IRFP: Inactivation of Pathogens and Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Novel Treatment Processes for Source-Separated Urine in Durban, South Africa

国际研究奖学金计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行9到24个月的研究。该项目的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，并提供了使用国外独特或互补的设施、专业知识和实验条件的机会。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室和化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统分部的环境工程项目共同资助。该奖项将资助Heather N.Bischel博士与Tamar Kohn博士在瑞士洛桑的洛桑联邦理工学院(EPFL)和南非德班的夸祖鲁-纳塔尔大学合作的为期24个月的研究奖学金。在这个项目中，对病原体的灭活和对选定的痕量关注有机物(TROCS)的去除进行了评估，以评估尿液循环系统的安全性和优化设计参数。尿液回收系统的主要目标是增加获得卫生设施的机会，回收有价值的营养物质以产生收入，并保护人类和环境健康。通过瑞士的瑞士联邦水产科学技术研究所(Ewag)和南非德班的eThekwini水与卫生设施(EWS)合作的“VUNA”项目，正在开发几项收集和处理尿液分流干式厕所(UDDT)中储存的尿液以生产肥料的技术。该国际研究奖学金奖项将支持Heather N.Bischel博士与洛桑联邦理工学院(EPFL)的Tamar Kohn博士合作。将在EPFL与夸祖鲁-纳塔尔大学协调，在德班进行实地部分的研究。该项目利用VUNA的技术专长来了解病原体的灭活和痕量有机污染物的去除过程，并模拟污染物在尿液循环系统和尿液衍生肥料中的命运。将对在德班运行的试点规模的尿液循环反应器进行现场分析，以与实验室模拟的污染物去除过程进行比较。作为扩大集中式污水处理系统的替代方案，服务于德班的市政府在城市周边地区安装了约90,000个UDDT。目前，这些UDDT将尿液从源头分离出来，分流到浸泡坑，粪便在添加灰烬或沙子后收集在储藏室中烘干。然而，对于这个系统，单独收集的尿液可以被处理，而不是被处理，以恢复营养并生产尿液衍生肥料。除了引入一种潜在的收入来源外，回收养分以供再利用还可以降低废流中的磷和氮浓度，从而减少环境污染。尿液衍生肥料和反应堆流出物中的病原体和细菌可能会影响最终产品的质量或感知质量。最终，该项目将有助于改进尿液回收技术的设计，以达到尽可能最佳的卫生标准。

The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct nine to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering and by the Environmental Engineering Program in the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems Division. This award will support a twenty-four-month research fellowship by Dr. Heather N. Bischel to work with Dr. Tamar Kohn at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland and University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. In this project, the inactivation of pathogens and removal of select trace organic chemicals of concern (TrOCs) are assessed to evaluate the safety and optimize design parameters of urine recycling systems. The primary goals of urine recycling systems are to increase access to sanitation, recover valuable nutrients for revenue generation, and protect human and environmental health. Several technologies to collect and treat stored urine from urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) to produce fertilizers are under development through the "VUNA" project, a collaborative effort between the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) in Switzerland and eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) in Durban, South Africa.This International Research Fellowship Program award will support Dr. Heather N. Bischel to work with Dr. Tamar Kohn at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Research will be conducted at EPFL, with field components in Durban in coordination with the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The project leverages technological expertise from VUNA to develop an understanding of pathogen inactivation and trace organic contaminant removal processes and to model the fate of contaminants in urine recycling systems and urine-derived fertilizers. Field analysis for pilot-scale urine recycling reactors operating in Durban will be conducted for comparison to laboratory-modeled contaminant removal processes.As an alternative to an expanded centralized sewerage system, the municipality that serves Durban installed approximately 90,000 UDDTs in the city's peri-urban areas. Currently these UDDTs separate urine at the source for diversion to soak pits, and feces are collected in vaults for drying following the addition of ash or sand. For this system, however, separately collected urine could be processed, rather than disposed, to recover nutrients and produce urine-derived fertilizers. In addition to introducing a potential source of revenue, recovery of nutrients for reuse also lowers phosphorous and nitrogen concentrations in the waste stream, thus reducing environmental contamination. Pathogens and TrOCs in the urine-derived fertilizer and reactor effluent may impact the quality, or perceived quality, of end products. Ultimately, this project will contribute to the design of improved urine recycling technologies to achieve the best possible hygiene standards.