Cost-effective granular sludge-based process for distillery wastewater treatment and reuse

酿酒业是世界上用水最密集、污染最严重的行业之一。由此产生的蒸馏废水具有极高浓度的有机污染物和固体。将未经充分处理的酿酒厂废水排放到环境中对生态系统和水生物种产生负面影响。目前，由于酿酒厂废水中污染物的复杂性，没有一种单一的经济高效的酿酒厂废水处理工艺。本研究旨在开发具有成本效益的蒸馏废水处理策略。具体而言，研究团队将开发强大的综合处理，利用颗粒污泥生物反应器实现能量回收，减少营养物质，并从酿酒厂废水中水的再利用。刘博士实验室开发的生化和分子工具将应用于提高颗粒污泥中微生物在各种操作条件下的物理化学和生物特性和活动的知识。这些活动将使我们能够评估生物降解机制，并为未来全面、具有成本效益的实施提供指导。

The distilleries industry is among the most water-intensive and polluting industries in the world. The resulting distillery wastewater has an extremely high concentration of organic contaminants and solids. Discharge of insufficiently treated distillery wastewater into the environment has a negative impact on ecosystems and aquatic species. Currently, there is no single distillery wastewater treatment process that is cost-effective and energy-efficient, due to the complex nature of contaminants in distillery wastewater. This study aims to develop cost-effective treatment strategies for distillery wastewater. Specifically, the research team will develop robust integrated treatment using granular sludge-based bioreactors to achieve energy recovery, nutrients reduction, and water reuse from distillery wastewater. The biochemical and molecular tools developed in Dr. Liu's laboratories will be applied to advance the knowledge of the physicochemical and biological properties and activities of the microorganisms in granular sludge under various operation conditions. These activities will enable us to evaluate biodegradation mechanisms and provide guidance for future full-scale, cost-effective implementation.