Biofilm and immobilized cell technologies: treatment of canadian wastewaters using advanced treatment systems

污水处理厂对加拿大自然水域的急性毒性影响最常见的原因是高浓度氨的释放。因此，氨已被列入2010年加拿大联邦政府拟议的国家污水质量标准的受管制污染物清单。氨在加拿大天然水中以高浓度释放，因为它在寒冷的温度下抵制传统污水处理厂的生物去除。这项研究计划致力于优化一种前景看好的高级处理技术的性能，该技术能够全年去除加拿大废水中的氨。在加拿大的处理条件下，考察了温度、生物载体类型和流体动力学对移动床生物反应器(MBBR)处理系统性能的影响。此外，拟议的研究计划将使用最先进的分子和显微技术来表征操作参数与生物膜形态、生物质生态和生物量分布的相互作用。生物膜和生物量将直接在生物载体上进行分析，使用新的协议将质量损失降至最低，并保留原位视角。研究分为三个阶段：(I)研究低温和暴露时间对MBBR系统中生物膜、生物量和硝化动力学的影响；(Ii)研究固定膜和包裹生物载体对低温下MBBR系统中生物膜、生物量和硝化动力学的影响；(Iii)研究低温下MBBR系统中水动力对生物膜、生物量和硝化动力学的影响。预计结果将为工程师和从业者提供设计和操作指南。从事拟议研究的学生将对环境工程有深刻的基础了解，他们将获得先进的分析技能，他们将产生先进废水处理系统的设计和运行方面的专业知识，这些系统对加拿大和世界的环境工程的未来具有关键意义。

Acute toxicity effects on Canadian natural waters from wastewater treatment plants are most commonly caused by the release of high concentrations of ammonia. Ammonia has consequently been included in the list of regulated pollutants in the 2010 Federal Government of Canada proposed national effluent quality standards. Ammonia is released in high concentrations in Canadian natural waters because it resists biological removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants at cold temperatures. This research program endeavours to optimize the performance of a promising advanced treatment technology capable of year-round ammonia removal in Canadian wastewaters. The effects of temperature, bio-carrier type and hydrodynamics on the performance of the cost efficient moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) treatment system will be investigated under Canadian treatment conditions. Furthermore, the proposed research program will use state-of-the-art molecular and microscopic techniques to characterize the interactions of operational parameters and biofilm morphology, ecology of biomass and the distribution of the biomass. The biofilm and biomass will be analyzed directly on the bio-carriers using novel protocols that minimize loss of mass and preserve in-situ perspectives. The research program is comprised of three phases: (i) characterize the effects of cold temperature and exposure time on biofilm, biomass and the kinetics of nitrification in MBBR; (ii) characterize fixed film and encapsulated bio-carrier effects on biofilm, biomass and the kinetics of nitrification in MBBR systems at cold temperatures; and (iii) characterize hydrodynamic effects on biofilm, biomass and the kinetics of nitrification in MBBR systems at cold temperatures. The results are anticipated to provide both design and operational guidelines for engineers and practitioners. The students working on the proposed research will generate a strong fundamental understanding of environmental engineering, they will acquire advanced analytical skills and they will generate expertise in the design and operation of advanced wastewater treatment systems that are of key significance to the future of environmental engineering in Canada and the world.