Sustainable biological solutions for treatment of industrial wastewaters

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The long-term objective of the research program is to develop sustainable solutions for the treatment of Canadian industrial wastewaters, focusing on small systems that are not easily treatable. An additional focus is using technologies that not only treat the wastewater, but consume less energy, are economical and will produce energy from the wastes.***Over the last 30 years, there have been significant improvements in the treatment of municipal and some industrial wastewaters. The majority of these treatment processes require the addition of oxygen as an electron acceptor and convert the organic materials in the waste to CO2. In this research, the organic materials present in the wastewater are considered a rich source of energy rather than a waste to be disposed of. In fact, many industrial waste streams contain high strength organic compounds that should be viewed as resources. Examples include most food processing waste streams, winery wastewater and fruit processing wastewater. ***In addition to the contaminants in wastewaters, seasonality and variable or low flows are impediments to designing typical wastewater treatment plants for these industries. In many cases, the wastewaters are not treated or are discharged to a local municipality for treatment. Municipalities struggle to treat these wastewaters because they use treatment processes designed for low strength municipal wastewater and not for high strength industrial wastewater. The short-term objectives covered by this proposal involve studies for the development of processes for the conversion of high strength winery wastewater and fruit processing wastewater to energy in the form of methane, hydrogen or electricity.***The research is unique in that the focus is on the treatment of small industrial wastewaters relevant to the Canadian economy. The research includes the fundamental development of the basic principles governing these systems and the application of the systems to wastewater treatment. The focus on energy production from these waste streams is also unique. The methane or hydrogen produced can either be used by the producers to fuel their own generators, for heating, or be sold to fuel providers. The electricity produced can similarly be used by the facility or sold to the grid. ***The benefits of this research to the Canadian economy and environment are multifold. As one example, the winery industry in Canada contributes $6.8 billion in revenues to the Canadian economy. It supports 31,000 employees and attracts more than 3 million tourist visitors each year. The wastewater from this industry can be extremely harmful to the environment if left untreated and is an untapped source of energy. This research will help Canadians change the waste into a resource, protecting the environment at the same time. At least 20 HQP will be trained in this research including 2 Ph.D. and 3 Masters students. **