Grantee Research Project Results

Nitrogen Removal Efficiency of Anammox-based Granular Sludge with Archaea and its Potential Applications in Mainstream Wastewater Treatment

EPA Grant Number: FP917811
Title: Nitrogen Removal Efficiency of Anammox-based Granular Sludge with Archaea and its Potential Applications in Mainstream Wastewater Treatment
Investigators: Cogert, Kathryn Isabel
Institution: University of Washington
EPA Project Officer: Lee, Sonja
Project Period: September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2018
Project Amount: $132,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (2015) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships

Objective:

To determine optimal growing conditions for AOA and anammox at ambient temperature (15°C) and microaerophilic (very low) oxygen levels in compact granules resulting in an operational stable ammonium removal performance and low ammonium effluent concentrations.
To develop dynamic (time-varying) granular mathematical models to describe removal processes and concentrations of individual species (AOA, NOB, AOB, anammox) within the granule. The resulting insights will help optimize the experimental design of reactor set-up, and the design of adequate control strategies

Approach:

An AOA culture and knowledge of how to grow these bacteria are available are in Dave Stahl’s lab at the UW and available to this research. This culture and knowledge of how to grow these bacteria will be available to this research. Anammox granules without AOBs are available in the Winkler lab, offering an ideal starting point to grow AOA and Anammox together. The granular sludge reactor is also available through the Winkler lab. DO, pH, and ammonium will be measured online. LabVIEW and a Compact RIO will control DO (with mass flow controllers for air and N2 gas) and pH (simple acid/base control). Nitrite and nitrate will be analyzed offline by spectrometry. Volatile suspended solids will be determined by dried and ash biomass content. The granules will be analyzed for their microbial population with molecular visualization tools such as fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH), and by quantification techniques like qPCR, and with metagenomics to understand competition effects.

Expected Results:

A robustly operating lab-scale reactor will be the first step in bringing this exciting technology to wastewater treatment plants. Mathematical models developed and experimental data collected from the reactor will be invaluable in designing a pilot mainstream anammox & AOA biological nitrogen removal system.

Supplemental Keywords:

anammox, ammonium oxidizing archea, biological nitrogen removal, granular sludge

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.