An evaluation of membrane aerated biofilm reactor technology in anabling shortcut nitrogen removal

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Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are the primary stressors that pollute lakes, drinking water wells, streams and wetlands. Most stressors come from human activities and through municipal and home sewage systems. Thus, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are required to remove carbon and nutrients prior to their discharge to water bodies. Typically, WWTPs employ conventional activated sludge process for the treatment of domestic wastewater. This process involves using microorganisms for removing organic matter and nutrients and requires addition of oxygen to get it done. The process consumes a substantial amount of electrical energy from fossil fuels to drive the conversion. The process also generates a great amount of sludge and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide gases during various biological conversions of organic and nitrogenous matters present in domestic wastewater. The goal of this project is to develop membrane reactor biofilm reactor enabled shortcut nitrogen removal process. The technology makes use of gas transfer membrane to selectively transfer oxygen to the biological process by diffusion. The technology has been developed for wastewater application. Early technology development focused for total nitrogen removal through conventional nitrification-denitrification processes. This proposal evaluates a new process that makes the use of the technology to enable nitrogen removal at significantly higher intensity and lower energy input/ The research integrates innovative processes and technologies and a simulation platform. Results from this research will contribute towards clean technology development for wastewater.