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

能源安全与可持续性已成为未来环境科学与工程领域亟待解决的重要问题，这将推动能源回收废水处理技术的发展与应用。例如，稀废水的甲烷回收厌氧处理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，厌氧废水处理存在两个主要挑战：(1)溶解甲烷积累；(2)无氮控制；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一个重要因素。缺乏氮控制会污染水体（如富营养化），威胁水生生物和人类健康。不幸的是，目前还没有开展研究活动来解决同时去除厌氧废水处理出水中的溶解甲烷和氮的问题。拟议的战略项目赠款旨在开发同时控制溶解甲烷和氮的新技术，减少相关的环境影响并加速其实施。

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.