Development of cold-climate bioelectrochemical wastewater treatment systems

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This research presents a novel approach to advance knowledge of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for wastewater treatment in Canada. It will involve (a) examining the utilization and transformation of contaminants in bioelectrochemical treatment using state-of-the-art characterization technologies, and (b) developing next-generation wastewater treatment technologies for applications under cold Canadian climate. While there were advances in BES for wastewater treatment in the last two decades, there is yet much to be improved towards their viable implementation and engineering application, due to the associated limitations in microbial energetics, temperature control, and substrate availability. The objective of this research is to develop innovative BES technologies for alternative wastewater treatment under cold climate, involving microbial fuel and electrolysis cells. This entails (a) assessing the bioavailability, transformation, and removal of emerging and toxic organic contaminants to BES biofilms, (b) developing high-performance cold-climate biodegradation methods based on the revealed mechanisms, and (c) applying the developed BES technologies for in-situ treatment in Canadian communities. In detail, contaminant transformation at a molecular level will be examined through investigation of the relevant variations in chemical bonds. In-situ synchrotron-based analysis methods will be developed for revealing high-resolution chemical structures of compounds present in BES at the Canadian Light Source. Approaches for analyzing organic contaminants in BES will be established through synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared technology where the related chemical bonds will be revealed through spectra analysis. Advanced microbial communities will be engineered through cultivation of psychrophilic biofilms that maintain favourable reaction rates under cold climate. The synchrotron-based research will support the development of innovative bioelectrode materials for enhancing electron transfer, extending durability, and improving treatment efficiency under cold climates. The effects of environmental and operational factors on the performance of BES, as well as their interactive relationships, will be evaluated through multi-factorial analysis, such that improved insight of the related microbiological and biophysical mechanisms will be obtained. This research presents a novel approach for wastewater treatment through BES. The utilization and transformation of contaminants will be investigated at a molecular level to advance insight of the related physical and biological processes during contaminant removal. The revealed mechanisms will aid in the design of low-cost treatment technologies with resource recovery as alternatives to supplement the existing approaches. The developed BES will help significantly improve the wastewater treatment efficiency under cold Canadian climatic conditions.