Grantee Research Project Results

Biological Denitrification With a Mixed Hydrogen-Oxidizing Culture in a Membrane Reactor

EPA Grant Number: U915191
Title: Biological Denitrification With a Mixed Hydrogen-Oxidizing Culture in a Membrane Reactor
Investigators: Mansell, Bruce O.
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 1997 through October 1, 2000
Project Amount: $102,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Safer Chemicals , Fellowship - Civil Engineering

Objective:

The overall objective of this research project is to develop an efficient and selective removal technology for groundwater supplies containing high levels of nitrate.

Approach:

The development of this process will involve three areas of research: (1) the development of a mixed hydrogen-oxidizing denitrifying culture; (2) microbial characterization experiments; and (3) process-development experiments. Development of the denitrifying culture will consist of enriching the desired microorganisms from activated sludge taken from the University of California, Davis wastewater treatment plant. The microbial characterization experiments will be conducted to identify the the mixed culture using 16S rRNA oligonucleotide probes and to determine growth kinetic parameters such as the maximum specific growth rate and the half -saturation constant. Process-development experiments will include experiments to: (1) determine the maximum removal rate of the membrane system; (2) model the removal of the membrane system; and (3) determine the microbial quality of the effluent from the system.

Supplemental Keywords:

fellowship, groundwater, nitrate, denitrification, biological denitrification, mixed hydrogen-oxidizing denitrifying culture, process-development experiments, membrane reactor.

Progress and Final Reports:

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.