Innovative technologies for controlling dissolved methane and nitrogen in anaerobic wastewater treatment

能源安全和可持续性成为近期亟待解决的重大问题，推动了能源回收废水处理在环境科学和工程领域的发展和应用。例如，沼气回收厌氧处理稀释废水由于其能量中性和可持续性，近年来得到了广泛的研究。然而，厌氧废水处理有两个主要挑战：(1)溶解甲烷的积累；(2)没有氮控制；磷可以很容易地用混凝剂去除。排入水体的大量溶解甲烷特别有可能成为气候变化的重要贡献者。缺乏氮素控制会污染水体(例如富营养化)，威胁水生生物和人类健康。遗憾的是，目前还没有正在进行的研究活动，以解决同时去除厌氧废水处理废水中溶解的甲烷和氮的问题。拟议的战略项目赠款旨在开发同时控制溶解的甲烷和氮气的新技术，并减少相关的环境影响并加快实施。 为了迅速推进可持续、低成本和高能效的厌氧废水处理系统，该项目的近期目标是与AMEC合作，开发并制作去除溶解甲烷和氮的技术原型，用于新建或现有的污水处理厂。从长远来看，目标是将这些技术扩展到更广泛的工程系统(污泥、动物粪便和食物垃圾)，并进一步加强对溶解甲烷和氮气排放的缓解。在未来5-10年内，加拿大和其他发达国家的能源回收厌氧废水处理将大幅增加。在接下来的三年里，该项目将注入实现可持续、经济的废水处理所需的关键技术、知识和专家，同时确保加拿大的环境保护和公众健康。

Energy security and sustainability become a significant issue to be addressed in the near future, which drives the development and application of energy-recovering wastewater treatment in environmental science and engineering field. Methane-recovering anaerobic treatment for dilute wastewater, for example, has been extensively studied in recent years due to its energy neutrality and sustainability. However, there are two main challenges of anaerobic wastewater treatment: (1) accumulation of dissolved methane, and (2) no nitrogen control; phosphorus can be readily removed with coagulants. Mass quantities of dissolved methane discharged into water bodies have particularly strong potential to become a significant contributor to climate change. Lack of nitrogen control can pollute water bodies (e.g., eutrophication), threatening aquatic life and human health. Unfortunately, there are currently no research activities underway to address the simultaneous removal of dissolved methane and nitrogen from anaerobic wastewater treatment effluent. The proposed Strategic Project Grant aims to develop novel technologies that will control dissolved methane and nitrogen simultaneously and reduce related environmental impacts and accelerate their implementation. In an effort to swiftly advance sustainable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient anaerobic wastewater treatment systems, the near term goals of the project are to develop and prototype technologies of removing dissolved methane and nitrogen for application in new or existing sewage treatment plants in collaborations with AMEC. In the longer-term, the aim is to extend these technologies to a broader range of engineering systems (sludge, animal manure, and food waste) and further enhance mitigation of discharging dissolved methane and nitrogen. Energy-recovering anaerobic wastewater treatment will substantially increase in Canada and other developed countries in the next 5-10 years. Over the next three years, this project will inject key technology, knowledge, and experts needed to achieve sustainable, economical wastewater treatment, while ensuring environmental protection and public health in Canada.