Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Phosphorus Removal to Oligotrophic Levels: Innovating Three High-Flow Water Technologies using Reactive Filtration, Biochar Adsorption, and Nanobubble-Enhanced Biomimetic Separations
EPA Grant Number: R840087Title: Phosphorus Removal to Oligotrophic Levels: Innovating Three High-Flow Water Technologies using Reactive Filtration, Biochar Adsorption, and Nanobubble-Enhanced Biomimetic Separations
Investigators: Möller, Gregory , Strawn, Daniel , Baker, Martin
Institution: University of Idaho
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023 (Extended to August 31, 2024)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2022 through August 31,2023
Project Amount: $999,996
RFA: Approaches to Reduce Nutrient Loadings for Harmful Algal Blooms Management (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water , Harmful Algal Blooms , Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention , Water Quality
Objective:
The objectives are 1) life cycle assessment (LCA) and technological economic analysis (TEA) of reactive filtration water treatment systems; 2) advancing a novel biochar water treatment process for phosphorus adsorption onto biochar for removal and recovery from wastewater effluents; and 3) development of an advanced, high-flow particle separations technology based on biological and natural processes for removal of nutrients from treated waters.
Progress Summary:
Life cycle assessment of a municipal wastewater facility achieving ultralow phosphorus removals.
We have developed an advanced wastewater treatment system that uses a combination of biochar and iron-ozone catalytic oxidation to effectively remove pollutants from wastewater. This technology can remove 90-99% of total phosphorus (TP) and effectively eliminate micropollutants. Furthermore, the biochar generated in the process can be used as a soil amendment to capture carbon from the atmosphere and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.
In this work, we conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of this system, focusing on factors like Global Warming Potential, Freshwater Eutrophication, Marine Eutrophication, and Mineral Resource Scarcity. The results showed that the pilot-scale system, when using biochar, has a negative carbon footprint, meaning it removes more carbon from the environment than it emits. This carbon negativity is largely attributed to the use of biochar. In a modeled larger-scale Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) system, similar benefits were observed. The LCA study demonstrates a dose dependent carbon negativity for this advanced water treatment process.
Our study includes a stochastic technoeconomic analysis (TEA) to determine the cost of implementing this technology at scale. The cost was found to be relatively low, making it a promising and environmentally friendly solution for advanced wastewater treatment and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
We observe that this biochar water treatment system not only effectively removes pollutants from wastewater but also contributes to carbon capture and reduction, making it a valuable and sustainable approach for water treatment.
Reactivity of biochar for phosphorus removal and recycling in water treatment.
We explored the molecular science of iron amended biochar for removing phosphorus from wastewater. A biochar water treatment process could help improve the quality of surface water and recycle the recovered phosphorus as a fertilizer. We investigated how adding iron to different types of biochar and activated carbon affected their ability to capture phosphorus and found that a biochar made from cow manure with added ammonia had the highest phosphorus removal capacity, followed by activated carbon, and then a biochar made from coniferous forest biomass. Adding iron to the biochars increased their phosphorus removal abilities, but the effect varied depending on the type of biochar.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to analyze the molecular interactions of phosphorus and iron on biochars. The results showed that the unmodified biochar contained calcium phosphate minerals, while the iron-modified biochars showed a different type of phosphorus bonding with the biochar material. In terms of phosphorus release, the unmodified coniferous biomass biochar released more phosphorus compared to the cow manure biochar, but iron modification reduced phosphorus release in the former and slightly increased it in the latter.
Overall, this research provides essential insights for using biochar in wastewater treatment and recycling it as a slow-release soil fertilizer. It demonstrates that modifying biochars with iron can enhance their ability to capture phosphorus and prevent its release, which has potential applications in environmental and agricultural contexts.
Bubble enhanced filtration for biochar water treatment aiding carbon negative nutrient removal and recovery
Work exploring novel approaches fine bubble fractionation is currently being addressed in the design and development of a 10-gpm parallel treatment train using two difference approaches to accomplish nutrient recovery and simplification of highly polluted waste streams. Key process controls and system integration engineering is continuing. These technologies are mounted on a 40 ft trailer for field operations that will begin in November 2023 during the no-cost extension year of this project.
Biochar water treatment field pilot-scale studies.
The integration of biochar into hydrous ferric oxide reactive filtration (Fe-BC-RF) with and without catalytic ozonation is a promising method for advanced water treatment. Our research aimed to assess the performance of our novel, patented biochar water treatment process through laboratory and field pilot-scale experiments. In synthetic lake water tests, the process effectively removed 94-98% of total phosphorus from the water. In field pilot-scale studies using municipal water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) effluents, the process removed 84-99% of total phosphorus. Additionally, the recovered biochar showed potential for sustainable phosphorus recycling, and greenhouse studies are underway. When combined with Fe-ozone catalytic oxidation in the WRRF field studies, the biochar water treatment process achieved >90% removal of micropollutants, addressing important concerns for human health and environmental water quality.
Our novel, patented water treatment technique known as iron-ozone catalytic oxidation (CatOx) was explored for its potential to tackle challenging wastewater pollutants. This study involves the application of ozone, sand filtration, and iron metal salts to create an advanced water treatment technology. This process effectively removes micropollutants and pathogens from the water, offers efficient phosphorus removal and recycling for soil improvement, and can operate in an environmentally friendly, carbon-negative manner when biochar is incorporated. The results from pilot and full-scale studies indicate that it can remove over 95% of many harmful pollutants and significantly reduce bacterial contaminants. Furthermore, the integration of biochar makes the process carbon negative. Overall, these findings at the pilot scale and at full scale suggest that this water treatment method is effective and ready for further testing and optimization in advanced wastewater treatment applications.
Future Activities:
- Continued biochar water treatment process modification, characterization, and enrichment process with protocol development targeting phosphorus adsorption to develop a mechanistic understanding of biochar modification process impacts at a bench scale and in pilot processes.
- Continuing ISO compliant LCA analysis on related process innovations contributing to nutrient reduction and mitigation of harmful algae blooms exploring climate, environmental health, water quality and social impacts.
- Continued exploration of carbon negative advanced water treatment using biochar.
- Continued comparative development of two additional 10 gpm pilot scale separations technologies using nano/micro bubble fractionation and physical simplification of complex wastes streams.
- Continued greenhouse trials with recovered nutrient-loaded biochar materials.
- Sustainability surveys development and coordination for AL, MN, and MA reactive filtration operations analysis are ongoing.
Journal Articles on this Report : 6 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 8 publications | 6 publications in selected types | All 6 journal articles |
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Baker M, McCarthy D, Taslakyan L, Henchion G, Mannion R, Strawn D, Moller G. Iron-ozone catalytic oxidation reactive filtration of municipal wastewater at field pilot and full-scale with high-efficiency pollutant removal and potential negative CO(2)e with biochar. Water Environmental Research 2023;95(5):e10876. |
R840087 (2021) R840087 (2023) |
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Yu P, Baker M, Crump A, Vogler M, Strawn D, Moller G. Biochar integrated reactive filtration of wastewater for P removal and recovery, micropollutant catalytic oxidation, and negative CO2e: process operation and mechanism. Water Environmental Research 2023;95(9):e10926. |
R840087 (2022) R840087 (2023) |
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Taslakyan L, Baker MC, Shrestha DS, Strawn DG, Möller G. CO2e footprint and eco‐impact of ultralow phosphorus removal by hydrous ferric oxide reactive filtration: a municipal wastewater LCA case study. Water Environment Research 2022;94(8):e10777. |
R840087 (2023) |
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Taslakyan L, Baker MC, Strawn DG, Möller G. Biochar‐integrated reactive filtration of wastewater for P removal and recovery, micropollutant catalytic oxidation, and negative CO2e: life cycle assessment and techno‐economic analysis. Water Environment Research 2023;95(12):e10962. |
R840087 (2023) |
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Anderson M, Durgesh V, Baker M, Yu P, Möller G. Biomimetic crossflow filtration with wave minimal surface geometry for particulate biochar water treatment. PLOS Water 2023;2(1):e0000055. |
R840087 (2023) |
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Strawn DG, Crump AR, Peak D, Garcia-Perez M, Möller G. Reactivity of Fe-amended biochar for phosphorus removal and recycling from wastewater. PLOS Water 2023;2(4):e0000092. |
R840087 (2023) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Biochar, reactive filtration, biomimicry, water treatment, nutrients, phosphorusRelevant Websites:
Dept of Soil and Water Systems - University of Idaho Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.