Development and optimization of advanced Bioelectrochemical technology for sludge treatment and disinfection.

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This research project involving Center of Water Technology (CTE) and Kourant Inc is based on acollege-industry collaboration. Large amounts of sludge are produced annually from wastewater treatmentfacilities. Sludge poses a threat on human health due to its pathogen and heavy metal constituents andtherefore, requires appropriate treatment before dispersion into the environment. Kourant Company is looking for applications of electrochemical technology in the domain of sludge management. Finding out an advanced Bioelectrochemical technology (BioElectro) that can achieve simultaneously sludge disinfection and sludge cell lysis to increase its potential for biogas production is a unique advancement in sludge managementpractices. The BioElectro technology is a new process to treat biosolids and achieve Class A quality. Thereactor uses a low voltage gradient in conjunction with enhancers such as BioxyS and ammonium salts in orderto produce an exothermic reaction with increased ionic strength. The system achieves a high level of sludge dewatering and disinfection. This R&D project aims to demonstrate the economic and environmental interest of the innovant BioElectro technology to dewater and treat municipal sludge in continuous operation mode as well as to produce volatile suspended solids as a preparation step before anaerobic digestion. The researchproject will be structure according to the following three steps. The first activity aims to evaluate andcharacterize the Bioelectro reactor in terms of its ability to produce in situ reactive oxygen species to promote maximum disinfection and cell lysis of biosolids during scale-up essays. The second activity will consist todevelop and to optimize the BioElectro efficiency to dewater and inactivate pathogens under batch andcontinuous operation mode. The third activity was carried out to compare existing process and BioElectrotechnology to determine the most effective process (in term of cost-effective) in treating sludge. This research project will benefit from the expertise and skills of CTE researchers in environmental electro-technology and an already operational R&D infrastructure; two essential ingredients for achieving the project objectives