Biorefinery paradigm in wastewater management: resource recovery from aerobic granular sludge systems

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Wastewater is no longer considered a pollutant to be treated and discharged, rather it has become a valuable source of renewable energy, clean water and more importantly raw material. Thus, wastewater treatment plants are presently being designed as wastewater-resource factories (WRF) inserted into circular cities to achieve sustainability. The proposed collaboration with Prof. André Bezerra dos Santos (Federal University of Ceará, Brazil) seeks to build Canadian capacity in the recovery of value-added products from aerobic granular sludge treating municipal wastewater, thus facilitating the transition to a circular economy. This collaboration will also train highly qualified personnel (HQP) in critical areas relating to resource recovery. At the end of the training, the HQP will obtain salient skills such as critical thinking, laboratory experimental design, bioreactor operation, wastewater and biomass analyses, system controls and performance analyses, project management, and scientific communication (presentations and technical writing) skills. Long-term impacts of this collaboration may include ground-breaking advances in wastewater treatment plant design and result in the adoption of WRF. The collaboration will focus on sustainable practices in wastewater management that will reduce impacts on the environment and enhance economic prosperity in Canada and beyond. It will provide outstanding opportunities for gaining new knowledge from the international collaborator on resource recovery protocols and sustainable practices in the wastewater management industry that can be utilized in Canadian facilities. Resource recovery will open a new market for economic success and create a competitive advantage for local wastewater management industries. By helping Canada maximize its resource recovery potential, the proposed research will greatly contribute to Canada's efforts in environmental protection and sustainability. The expertise developed will facilitate the development of highly trained HQP who will contribute in significant ways to the Canadian workforce.