IASON – INTELLIGENT ACTIVATED SLUDGE OPERATED

BY NANOTECHNOLOGY

Fleit, E. and Melicz, Z. (BUTE)Zrínyi, M., Filipcsei, G. and László,

K. (BUTE)Dékány, I. and Király, Z. (SZTE)

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Department of Sanitary & Environmental

Engineering

Problem exposition Problem exposition (colloids vs wastewater (colloids vs wastewater

treatment)treatment) Do we know enough (from each other)?Do we know enough (from each other)? State-of-the-art in wastewater treatmentState-of-the-art in wastewater treatment „„High-tech low-tech” dilemmasHigh-tech low-tech” dilemmas Hungarian contextHungarian context One new idea in old environment – One new idea in old environment –

IASONIASON ResultsResults ConclusionsConclusions Innovation chain (lessons learned)Innovation chain (lessons learned)

Do we have mutual Do we have mutual problems?problems?

Dissolved Colloidal Quasi-colloidal Settleable Particle size (µm) <0,08 0,08-1,0 1-100 >100

Organic material (%) COD 25 15 26 34 TOC 31 14 24 31

Grease 12 51 24 19 Protein 4 25 45 25

Carbohydrate 58 7 11 24 Rate of

oxidation 0,39 0,22 0,09 0,08

Definitely we do…

A typical colloid problem: A typical colloid problem: foaming and scum (cream) foaming and scum (cream)

formation (on full scale)formation (on full scale)

URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE (HUNGARY):UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS

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100

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Access to sewerageAccess to sewerage

Access to sewerage including population living Access to sewerage including population living on sewered areas but not using this serviceon sewered areas but not using this service

Access to public water supplyAccess to public water supply

PPopulation supplied by public taps located opulation supplied by public taps located along streetsalong streets

% of the total population

Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 1990

Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 2003

Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 2015

Hungarian Wastewater Master Plan: Hungarian Wastewater Master Plan: strategy with dilemmas strategy with dilemmas

Scheduling (scenarios) Cost efficiency (taking EU technologies without adoption) Emissions and water quality impacts

Long-term (but hidden) links Long-term (but hidden) links between wastewater treatment between wastewater treatment

and colloid sciencesand colloid sciences Late lessons from early Late lessons from early

warnings…warnings… Colloid size substrates (foams, Colloid size substrates (foams,

creams, emulsions, etc.) creams, emulsions, etc.) Colloid size reactants (biofilm, Colloid size reactants (biofilm,

ESP, activated sludge flocs, etc.)ESP, activated sludge flocs, etc.) Kinetic and financial problemsKinetic and financial problems

Starting point – Starting point – a key element in biological a key element in biological

wastewater treatment remains wastewater treatment remains uncontrolleduncontrolled

Suspended cell bioreactors Suspended cell bioreactors (activated sludge systems)(activated sludge systems)

Particle size distribution ?Particle size distribution ? Diffusion limitation ?Diffusion limitation ? Ratio of floc and filament Ratio of floc and filament

former bacteria ?former bacteria ? Technological functions ?Technological functions ?

A novel concept - IASONA novel concept - IASONI – I – IntelligentIntelligentA – A – Artificial Artificial S – S – SludgeSludgeO – O – Operated byOperated byN - N - NanotechnologyNanotechnology

An example: the Bardenpho process

AnaerobicAnoxicOxic

Raw wastewater

Treatedeffluent

IASON process control

Project objectivesProject objectives Control and design of floc size Control and design of floc size

distribution and settleability distribution and settleability (density) (density)

Control of substrate and electron Control of substrate and electron acceptors (Oacceptors (O2 2 and/or NOand/or NO33) within the ) within the flocfloc

Biofilm formation Biofilm formation (nitrification/denitrification)(nitrification/denitrification)

Direct regulation of technological Direct regulation of technological functions in microscopic dimensions functions in microscopic dimensions by nanotechnology (microreactor by nanotechnology (microreactor development)development)

Wastewater bacteria on microscopic carrier materials (PVA-PAA/starch) (biofilm development after 1 week)

100 m

A

The first step: immobilization on designed microreactors

Immobilization with adsorption Ionic bounds Covalent bounds Cross-linking Matrix entrapment Microcapsulation Combined methods Heterotrophic bacteria

(South-Pest WWTP) onPVA-PAA hydrogels (400x)

Growth of selected (technological aims) bacteria on hydrogels

Nitrifying bacteria100x

Budapest Sewerage Works

Comparative respirometric experiments (AS and IASON)

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 Days

Cum

ulat

ed O

2 con

sum

ptio

n (m

g/l)

Activated sludge (mixed culture)Colonizated PVA-PAA

days

Cum

mul

ativ

e O

2 con

sum

ptio

n (m

gO2) Activated sludge

Colonized PVA-PAA

Nitrification efficency of biomass grown on PVA-PAA gels

Continuous upflow reactor

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4050

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0 5 10 15 20 Days

Nitr

ifica

tion

effic

ienc

y (%

) PVA-PAA 1PVA-PAA 2PVA-PAA 3

days

Nitr

ifica

tion

effic

ienc

y (%

)

Development of active microreactors

1. day 2. week 3. week

Functioning of autotrophic system (upon 3 weeks of biofilm developmen)

Nyers

Nyers

Nyers

Nyers

Tisztított

Tisztított

Tisztított

Tisztított0

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35

NH3-N NO2-N NO3-N oP

7,4

7,6

7,8

8

8,2

8,4

8,6

8,8

1

mg/l

NH4-N NO2-N NO3-N oP pH

8,8

8,6

8,4

8,2

8,0

7,8

7,6

7,4

Nyers

Tisztított

IASON - future nanotechnological design objectives

Establishment of microscopic size reactors (contolled gradients)

Solid carrier material (hydrogel)

SubstrateOxygen

Aerobic layer

Anaerobic/anoxic layerEnd-product

Conclusions

„„Traditional” technologies/pollutantsTraditional” technologies/pollutants Changes of wastewater composition (rapid)Changes of wastewater composition (rapid) New type of pollutantsNew type of pollutants Conceptual change and novel opportunitieConceptual change and novel opportunitie Nano- and biotechnologyNano- and biotechnology Design of wastewater compositionDesign of wastewater composition Professional background (R+D and Professional background (R+D and

education)education)