Collaborative Research: NSF-BSF: Mainstream deammonification by ion exchange and bioregeneration via partial nitritation/anammox

传统的污水处理厂（WWTPs）旨在去除有害微生物，有机物和氮和磷等营养物质。他们使用物理，化学和生物处理过程的组合来实现这一目标。最近的研究已经确定，称为部分亚硝化和厌氧氨氧化（PN/A）的综合生物工艺可以去除氮，同时降低能源成本甚至产生能源。然而，家庭废水中氨的浓度太低，不能支持进行PN/A工艺所需的微生物的生长。该项目的目标是开发一种新的系统，以创造运行PN/A工艺所需的条件。为了实现这一目标，一个跨学科的研究团队将汇集他们的知识和资源，使用低成本的天然矿物离子交换（IX）材料（称为沸石）来改进PN/A工艺。这些将结合起来开发IX-PN/A反应器，为PN/A微生物的生长创造条件。然后，研究小组将调查和优化有利于IX-PN/A工艺的反应堆操作条件。该项目的成功完成将通过开发下一代可持续污水处理厂的新设计造福社会。通过学生培训和教育，包括从宾夕法尼亚州和佛罗里达的社区学院和代表性不足的群体招募和指导学生，将进一步造福社会。日益严格的营养物排放限制和对能源消耗的担忧推动了从能源密集型废水处理厂（WWTPs）向更可持续的能源积极资源回收设施的转变。综合部分亚硝化和厌氧氨氧化（PN/A）就是这样一种工艺，它有可能显著降低传统污水处理厂的能耗和碳足迹。然而，家庭废水中氨的浓度太低，使得进行PN/A工艺所需的微生物无法繁殖。本项目的目标是发展推进PN/A工艺在传统污水处理厂中的实施所需的基本知识。为了实现这一目标，研究小组将离子交换（IX）与PN/A过程结合起来，以创造改善PN/A过程动力学所需的微环境。这将通过使用新的沸石基生物膜载体结合新的生物反应器设计和操作策略来实现，以推进IX-PN/A工艺。 该项目的具体研究目标是：1）评估反应器配置和操作条件对IX-PN/A性能的影响; 2）使用基因组学和分子工具研究PN/A微生物的协同代谢过程; 3）使用X射线显微断层扫描（microCT）表征附着生长生物膜中的流动和反应性运输。该项目的成功完成具有潜在的变革性影响，通过开发新的知识，将减少污水处理厂中使用的生物营养物去除过程的碳足迹，以管理氮排放引起的富营养化和健康问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to remove harmful microorganisms, organic matter, and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. They achieve this using a combination of physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes. Recent research has established that the integrated biological process called partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) can remove nitrogen while reducing energy costs or even producing energy. However, the concentration of ammonia in domestic wastewater is too low to support the growth of the microorganisms required to carry out the PN/A process. The goal of this project is to develop a novel system to create the conditions needed to run the PN/A process. To achieve this goal, an interdisciplinary team of researchers will pool their knowledge and resources to improve the PN/A process using low-cost naturally occurring mineral ion exchange (IX) material called zeolite. These will be combined to develop IX-PN/A reactors to create conditions for the growth of PN/A microbes. The team will then investigate and optimize the reactor operating conditions that favor the IX-PN/A process. Successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development of new designs for next-generation sustainable WWTPs. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student training and education including the recruitment and mentoring of students from community colleges and underrepresented groups in Pennsylvania and Florida. Increasingly stringent nutrient discharge limits and concerns with energy consumption have driven a shift from energy-intensive wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to more sustainable energy positive resource recovery facilities. Integrated partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) is one such process that has the potential to enable significant reductions in the energy consumption and carbon footprint of conventional WWTPs. However, the concentration of ammonia in domestic wastewater is too low for the microorganisms required to carry out the PN/A process to flourish. The goal of this project is to develop the fundamental knowledge required to advance the implementation of the PN/A process into conventional WWTPs. To achieve this goal, the research team will couple ion exchange (IX) with the PN/A process to create the microenvironment needed to improve the kinetics of the PN/A process. This will be achieved using new zeolite-based biofilm carriers in conjunction with novel bioreactor designs and operational strategies to advance the IX-PN/A process. The specific research objectives of this project are to: 1) evaluate the effects of reactor configuration and operating conditions on the performance of the IX-PN/A; 2) investigate the synergistic metabolic processes of the PN/A microorganisms using genomics and molecular tools; and 3) characterize flow and reactive transport in attached-growth biofilms using X-ray microtomography (micro CT). Successful completion of this project has potential for transformative impact through the development of new knowledge that will reduce the carbon footprint of biological nutrient removal processes used in WWTPs to manage eutrophication and health issues caused by nitrogen discharge.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.