Recovering nutrients and carbon from concentrated black water: a sustainable decentralized approach for wastewater treatment

• Grant number: 13/50351-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2014
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Agreement: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Antonio Daniel
• Grantee: Luiz Antonio Daniel
• Principal researcher abroad: Louise Vet
• Institution abroad: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Netherlands
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this project is the recovery of nutrients and carbon from concentrated black water (toilet water) while producing a valuable algal biomass product that can be used as fertilizer and a final liquid effluent that can be reused. This will be achieved by collecting the black water and treating it in an upward-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed bya photobioreactor (PBR). After the PBR the algal biomass will be separated from the liquid effluent, harvested and tested for fertilization use. Pathogen will be removed from the remaining liquid effluent and the effluent reused. Two pilot-scale black water treatment systems will be compared in terms of efficiency recovering nutrients and removal of human pathogens indicators. The system at EESC-USP will include the treatment of the concentrated black water (3L per flush) in a mesophilic UASB followed by a PBR, dissolved ozone flotation to separate and remove pathogen from the effluent and algae drying beds, while the NIOO-KNAW system, that alreadv has implemented a vacuum system for black water collection and a thermophilic UASB, will include a PBR followed by an algae settler. The dried algae will be tested for use as fertilizer. We expect to demonstrate how efficient the two pilot-scale systems are in terms of nutrients and human pathogens removal. Moreover, how efficient they are in closing the carbon and nutrients cycle for a cost-effective on-site wastewater treatment system. Finally we will define the value of the ai ai biomass as a fertilizer. (AU)

Scientific publications

(15)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ITO SAKURAI, KAREN SAYURI; ERBA POMPEI, CAROLINE MOCO; TOMITA, INES N.; SANTOS-NETO, ALVARO J.; RIBEIRO SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE. Hybrid constructed wetlands as post-treatment of blackwater: An assessment of the removal of antibiotics. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 278, n. 2, JAN 15 2021. (13/50351-4)

LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Optimization of microalgae harvesting by sedimentation induced by high pH. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, v. 82, n. 6, p. 1227-1236, SEP 15 2020. (13/50351-4, 17/14620-1)

LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; HOFFMANN, MARIA TERESA; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Coagulation and dissolved air flotation as a harvesting method for microalgae cultivated in wastewater. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, v. 32, DEC 2019. (13/50351-4, 17/14620-1)

KURAMAE, EIKO E.; DIMITROV, MAURICIO R.; DA SILVA, GUSTAVO H. R.; LUCHETA, ADRIANO R.; MENDES, LUCAS W.; LUZ, RONILDSON L.; VET, LOUISE E. M.; FERNANDES, TANIA V.. On-Site Blackwater Treatment Fosters Microbial Groups and Functions to Efficiently and Robustly Recover Carbon and Nutrients. MICROORGANISMS, v. 9, n. 1, JAN 2021. (13/50351-4)

SANTOS SILVA, DEBORA FERNANDA; SPERANZA, LAIS GALILEU; QUARTAROLI, LARISSA; MORUZZI, RODRIGO BRAGA; RIBEIRO SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE. Separation of microalgae cultivated in anaerobically digested black water using Moringa Oleifera Lam seeds as coagulant. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, v. 39, FEB 2021. (13/50351-4)

SULEIMAN, AFNAN KHALIL AHMAD; LOURENCO, KESIA SILVA; CLARK, CALLUM; LUZ, RONILDSON LIMA; RIBEIRO DA SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE; VET, LOUISE E. M.; CANTARELLA, HEITOR; FERNANDES, V, TANIA; KURAMAE, EIKO EURYA. From toilet to agriculture: Fertilization with microalgal biomass from wastewater impacts the soil and rhizosphere active microbiomes, greenhouse gas emissions and plant growth. RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING, v. 161, OCT 2020. (13/50351-4, 18/20698-6, 14/24141-5)

MIRANDA SLOMPO, NATHALIE DYANE; QUARTAROLI, LARISSA; FERNANDES, TANIA VASCONCELOS; RIBEIRO DA SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Nutrient and pathogen removal from anaerobically treated black water by microalgae. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 268, AUG 15 2020. (13/50351-4, 15/04594-8, 18/13581-5)

ITO SAKURAI, KAREN SAYURI; ERBA POMPEI, CAROLINE MOCO; TOMITA, INES N.; SANTOS-NETO, ALVARO J.; RIBEIRO SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE. Hybrid constructed wetlands as post-treatment of blackwater: An assessment of the removal of antibiotics. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 278, p. 9-pg., 2021-01-15. (13/50351-4)

VALDEZ, FERNANDA QUEIROZ; LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; ZANETONI FILHO, JOSE ANTONIO; TANGO, MARIANA DANIEL; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Detection and removal of Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by anaerobic reactors in Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY, DEC 2020. (13/50351-4)

LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; HOFFMANN, MARIA TERESA; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Microalgae cultivation for municipal and piggery wastewater treatment in Brazil. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, v. 31, OCT 2019. (13/50351-4, 17/14620-1)

MIRANDA SLOMPO, NATHALIE DYANE; QUARTAROLI, LARISSA; ZEEMAN, GRIETJE; RIBEIRO DA SILVA, GUSTAVO HENRIQUE; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Black water treatment by an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor: a pilot study. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, v. 80, n. 8, p. 1505-1511, OCT 15 2019. (13/50351-4, 15/04594-8, 18/13581-5)

LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; DOS SANTOS, PRISCILA RIBEIRO; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Microalgae harvesting from wastewater by pH modulation and flotation: Assessing and optimizing operational parameters. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 254, JAN 15 2020. (13/50351-4, 17/14620-1)

SILVA, GUSTAVO H. R.; SUEITT, ANA PAULA E.; HAIMES, SARAH; TRIPIDAKI, AIKATERINI; VAN ZWIETEN, RALPH; FERNANDES, V, TANIA. Feasibility of closing nutrient cycles from black water by microalgae-based technology. ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS, v. 44, DEC 2019. (13/50351-4, 16/04879-5)

DE OLIVEIRA, GABRIELA LAILA; ERBETTA SUEITT, ANA PAULA; DOS SANTOS, PRISCILA RIBEIRO; LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Removal of protozoan (oo)cysts and bacteria during microalgae harvesting: Outcomes from a lab-scale experiment. Chemosphere, v. 286, n. 3, JAN 2022. (17/14620-1, 15/02073-0, 12/50522-0, 13/50351-4)

VALDEZ, FERNANDA QUEIROZ; LEITE, LUAN DE SOUZA; ZANETONI FILHO, JOSE ANTONIO; TANGO, MARIANA DANIEL; DANIEL, LUIZ ANTONIO. Detection and removal of Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by anaerobic reactors in Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY, v. 43, n. 13, p. 10-pg., 2020-12-23. (13/50351-4)