Study on the fate of viruses in wastewater and sludge treatment using membrane bioreactors and anaerobic digestion within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

在 COVID-19 大流行背景下，研究使用膜生物反应器和厌氧消化处理废水和污泥中病毒的命运

• 批准号: 554381-2020
• 负责人: Vaneeckhaute, Céline
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: Université Laval
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=705473
• 关键词: Study; fate; viruses; wastewater; sludge

This research aims at better understanding the fate of viruses in wastewater treatment process chains using membrane bioreactors combined with anaerobic digestion for sludge treatment within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, sampling and characterization of process flows will be performed and the impact of operational conditions on process performance will be studied. The resulting data will be used to mathematically describe virus inactivation throughout the treatment process, which may allow to optimize the design and operational settings of the technology. Moreover, membrane integrity testing will be performed to eventually identify critical control points and set critical control limits for the process chain to meet its minimum design log removal value for viruses, thereby assuring public health and safety. Following completion of this project, the partner organization, H2O Innovation, can use the results either to improve the performance of its technology regarding the removal of viruses, either to provide evidence of the technology's removal capacity and hence improve the social acceptability of their resource recovery and recycling processes. Moreover, the company will have insights in the importance of membrane integrity testing to assure public health and safety, thereby allowing to implement integrity test strategies at their existing wastewater treatment sites and as such become more competitive in the marketplace. All of this may eventually lead to significant economic benefits for H2O Innovation, as well as social, health and environmental benefits for Canada. The results produced in this study can also be of interest to other companies in Canada or abroad establishing circular economy strategies in the water and waste treatment sector, including technology providers and consultants.

本研究旨在更好地了解在COVID-19大流行的背景下，使用膜生物反应器结合厌氧消化处理污泥的废水处理工艺链中病毒的命运。为此，将对工艺流程进行取样和表征，并研究操作条件对工艺性能的影响。所得数据将用于在整个处理过程中数学描述病毒灭活，这可能允许优化该技术的设计和操作设置。此外，将进行膜完整性检测，以最终确定关键控制点，并为工艺链设定关键控制限值，以满足病毒的最低设计日志清除值，从而确保公共健康和安全。该项目完成后，合作伙伴组织H2O Innovation可利用这些成果改进其技术在去除病毒方面的性能，或提供技术去除能力的证据，从而提高其资源回收和再循环过程的社会接受度。此外，该公司将深入了解膜完整性测试的重要性，以确保公众健康和安全，从而允许在现有的废水处理场所实施完整性测试策略，从而在市场上更具竞争力。所有这些最终可能会为H2O创新带来重大的经济效益，以及加拿大的社会、健康和环境效益。本研究产生的结果也可能对加拿大或国外在水和废物处理领域制定循环经济战略的其他公司（包括技术提供商和顾问）感兴趣。