Development of anammox and anoxic-aerobic granular biomass for advanced wastewater treatment at low temperatures

加拿大的废水处理厂面临着监管压力，要求其在现有基础设施内以最低的资本成本升级到脱氮除磷。通过实现能源独立和减少碳足迹来降低运营成本还有额外的压力。两种可以促进这些目标的新工艺是拟议研究的主题：主流部分硝化/厌氧氨氧化(PN/A)和缺氧-好氧颗粒污泥(AGS)。提出了采用PN/A工艺处理温度低、氨氮浓度低、泉水稀释量大的城市污水。该工艺特别适用于配备厌氧污泥消化器的工厂，这些工厂的污泥脱水侧流(高温、高氨、低流量)已在成熟的PN/A工艺中进行处理，例如Guelph on或计划中的温尼伯北部工厂。欧盟早期的全规模主流PN/A工艺试验证实了该工艺有显著的节能和化学节约潜力，但发现了具有一致造粒和工艺稳定性的重大未解决问题。这项研究(2名博士生和2名理科学生)将专注于改善低温和氨环境下的颗粒状PN/A生物量和生物膜的形成，以适应城市污水处理的条件，并将在温尼伯北工厂进行，那里伴随着城市污水产生高浓度温暖的侧流。在具有附着和悬浮生物量的混合系统中，将对颗粒和生物膜之间的生物多样性进行比较，从而得出在可变条件下进行工艺优化的标准。将量化从侧流到主流PN/A的生物强化。*欧盟开发的AGS工艺用于专有的序批式反应器模式，以大约40%的资本成本、土地需求和能源使用来处理主流污水。由于是专有的，加拿大顾问没有可用的设计指南，因为有报告称，现有设施存在长期启动问题和颗粒剥离。AGS工艺从未用于连续流程。由于加拿大的工厂大多是连续流的，因此本研究旨在开发一种连续流AGS工艺。两个博士和三个理科学生将专注于有益的应激源以连续模式诱导颗粒化，以及开发生物膜形成潜力和生物膜强度的标准程序。此外，将评估标准设计参数并将其传达给利益攸关方，以鼓励AGS在北美的扩散。这项工作将在温尼伯西部工厂和计划中的石河IL工厂的好氧颗粒污泥设施进行。*工程顾问和市政当局正在热切地等待结果，这些结果应该会促进这两项改变加拿大范式的技术的使用。********

Wastewater treatment plants in Canada are under regulatory pressure to upgrade to nitrogen and phosphorus removal with minimized capital cost and within existing infrastructure. There is additional stress to lower operational costs by achieving energy independence and decreasing carbon footprint. Two new processes that can facilitate these goals are subject of the proposed research: main stream partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) and anoxic-aerobic granular sludge (AGS). ***Application of the PN/A process to treat municipal sewage, which has low temperature and low ammonia concentration with large dilute spring flows, is proposed. The process is particularly applicable to plants with anaerobic sludge digesters where sludge dewatering sidestream (high temperature, high ammonia, low flow) is already treated in a well-established PN/A process, such as in Guelph ON or planned Winnipeg North plant. Early full scale mainstream PN/A process experiments in EU confirmed potential of the process for significant energy and chemical savings but revealed significant unsolved problems with consistent granulation and process stability. This research (2 PhD and 2 BSc students) will focus on improvement of granular PN/A biomass and biofilm formation in low temperature and ammonia environments to tailor the process to conditions of municipal wastewater treatment, and will take place at the Winnipeg North plant, where high concentration warm sidestream is generated along with municipal wastewater. Biodiversity will be compared between the granules and biofilm in hybrid systems with attached and suspended biomasses leading to criteria for process optimization under variable conditions. Bio-augmentation from side- to main-stream PN/A will be quantified.***The AGS process developed in EU is used in a proprietary sequencing batch reactor mode, treating mainstream at some 40% reduction of capital costs, land requirements and energy use. Being proprietary, there are no design guidelines available to Canadian consultants amidst reports of prolonged start-up problems and degranulation in existing installations. The AGS process has never been used in continuous flow. As Canadian plants are mostly continuous flow the research aims to develop a continuous flow AGS process. Two PhD and 3 BSc students will focus on beneficial stressors inducing granulation in continuous mode as well as developing standard procedures for biofilm formation potential and biofilm strength. Further, standard design parameters will be evaluated and communicated to stakeholders in order to encourage the proliferation of AGS in N. America. The work will be conducted at the Winnipeg West plant and the planned Aerobic Granular Sludge Facility at Rock River IL plant. ***Engineering consultants and municipalities are eagerly waiting for results which should facilitate the use of these two paradigm-changing technologies in Canada. ********