Development of an annamox process for mining effluents

开发以臭氧为前处理的部分硝化(PN)/厌氧氨氧化技术是这项为期两年的NSERC联盟任务赠款项目提案的主要目标。该工艺使用一种特殊的BioCAST生物反应器，由于成本、能源消耗和固体废物产生显著降低，该反应器具有从魁北克金矿废水中去除氨氮的潜在可行性。对矿业公司来说，氮和其他成分的高污染水平以及高盐度尤其成问题。其主要目标是：(1)研究同步去除金矿含氮污染物的PN/Anammox工艺的潜在应用；(2)评估使用臭氧微泡进行的前处理；(3)培训高素质的矿水管理人员；(4)加强采矿和水务行业与学术界之间的合作，以使脱氮工艺得以采用。该项目是Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.、Concordia、UQAT和BioCAST Systems之间的合作，旨在为未来在采矿业就业培训HQP(本科、硕士和博士后水平)。该项目在试点规模上包括以下阶段：(1)废水的表征；(2)微泡臭氧预处理的评价；(3)基于PN/Anammox的处理系统的评价；(4)与生物处理系统相结合的预处理评价；(4)确定影响已开发处理系统的性能和运行的重要因素；(5)该工艺系列的技术、环境、社会和经济评估，以便将其纳入公司现有的金矿场地废水处理。水处理系统将使矿业公司能够降低运营成本以及能源和污泥需求，提高水再利用的潜力，保护环境，并改善其环境做法和公众形象。这些研究方向将有助于并促进在加拿大和国际上理解水-能源关系的综合方法。

The development of partial nitrification (PN)/Anammox-based technology with ozonation as a pre-treatment is the main objective for this two-year project proposal for a NSERC Alliance Mission grant. The process uses a special BioCAST bioreactor that is a potentially viable ammonia nitrogen removal from gold mine wastewater in Quebec due to significantly lower costs, energy consumption and solid waste generation. High levels of contamination with nitrogen and other components and high salinity are particularly problematic for mining companies. The main objectives are to: (1) investigate the potential application of PN/Anammox process for simultaneous removal of nitrogen-based contaminants from gold mine, (2) evaluate pre-treatment using ozone microbubbles, (3) train highly qualified personnel (HQP) in mine water management and (4) strengthen the collaboration between the mining and water industries and academia to enable adoption of the nitrogen removal processes. The project is a collaboration between Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., Concordia, UQAT and BioCAST Systems for the training of HQP (undergraduate, Masters, and post-doctoral levels) for future employment in the mining industry. The project includes the following phases at pilot scale: (i) Characterization of the wastewater effluents; (ii) evaluation of an ozonation pre-treatment with microbubbles; (iii) evaluation an PN/Anammox-based treatment system; (iv) evaluation of a combined pretreatment with the biological treatment system dentification of important factors influencing the performance and operation of the developed treatment system, and (v) technical, environmental, social and economic assessment of this process train for its incorporating into the company existing wastewater treatment at active gold mine sites. The water treatment systems will enable the mining companies to reduce operating costs as well as energy and sludge requirements, improve the potential for water reuse, protect the environment and enable the improvement of their environmental practices and their public image. These research orientations will contribute and foster an integrated approach for understanding the water-energy nexus in Canada and internationally.