新的或现有的污水处理厂。从长远来看，目标是将这些技术扩展到更广泛的工程系统（污泥、动物粪便和食物垃圾），并进一步加强缓解溶解甲烷和氮的排放。在未来5-10年内，加拿大和其他发达国家的能量回收厌氧废水处理将大幅增加。在未来三年内，该项目将注入关键技术，知识和专家，以实现可持续，经济的废水处理，同时确保加拿大的环境保护和公共健康。

Energy security and sustainability become a significant issue to be addressed in the near future, which drives the development and application of energy-recovering wastewater treatment in environmental science and engineering field. Methane-recovering anaerobic treatment for dilute wastewater, for example, has been extensively studied in recent years due to its energy neutrality and sustainability. However, there are two main challenges of anaerobic wastewater treatment: (1) accumulation of dissolved methane, and (2) no nitrogen control; phosphorus can be readily removed with coagulants. Mass quantities of dissolved methane discharged into water bodies have particularly strong potential to become a significant contributor to climate change. Lack of nitrogen control can pollute water bodies (e.g., eutrophication), threatening aquatic life and human health. Unfortunately, there are currently no research activities underway to address the simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from anaerobic wastewater treatment effluent. The proposed Strategic Project Grant aims to develop novel technologies that will control dissolved methane and nitrogen simultaneously and reduce related environmental impacts and accelerate their implementation. In an effort to swiftly advance sustainable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient anaerobic wastewater treatment systems, the near term goals of the project are to develop and prototype technologies of removing dissolved methane and nitrogen for application in new or existing sewage treatment plants in collaborations with AMEC. In the longer-term, the aim is to extend these technologies to a broader range of engineering systems (sludge, animal manure, and food waste) and further enhance mitigation of discharging dissolved methane and nitrogen. Energy-recovering anaerobic wastewater treatment will substantially increase in Canada and other developed countries in the next 5-10 years. Over the next three years, this project will inject key technology, knowledge, and experts needed to achieve sustainable, economical wastewater treatment, while ensuring environmental protection and public health in Canada.