Advancing aerobic granular sludge for sustainable wastewater treatment

目前，一种范式正在发生转变，废水处理被视为**可持续地恢复营养物质、生物能源和清洁水的机会，同时保护人类和环境健康。**大温哥华污水处理和排污区(Metro**Vancouver)运营的几个废水处理厂将在未来十年进行基础设施升级。为了实现可持续发展目标，温哥华大都会正在寻求实施新的方法，从液体废水中回收能量和营养物质，作为其综合液体废物和资源管理计划的**部分。好氧颗粒污泥(AGS)是一种新兴的生物处理技术，可以显著减少污水处理厂的占地面积，因此是一种潜在的生物技术，可以提供温哥华地铁污水的二级处理。**然而，传统的AGS是一个耗能的过程，而且会导致温室气体排放。为了**帮助温哥华大都会的资源回收目标，该项目将研究AGS**技术的新应用，该技术结合微藻以降低能源成本，同时隔离二氧化碳和**营养物质。这项研究将通过以下方式为基于藻类的AGS可持续处理温哥华都市生活污水的潜力提供新的理解：(1)评估促进AGS内微藻共培养的最佳策略；(2)确定最佳的生物反应器操作策略，以改善藻类-AGS系统对生物养分的去除；以及(3)估计通过将微藻共培养到AGS中来降低曝气成本，从而为**废水处理节省的潜在能源。这项研究的**结果将为温哥华大都会未来污水处理厂扩大藻类-AGS新工艺的战略提供依据，以**实现可持续的生物能源和养分回收。

Currently, a paradigm shift is underway in which wastewater treatment is being viewed as an opportunity to**sustainably recover nutrients, bioenergy, and clean water, all while protecting human and environmental health.**Several wastewater treatment plants operated by the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (Metro**Vancouver) are due for infrastructure upgrades in the coming decade. To meet sustainability objectives, Metro**Vancouver is seeking to implement new approaches to recover energy and nutrients from liquid wastewater as**part of their Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is an**emerging biological treatment technology that can significantly reduce land footprints of wastewater treatment**plants, and thus is a potential biotechnology to provide secondary treatment of Metro Vancouver's wastewater.**Yet, conventional AGS is an energy-consuming process, and can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. To**assist with Metro Vancouver's resource recovery goals, this project will examine a new application of AGS**technology that incorporates microalgae to reduce energy costs while also sequestering carbon dioxide and**nutrients. This research will provide new understanding on the potential of algal-based AGS for sustainable**treatment of Metro Vancouver's domestic wastewater by: (1) evaluating the optimal strategy to promote the**co-cultivation of microalgae within AGS; (2) identifying optimal bioreactor operating strategies to improve**biological nutrient removal by the algal-AGS system; and (3) estimating potential energy savings for**wastewater treatment from reduced aeration costs with the co-cultivation of microalgae into AGS. The**outcomes of this research will provide a basis to inform strategies for scaling-up the new algal-AGS process for**sustainable bioenergy and nutrient recovery at Metro Vancouver's future wastewater treatment plants.