GOALI: WERF: WRF: Mainstream Nitritation and Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate Synthesis in a Next-generation Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)

项目负责人姓名：Erik R. CoatsProposal Number: 1705728从废物中回收资源已经被提倡了几十年。废水工业和废水工业内部目前正在提倡加强资源回收；为了强调资源价值，污水处理厂（WWTPs）甚至被重新命名为水资源回收设施（wrrf）。与资源回收过程相关的是需要提高WRRF的效率，特别是在能源利用和氮(N)和磷(P)的去除方面。该项目将加深对WRRFs中细菌如何将氨转化为亚硝酸盐的理解和认识；通过在亚硝酸盐处停止生物反应（与更传统的完全转化为硝酸盐相反），可以实现节能。pi将在实现废水N和p的最大生物去除的背景下研究这一过程。作为对废水营养物去除研究的补充，将进行调查，以回收废水碳作为商业上可行的塑料；这一资源回收备选方案可以提高水资源循环基金的总体经济效益。该研究项目将由两名研究生与一名环境工程教授和一名实践工程师共同参与；综合经验将为学生提供废水资源回收系统分析和设计的深度和广度。本项目将解决以下研究问题：(i)带硝化的缺氧后生物营养物去除（BNR）：必须应用什么操作条件来维持这种富集和维持硝化？硝化后缺氧BNR过程的稳健/弹性如何？在持续的硝化作用下，硝化杆菌和硝化螺旋菌的相对种类是什么？在亚硝酸盐氧化菌（NOB）存在的情况下，主流硝化作用是如何持续的？（ii）聚羟基丁酸-共戊酸酯（PHBV）合成：碳/电子途径（特别是三羧酸循环（TCA）循环和PHBV合成）之间的相互作用如何影响混合微生物联合体（MMC）如何最大化挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）转化为PHBV？在最大PHBV合成条件下，这些相互作用与底物添加/本体溶液VFA浓度之间的关系是什么？代谢组学数据如何为工艺操作提供信息？以下假设解决了研究问题：(1)硝化杆菌对硝化螺旋菌的富集可以维持稳定和弹性的主流硝化，通过控制曝气周期可以实现有针对性的富集和结果（硝化）。(2)通过控制PHBV间歇式反应器中本体溶液VFA浓度，可以实现VFA向PHBV的最大转化。这项研究将产生知识来推进一项新技术，从而通过可持续的生物手段更可靠地实现氮和磷的去除，同时减少能源足迹。与城市和工业伙伴的合作将通过对实验室和中试规模操作的严格审查来实现对研究的适当审查。

PI Name: Erik R. CoatsProposal Number: 1705728Resource recovery from waste has been advocated for decades. Intensified resource recovery is now being advocated by and within the wastewater industry; wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have even been re-branded as water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in an effort to emphasize resource value. Linked with resource recovery processes is the need to improve WRRF efficiency -- specifically in the use of energy and removal of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This project will advance a deeper understanding and knowledge of how bacteria present in WRRFs convert ammonia to nitrite; by stopping the biological reaction at nitrite (in contrast to the more conventional conversion fully to nitrate), energy savings can be realized. The PIs will investigate this process within the context of achieving maximum biological removal of wastewater N and P. Complementing the wastewater nutrient removal research, investigations will be conducted to recover wastewater carbon as a commercially viable plastic; this resource recovery alternative could enhance the overall economics of WRRFs. The research project will engage two graduate students with both an environmental engineering professor and practicing engineers; the combined experience will provide students with significant depth and breadth in the analysis and design of wastewater resource recovery systems.This project will address the following research questions: (i) Post-anoxic biological nutrient removal (BNR) with nitritation: What operational conditions must be applied to sustain this enrichment and maintain nitritation? How robust/resilient is the nitritating post-anoxic BNR process? What is the relative speciation of Nitrobacter spp. and Nitrospira spp. under sustained nitritation, and how is mainstream nitritation sustained with nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) present? (ii) Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) synthesis: How do interactions between carbon/electron pathways (in particular the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle and PHBV synthesis) affect how mixed microbial consortia (MMC) maximize volatile fatty acid (VFA) conversion to PHBV? What is the relationship between these interactions and substrate addition/bulk solution VFA concentrations under maximum PHBV synthesis conditions? How can metabolomics data inform process operations? The following hypotheses address the research questions: (1) Stable and resilient mainstream nitritation can be sustained with an enrichment of Nitrobacter spp. over Nitrospira spp. The targeted enrichment and outcome (nitritation) can be achieved through the control of the aeration period. (2) By controlling bulk-solution VFA concentrations in the PHBV batch reactor, maximum conversion of VFAs to PHBV can be achieved. This study will generate knowledge to advance a new technology such that enhanced N and P removal can be more reliably accomplished through sustainable biological means with a reduced energy footprint. Collaboration with the city and an industrial partner will achieve proper vetting of the research through critical review of laboratory and pilot-scale operations.