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Articles 1 - 29 of 29
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Stormwater: A Review Of The Dissemination Of Resistance Elements, Their Impact, And Management Opportunities, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Walter M. Mcdonald, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Stormwater: A Review Of The Dissemination Of Resistance Elements, Their Impact, And Management Opportunities, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Walter M. Mcdonald, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
The public health crisis of antibiotic resistance is a growing threat across the world that is only expected to intensify in the coming years. The cycling of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment via urban stormwater runoff is one means by which humans are exposed to resistant bacteria as traditional gray stormwater infrastructure facilitates the transport of resistance elements into water bodies utilized by the public. In this review, existing research on the occurrence of ARGs in urban stormwater runoff is critically reviewed with the goal of determining the role of stormwater in the dissemination and development of antibiotic …
Lab-Scale Data And Microbial Community Structure Suggest Shortcut Nitrogen Removal As The Predominant Nitrogen Removal Mechanism In Post-Aerobic Digestion (Pad), Fabrizio Sabba, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Eric Redmond, Mike Young, Leon Downing
Lab-Scale Data And Microbial Community Structure Suggest Shortcut Nitrogen Removal As The Predominant Nitrogen Removal Mechanism In Post-Aerobic Digestion (Pad), Fabrizio Sabba, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Eric Redmond, Mike Young, Leon Downing
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Implementing an aerobic digestion step after anaerobic digestion, referred to as “post aerobic digestion” (PAD), can remove ammonia without the need for an external carbon source and destroy volatile solids. While this process has been documented at the lab-scale and full-scale, the mechanism for N removal and the corresponding microbial community that carries out this process have not been established. This research gap is important to fill because the nitrogen removal pathway has implications on aeration requirements and carbon demand, that is, short-cut N-removal requires less oxygen and carbon than simultaneous nitrification–denitrification. The aims of this research were to (i) …
Paper Mill Sludge Biochar To Enhance Energy Recovery From Pyrolysis: A Comprehensive Evaluation And Comparison, Zhongzhe Liu, Matthew Hughes, Yiran Tong, William Kreutter, Hugo Cortes Lopez, Simcha L. Singer, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Paper Mill Sludge Biochar To Enhance Energy Recovery From Pyrolysis: A Comprehensive Evaluation And Comparison, Zhongzhe Liu, Matthew Hughes, Yiran Tong, William Kreutter, Hugo Cortes Lopez, Simcha L. Singer, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Bio-oil and pyrolysis gas (py-gas) are two pyrolysis products available for potential energy recovery. Crude bio-oil, however, is typically corrosive and unstable, requiring special combustion equipment or catalytic upgrading to produce drop-in-grade fuel. In contrast, py-gas is readily useable in standard equipment for energy recovery. Previous research revealed that Ca-impregnated biochar catalyst improved bio-oil to py-gas conversion. Biochar produced from paper mill sludge (p-sludge) has very high Ca content. In this study, the catalytic ability of p-sludge biochar was systematically evaluated for the first time in pyrolysis. P-sludge biochar resulted in higher py-gas yield (40 wt% of total pyrolysis products) …
Kinetics, Affinity, Thermodynamics, And Selectivity Of Phosphate Removal Using Immobilized Phosphate-Binding Proteins, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Erin Wells, Brooke Mayer
Kinetics, Affinity, Thermodynamics, And Selectivity Of Phosphate Removal Using Immobilized Phosphate-Binding Proteins, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Erin Wells, Brooke Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
A phosphate (Pi)-selective adsorption system featuring immobilized Pi-binding proteins (PBP) has recently attracted attention for ultralow Pi removal followed by recovery. This study investigated the adsorption kinetics, affinity, thermodynamics, and selectivity, as well as the effect of pH and temperature on Pi adsorption using immobilized PBP (PBP resin). Immobilizing PBP did not affect its Pi affinity. Kinetic studies at 22 °C and pH 7.1 showed that the PBP resin achieved 95% of its equilibrium capacity within 0.64 ± 0.2 min. The estimated Langmuir affinity constant (KL) was 21 ± 5 …
Editorial: Water Environmental Research, Brooke Mayer
Editorial: Water Environmental Research, Brooke Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
No abstract provided.
The State Of Technologies And Research For Energy Recovery From Municipal Wastewater Sludge And Biosolids, Zhongzhe Liu, Brooke Mayer, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Saba Seyedi, Arun S.K. Raju, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
The State Of Technologies And Research For Energy Recovery From Municipal Wastewater Sludge And Biosolids, Zhongzhe Liu, Brooke Mayer, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Saba Seyedi, Arun S.K. Raju, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Wastewater resource recovery facilities produce wastewater solids that offer potential for energy recovery. This opinion article provides a perspective on state-of-the-art technologies to recover energy from sludge (unstabilized wastewater residual solids) and biosolids (stabilized wastewater solids meeting criteria for application on land). The production of biodiesel fuel is an emerging technology for energy recovery from sludge, whereas advancements in pretreatment technologies have improved energy recovery from anaerobic digestion of sludge. Incineration is an established technology to recover energy from sludge or biosolids. Gasification, and to a greater extent, pyrolysis are emerging technologies well-suited for energy recovery from biosolids. While gasification …
Removal Of Estrogenic Compounds From Water Via Energy Efficient Sequential Electrocoagulation-Electrooxidation, Emily K. Maher, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Michael Dollhopf, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Removal Of Estrogenic Compounds From Water Via Energy Efficient Sequential Electrocoagulation-Electrooxidation, Emily K. Maher, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Michael Dollhopf, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
The purpose of this study was to investigate energy reduction using electrocoagulation (EC) followed by electrooxidation (EO) targeting initial removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) during EC and subsequent removal of estrogenic compounds in EO. EC offers benefits over conventional coagulation such as in situ generation of coagulant but is not practical for removing estrogenic compounds. Advanced oxidation processes, including EO, can effectively remove micropollutants such as estrogenic compounds but are hindered by the presence of bulk organic matter. This study investigated four estrogenic compounds from the U.S. EPA's Contaminant Candidate List: estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethynylestradiol …
Adsorption Of Organic Micropollutants To Biosolids-Derived Biochar: Estimation Of Thermodynamic Parameters, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Adsorption Of Organic Micropollutants To Biosolids-Derived Biochar: Estimation Of Thermodynamic Parameters, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
This research quantified thermodynamic parameters to better understand the use of wastewater biosolids-derived biochar as an adsorbent to remove micropollutants. The objective of this research was to quantify adsorption capacity; isosteric heat; and change of enthalpy, entropy, and free energy characterizing adsorption reactions between biochar and micropollutants. Adsorption isotherms were developed using a range of temperatures for the micropollutants benzyldimethyldecylammonium chloride (BAC-C10) Carbamazepine (CBZ), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), and triclosan (TCS). The thermodynamic parameters derived from the isotherm data were used to assist in characterizing binding affinity, spontaneity, and mechanisms of adsorption. More polar compounds such as BAC-C10 and CBZ …
Analysis Of Operational Parameters, Reactor Kinetics, And Floc Characterization For The Removal Of Estrogens Via Electrocoagulation, Emily K. Maher, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Joe Heffron, Jingwan Huo, Brooke K. Mayer, Yin Wang, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Analysis Of Operational Parameters, Reactor Kinetics, And Floc Characterization For The Removal Of Estrogens Via Electrocoagulation, Emily K. Maher, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Joe Heffron, Jingwan Huo, Brooke K. Mayer, Yin Wang, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Estrogenic compounds can cause human and ecological health issues and have been detected in surface and drinking water. In this research a reactor analysis determined the impact of operational parameters, the best fit kinetic model for the removal of estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) using a bench-top iron electrocoagulation reactor, and characterized the floc generated in-situ. The parameters investigated were current density, conductivity, stir rate, and polarity reversal. Estrogen removal correlated well with an increase in current density, while conductivity did not impact removal but did reduce potentials. High stir rates and frequent polarity reversal …
Comment On “Patented Blunderings, Efficiency Awareness, And Self-Sustainability Claims In The Pyrolysis Energy From Waste Sector”, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer, Zhongzhe Liu
Comment On “Patented Blunderings, Efficiency Awareness, And Self-Sustainability Claims In The Pyrolysis Energy From Waste Sector”, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer, Zhongzhe Liu
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
No abstract provided.
Adsorption Of Organic Micropollutants Onto Biochar: A Review Of Relevant Kinetics, Mechanisms And Equilibrium, Yiran Tong, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Adsorption Of Organic Micropollutants Onto Biochar: A Review Of Relevant Kinetics, Mechanisms And Equilibrium, Yiran Tong, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
As an alternative to activated carbon, biochar has been considered for removal of organic micropollutants from water and wastewater via adsorption. This review elaborates on the fundamental basis of adsorption kinetics, mechanisms, and equilibrium with respect to biochar-based adsorption of micropollutants. The objectives include: 1) linking biochar surface properties with adsorption abilities, 2) categorizing the kinetics of adsorption of aqueous-phase organic compounds onto biochar, 3) categorizing the molecular-scale interactions between organic micropollutants and biochar, and 4) reviewing existing quantitative methods for characterizing adsorption equilibrium of organic micropollutants from water onto an adsorbent surface. To fulfill these goals, the relationships among …
Toxicity Of Various Pyrolysis Liquids From Biosolids On Methane Production Yield, Seyedfatemeh Seyedi, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Daniel Zitomer
Toxicity Of Various Pyrolysis Liquids From Biosolids On Methane Production Yield, Seyedfatemeh Seyedi, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Daniel Zitomer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Aqueous pyrolysis liquid (APL) is a high-COD byproduct of wastewater biosolids pyrolysis that is comprised of numerous complex organic compounds and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N). One potential beneficial use of APL is as a co-digestate to produce more biogas in anaerobic digesters. However, some APL organics and NH3-N are known to inhibit methane-producing microbes. Autocatalytic pyrolysis which uses previously-produced biochar as a catalyst during biosolids pyrolysis, increases energy-rich py-gas while eliminating bio-oil production and reducing COD concentration in the APL (catalyzed APL). However, the catalyzed APL still has a high organic strength and no suitable treatment strategies …
Using Online Discussions To Develop The Entrepreneurial Mindset In Environmental Engineering Undergraduates: A Case Study, Lisa B. Bosman, Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Using Online Discussions To Develop The Entrepreneurial Mindset In Environmental Engineering Undergraduates: A Case Study, Lisa B. Bosman, Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Entrepreneurship is an important aspect of the U.S. and global economy. As such, developing an entrepreneurial mindset is crucial for both engineering students and practicing engineers. The purpose of this paper is investigate the role of online discussions, as a pedagogical approach, in the development of the entrepreneurial mindset, and explore a variety of approaches to assess student learning outcomes. Online discussions prompts were created for environmental engineering courses using the Kern Engineering Entrepreneurial Network (KEEN) framework. The framework proposes that an entrepreneurial mindset can be fostered in students by promoting curiosity, encouraging connections, and creating value. This paper describes …
Ion Exchange For Nutrient Recovery Coupled With Biosolids-Derived Biochar Pretreatment To Remove Micropollutants, Yiran Tong, Lee K. Kimbell, Anna Avila, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Ion Exchange For Nutrient Recovery Coupled With Biosolids-Derived Biochar Pretreatment To Remove Micropollutants, Yiran Tong, Lee K. Kimbell, Anna Avila, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Wastewater, especially anaerobic treatment effluent, contains high ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N) and inorganic orthophosphate (PO4-P), which necessitate additional treatment to meet stringent discharge regulations. Ion exchange regeneration is a process that can be adopted for not only removing but also recovering nutrients. However, recovering nutrients by ion exchange from nutrient-rich effluents that also contain micropollutants (which typically pass through anaerobic treatment as well) may result in subsequent problems, since micropollutants could end up in ion exchange effluent, regenerant, or recovered fertilizer products. Micropollutant removal by a nonselective adsorbent, such as biosolids-derived biochar, before nutrient recovery processes would …
Sub-Pilot-Scale Autocatalytic Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids For Enhanced Energy Recovery, Zhongzhe Liu, Simcha L. Singer, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Sub-Pilot-Scale Autocatalytic Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids For Enhanced Energy Recovery, Zhongzhe Liu, Simcha L. Singer, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Improving onsite energy generation and recovering value-added products are common goals for sustainable used water reclamation. A new process called autocatalytic pyrolysis was developed at bench scale in our previous work by using biochar produced from the biosolids pyrolysis process itself as the catalyst to enhance energy recovery from wastewater biosolids. The large-scale investigation of this process was used to increase the technical readiness level. A sub-pilot-scale catalytic pyrolytic system was constructed for this scaled-up study. The effects of configuration changes in both pyrolytic and catalytic reactors were investigated as well as the effect of vapor-catalyst contact types (i.e., downstream, …
Removal Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In An Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treating Primary Clarifier Effluent At 20 °C, Anthony D. Kappell, Lee K. Kimbell, Matthew Seib, Daniel Elliott Carey, Melinda J. Choi, Tino Kalayil, Masanori Fujimoto, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Removal Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In An Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treating Primary Clarifier Effluent At 20 °C, Anthony D. Kappell, Lee K. Kimbell, Matthew Seib, Daniel Elliott Carey, Melinda J. Choi, Tino Kalayil, Masanori Fujimoto, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) play a key role in future plans for sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery because they have no energy-intensive oxygen transfer requirements and can produce biomethane for renewable energy. Recent research results show that they can meet relatively stringent discharge limits with respect to BOD5 and TSS when treating municipal wastewater primary effluent. Sustainable used water recovery plans should also consider removal of unregulated pollutants. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent an important emerging contaminant due to public health concerns surrounding the spread of infections resistant to common antibiotics. Conventional activated sludge processes have demonstrated mixed …
Characteristics And Applications Of Biochars Derived From Wastewater Solids, Zhongzhe Liu, Simcha L. Singer, Yiran Tong, Lee Kimball, Erik Anderson, Matthew Hughes, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Characteristics And Applications Of Biochars Derived From Wastewater Solids, Zhongzhe Liu, Simcha L. Singer, Yiran Tong, Lee Kimball, Erik Anderson, Matthew Hughes, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition process that can be used to generate pyrolysis gas (py-gas), bio-oil, and biochar as well as energy from biomass. Biomass from agricultural waste and other plant-based materials has been the predominant pyrolysis research focus. Water resource recovery facilities also produce biomass, referred to as wastewater solids, that could be a viable pyrolysis feedstock. Water resource recovery facilities are central collection and production sites for wastewater solids. While the utilization of biochar from a variety of biomass types has been extensively studied, the utilization of wastewater biochars has not been reviewed in detail. This review compares …
Biosolids-Derived Biochar For Triclosan Removal From Wastewater, Lee K. Kimbell, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Biosolids-Derived Biochar For Triclosan Removal From Wastewater, Lee K. Kimbell, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Micropollutants, including antibiotics, hormones, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, are discharged into the environment with liquid and solid effluent streams from water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The objective of this research was to determine whether biosolids-derived biochar (BS-biochar) could be used as a sorbent in continuous flow-through columns to remove micropollutants as a polishing step for wastewater treatment. Triclosan (TCS) was selected as a representative micropollutant due to frequent detection in liquid effluents, residual biosolids, and surface waters. Bench-scale column experiments were conducted to determine the effect of flow rate and competition due to the presence of other organic micropollutants …
Effect Of Pyrolysis On The Removal Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes And Class I Integrons From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids, Lee Kimbell, Anthony D. Kappell, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Effect Of Pyrolysis On The Removal Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes And Class I Integrons From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids, Lee Kimbell, Anthony D. Kappell, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Wastewater biosolids represent a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). While current biosolids treatment technologies can reduce ARG levels in residual wastewater biosolids, observed removal rates vary substantially. Pyrolysis is an anoxic thermal degradation process that can be used to convert biosolids into energy rich products including py-gas and py-oil, and a beneficial soil amendment, biochar. Batch pyrolysis experiments conducted on municipal biosolids revealed that the 16S rRNA gene, the ARGs erm(B), sul1, tet(L), tet(O), and the integrase gene of class 1 integrons (intI1) were significantly reduced at pyrolysis temperatures ranging from 300–700 …
Autocatalytic Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids For Product Upgrading, Zhongzhe Liu, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer
Autocatalytic Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids For Product Upgrading, Zhongzhe Liu, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
The main goals for sustainable water resource recovery include maximizing energy generation, minimizing adverse environmental impacts, and recovering beneficial resources. Wastewater biosolids pyrolysis is a promising technology that could help facilities reach these goals because it produces biochar that is a valuable soil amendment as well as bio-oil and pyrolysis gas (py-gas) that can be used for energy. The raw bio-oil, however, is corrosive; therefore, employing it as fuel is challenging using standard equipment. A novel pyrolysis process using wastewater biosolids-derived biochar (WB-biochar) as a catalyst was investigated to decrease bio-oil and increase py-gas yield for easier energy recovery. WB-biochar …
Fate And Impacts Of Triclosan, Sulfamethoxazole, And 17Β-Estradiol During Nutrient Recovery Via Ion Exchange And Struvite Precipitation, Yiran Tong, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Fate And Impacts Of Triclosan, Sulfamethoxazole, And 17Β-Estradiol During Nutrient Recovery Via Ion Exchange And Struvite Precipitation, Yiran Tong, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke K. Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Increasing emphasis on resource recovery from wastewater highlights the importance of capturing valuable products, e.g., nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, while removing contaminants, e.g., organic micropollutants. The objective of this research was to evaluate the fate of the micropollutants triclosan (present as a mixture of neutral and anionic species at neutral pH), 17β-estradiol (neutral at neutral pH), and sulfamethoxazole (anionic at neutral pH) during nutrient recovery using ion exchange-precipitation. Adsorption of the three micropollutants to the phosphate-selective ion exchange resins LayneRT and DOW-HFO-Cu ranged from 54% to 88% in Milli-Q water tests and 50% to 71% in …
Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids Significantly Reduces Estrogenicity, T. C. Hoffman, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Pyrolysis Of Wastewater Biosolids Significantly Reduces Estrogenicity, T. C. Hoffman, Daniel Zitomer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Most wastewater treatment processes are not specifically designed to remove micropollutants. Many micropollutants are hydrophobic so they remain in the biosolids and are discharged to the environment through land-application of biosolids. Micropollutants encompass a broad range of organic chemicals, including estrogenic compounds (natural and synthetic) that reside in the environment, a.k.a. environmental estrogens. Public concern over land application of biosolids stemming from the occurrence of micropollutants hampers the value of biosolids which are important to wastewater treatment plants as a valuable by-product. This research evaluated pyrolysis, the partial decomposition of organic material in an oxygen-deprived system under high temperatures, as …
Pyrolysis Of Dried Wastewater Biosolids Can Be Energy Positive, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Jon Koch, Zhongzhe Liu, Daniel Zitomer
Pyrolysis Of Dried Wastewater Biosolids Can Be Energy Positive, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Jon Koch, Zhongzhe Liu, Daniel Zitomer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts biosolids into biochar (a soil amendment), py-oil and py-gas, which can be energy sources. The objectives of this research were to determine the product yield of dried biosolids during pyrolysis and the energy requirements of pyrolysis. Bench-scale experiments revealed that temperature increases up to 500 °C substantially decreased the fraction of biochar and increased the fraction of py-oil. Py-gas yield increased above 500 °C. The energy required for pyrolysis was approximately 5-fold less than the energy required to dry biosolids (depending on biosolids moisture content), indicating that, if a utility already uses energy …
Recovery Of Agricultural Nutrients From Biorefineries, Daniel Elliott Carey, Yu Yang, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke Mayer
Recovery Of Agricultural Nutrients From Biorefineries, Daniel Elliott Carey, Yu Yang, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Brooke Mayer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
This review lays the foundation for why nutrient recovery must be a key consideration in design and operation of biorefineries and comprehensively reviews technologies that can be used to recover an array of nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or potassium-rich products of relevance to agricultural applications. Recovery of these products using combinations of physical, chemical, and biological operations will promote sustainability at biorefineries by converting low-value biomass (particularly waste material) into a portfolio of higher-value products. These products can include a natural partnering of traditional biorefinery outputs such as biofuels and chemicals together with nutrient-rich fertilizers. Nutrient recovery not only adds an additional …
Emerging Investigators Series: Pyrolysis Removes Common Microconstituents Triclocarban, Triclosan, And Nonylphenol From Biosolids, J. J. Ross, Daniel Zitomer, T. R. Miller, C. A. Weirich, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Emerging Investigators Series: Pyrolysis Removes Common Microconstituents Triclocarban, Triclosan, And Nonylphenol From Biosolids, J. J. Ross, Daniel Zitomer, T. R. Miller, C. A. Weirich, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Reusing biosolids is vital for the sustainability of wastewater management. Pyrolysis is an anoxic thermal degradation process that can be used to convert biosolids into energy rich py-gas and py-oil, and a beneficial soil amendment, biochar. Batch biosolids pyrolysis (60 minutes) revealed that triclocarban and triclosan were removed (to below quantification limit) at 200 °C and 300 °C, respectively. Substantial removal (>90%) of nonylphenol was achieved at 300 °C as well, but 600 °C was required to remove nonylphenol to below the quantification limit. At 500 °C, the pyrolysis reaction time to remove >90% of microconstituents was less than …
Total Value Of Phosphorus Recovery, Brooke K. Mayer, Lawrence A. Baker, Treavor H. Boyer, Pay Drechsel, Mac Gifford, Munir A. Hanjra, Prathap Parameswaran, Jared Stoltzfus, Paul Westerhoff, Bruce E. Rittmann
Total Value Of Phosphorus Recovery, Brooke K. Mayer, Lawrence A. Baker, Treavor H. Boyer, Pay Drechsel, Mac Gifford, Munir A. Hanjra, Prathap Parameswaran, Jared Stoltzfus, Paul Westerhoff, Bruce E. Rittmann
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Phosphorus (P) is a critical, geographically concentrated, nonrenewable resource necessary to support global food production. In excess (e.g., due to runoff or wastewater discharges), P is also a primary cause of eutrophication. To reconcile the simultaneous shortage and overabundance of P, lost P flows must be recovered and reused, alongside improvements in P-use efficiency. While this motivation is increasingly being recognized, little P recovery is practiced today, as recovered P generally cannot compete with the relatively low cost of mined P. Therefore, P is often captured to prevent its release into the environment without beneficial recovery and reuse. However, additional …
Triclosan Adsorption Using Wastewater Biosolids-Derived Biochar, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Triclosan Adsorption Using Wastewater Biosolids-Derived Biochar, Yiran Tong, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
Organic micropollutants are ubiquitous in the environment and stem from municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges. Adsorption can be used as a tertiary treatment to complement the conventional activated sludge process to remove micropollutants prior to discharge. This research evaluated the performance of wastewater biosolids-derived biochar as an adsorbent to remove triclosan from water. Pre-conditioning of the biochar using hydrochloric acid (HCl) was an essential step for triclosan adsorption. Using acid-conditioned biochar, maximum adsorption of 872 μg triclosan per g biochar was achieved with biochar produced at 800 °C. Biochar produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures tended to have higher triclosan sorption …
Biochar From Pyrolysis Of Biosolids For Nutrient Adsorption And Turfgrass Cultivation, Daniel Elliott Carey, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer
Biochar From Pyrolysis Of Biosolids For Nutrient Adsorption And Turfgrass Cultivation, Daniel Elliott Carey, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Daniel Zitomer
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
At water resource recovery facilities, nutrient removal is often required and energy recovery is an ever-increasing goal. Pyrolysis may be a sustainable process for handling wastewater biosolids because energy can be recovered in the py-gas and py-oil. Additionally, the biochar produced has value as a soil conditioner. The objective of this work was to determine if biochar could be used to adsorb ammonia from biosolids filtrate and subsequently be applied as a soil conditioner to improve grass growth. The maximum carrying capacity of base modified biochar for NH3−N was 5.3 mg/g. Biochar containing adsorbed ammonium and potassium was …
Industrial Symbiosis: Corn Ethanol Fermentation, Hydrothermal Carbonization, And Anaerobic Digestion, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Lindsey R. Jader, Frederick J. Schendel, Nicholas J. Hahn, Brandon M. Wood, Kenneth J. Valentas, Paige M. Novak, Steven J. Heilmann
Industrial Symbiosis: Corn Ethanol Fermentation, Hydrothermal Carbonization, And Anaerobic Digestion, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Lindsey R. Jader, Frederick J. Schendel, Nicholas J. Hahn, Brandon M. Wood, Kenneth J. Valentas, Paige M. Novak, Steven J. Heilmann
Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications
The production of dry-grind corn ethanol results in the generation of intermediate products, thin and whole stillage, which require energy-intensive downstream processing for conversion into commercial animal feed products. Hydrothermal carbonization of thin and whole stillage coupled with anaerobic digestion was investigated as alternative processing methods that could benefit the industry. By substantially eliminating evaporation of water, reductions in downstream energy consumption from 65% to 73% were achieved while generating hydrochar, fatty acids, treated process water, and biogas co-products providing new opportunities for the industry. Processing whole stillage in this manner produced the four co-products, eliminated centrifugation and evaporation, and …