Electrochemically assisted biotechnologies for resource recovery from organic fraction of municipal solid waste

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Organic wastes make up approximately 40 percent of the residential solid waste generated in Canada. Most of the municipalities in Canada set a target to divert the organic waste from landfill due to various adverse environmental effects including emission of greenhouse gases. Hence, there has been a growing interest in sustainable technologies for organic waste treatment. The proposed research will investigate emerging electrochemically assisted biotechnologies, such as electro-assisted digester, and microbial electrochemical cell (MXC) to promote simultaneous treatment and resources recovery from the organic fraction of solid waste.To develop electrochemically assisted biotechnologies for resources recovery from organic waste, the applicant will focus on two research themes. The first research theme will focus on the understanding of the fundamentals limiting process kinetics of electro-assisted digestion for bio-methane production. The second research theme will concentrate on the engineering aspects including organic waste pre-treatment, and optimization of the electrode configuration for improving electro-assisted digestion. Furthermore, MXC will be investigated for chemical oxidant production from electro-assisted digester effluent which can potentially offset the organic waste pre-treatment cost.The proposed research integrates broad aspects of microbial electrochemistry, microbiology, and environmental biotechnology. The research methodology involves laboratory-scale experiments, advanced electrochemical techniques, design and optimization of advanced engineering concepts and bioreactors. This program will allow highly qualified personnel (HQP) to acquire hands-on experience and expertise with the advanced analytical techniques which are highly desirable in Canada, as the number of employment opportunities in bioenergy and resource recovery sectors is expected to grow substantially. The successful completion of the proposed research will significantly stimulate the diversion of organic waste from landfill. Ultimately, this research will ensure a sustainable and healthy environment for Canadians.