Bioremediation of mining-impacted water through combining microbes to enhance metal and nitrogen-based compounds removal

阿比提比-泰米斯卡明格学院下属的工业技术中心(CTRI)与ProBioshpere Inc.合作，修改和整合了一种新的生物方法，用于处理真实金矿废水中的氨基化合物(NBCs)。通过NSERC的Engage Grant 544634-19进行了膜生物反应器的实验室规模的初步试验，观察到了在室温下使用古生菌和硝化细菌去除氨(NH4+)和化学需氧量的良好结果，其去除效率高达95%(使用Probiere的商业化细菌联盟)。然而，膜生物反应器并不适合充分发挥细菌的潜力。事实上，将水力停留时间(HRT)降低到24小时以下时，由于总悬浮物(TSS)较高，会导致膜结垢问题。改装MBR反应器以适应实际的中试条件(高流量和低HRT)，并在矿场安装新的配置进行中试测试，将是在真实条件和较低温度下评估、验证和优化细菌效率的绝佳机会。该项目对于Probiere Inc.用于处理魁北克和加拿大矿山废水的细菌联盟的验证和随后的商业化至关重要，同时也将为CTRI提供一个加强其在该研究领域的专业知识的机会。

The Centre Technologique des Résidus Industriels (CTRI) affiliated to the College of Abitibi-Temiscamingue collaborates with Probioshpere Inc. to modify and integrate a novel biological approach for ammonia-based compounds (NBCs) treatment in a real gold mine effluent. Preliminary tests at lab-scale using Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) were carried out through NSERC's Engage Grant 544634-19 and promising results as ammonia (NH4+) and COD removal at room temperature using Archaea and nitrifying bacteria were observed with a removal efficiency up to 95% (using Probiosphere's commercialized bacterial consortium). However, the MBR configuration wasn't suitable for a full exploitation of the bacterial potential. In fact, decreasing hydraulic retention time (HRT) less than 24 hours brought up a membrane fowling problem due to high total suspended solids (TSS). Modification of the MBR reactor to be adapted to a real pilot scale conditions (high flow and low HRT) and installing the new configuration in a mine site for a pilot tests will be a great opportunity to evaluate, validate and optimize bacterial efficiency in real conditions and at lower temperatures.This project is critical for validation and subsequent commercialization of Probiosphere Inc. bacterial consortium for treating mine effluents in Quebec and Canada and will, at the same time, offer to CTRI an opportunity to strengthen its expertise in this research field.