Development of cold-climate bioelectrochemical wastewater treatment systems

本研究提出了一种新的方法来推进生物电化学系统（BESs）在加拿大的废水处理知识。它将涉及(a)使用最先进的表征技术研究生物电化学处理中污染物的利用和转化，以及(b)开发适用于加拿大寒冷气候的下一代废水处理技术。虽然在过去的二十年中，BES在废水处理方面取得了进展，但由于微生物能量学、温度控制和底物可用性方面的相关限制，在可行的实施和工程应用方面还有很多需要改进的地方。本研究的目的是开发创新的BES技术，用于在寒冷气候下替代废水处理，包括微生物燃料和电解电池。这需要(a)评估BES生物膜的生物利用度、转化和去除新出现的有毒有机污染物，(b)基于揭示的机制开发高性能的寒冷气候生物降解方法，以及(c)将开发的BES技术应用于加拿大社区的原位处理。详细地说，污染物在分子水平上的转化将通过研究化学键的相关变化来检验。将开发基于原位同步加速器的分析方法，以揭示加拿大光源下BES中化合物的高分辨率化学结构。通过基于同步加速器的傅立叶变换红外技术建立分析BES中有机污染物的方法，通过光谱分析揭示相关的化学键。先进的微生物群落将通过培养在寒冷气候下保持有利反应速率的亲冷生物膜来设计。基于同步加速器的研究将支持创新生物电极材料的开发，以增强电子转移，延长耐久性，并提高寒冷气候下的处理效率。通过多因子分析，评估环境因素和操作因素对BES性能的影响，以及它们之间的交互关系，从而更好地了解相关的微生物和生物物理机制。本研究提出了一种利用BES处理废水的新方法。污染物的利用和转化将在分子水平上进行研究，以促进对污染物去除过程中相关物理和生物过程的了解。揭示的机制将有助于设计低成本的处理技术，并将资源回收作为现有方法的替代方案。开发的BES将有助于显著提高加拿大寒冷气候条件下的废水处理效率。

This research presents a novel approach to advance knowledge of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for wastewater treatment in Canada. It will involve (a) examining the utilization and transformation of contaminants in bioelectrochemical treatment using state-of-the-art characterization technologies, and (b) developing next-generation wastewater treatment technologies for applications under cold Canadian climate. While there were advances in BES for wastewater treatment in the last two decades, there is yet much to be improved towards their viable implementation and engineering application, due to the associated limitations in microbial energetics, temperature control, and substrate availability. The objective of this research is to develop innovative BES technologies for alternative wastewater treatment under cold climate, involving microbial fuel and electrolysis cells. This entails (a) assessing the bioavailability, transformation, and removal of emerging and toxic organic contaminants to BES biofilms, (b) developing high-performance cold-climate biodegradation methods based on the revealed mechanisms, and (c) applying the developed BES technologies for in-situ treatment in Canadian communities. In detail, contaminant transformation at a molecular level will be examined through investigation of the relevant variations in chemical bonds. In-situ synchrotron-based analysis methods will be developed for revealing high-resolution chemical structures of compounds present in BES at the Canadian Light Source. Approaches for analyzing organic contaminants in BES will be established through synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared technology where the related chemical bonds will be revealed through spectra analysis. Advanced microbial communities will be engineered through cultivation of psychrophilic biofilms that maintain favourable reaction rates under cold climate. The synchrotron-based research will support the development of innovative bioelectrode materials for enhancing electron transfer, extending durability, and improving treatment efficiency under cold climates. The effects of environmental and operational factors on the performance of BES, as well as their interactive relationships, will be evaluated through multi-factorial analysis, such that improved insight of the related microbiological and biophysical mechanisms will be obtained. This research presents a novel approach for wastewater treatment through BES. The utilization and transformation of contaminants will be investigated at a molecular level to advance insight of the related physical and biological processes during contaminant removal. The revealed mechanisms will aid in the design of low-cost treatment technologies with resource recovery as alternatives to supplement the existing approaches. The developed BES will help significantly improve the wastewater treatment efficiency under cold Canadian climatic conditions.