Development of combined systems of treatment of residuary waters aimed at removal of pollutants and recovery of energy and of products from the carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles

• Grant number: 05/51702-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2006
• End date: March 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Eugenio Foresti
• Grantee: Eugenio Foresti
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Eduardo Cleto Pires ; Marcelo Zaiat
• Associated scholarship(s): 08/11559-0 - Autotrophic denitrification using sulfide and integration with the nitrification process in a single reactor, BP.DR; 09/00135-8 - Evaluation of the production of hydrogen and characterization of microbial anaerobic batch reactors fed with vinasse, BP.DR; 09/01687-4 - Cadmium removal from synthetic wastewater in an inverted expanded-bed anaerobic reactor, BP.IC; + associated scholarships 08/11449-0 - Sulfate removal from acid mine drainage in UASB reactor: influence of the liquid recirculation on the efficiency of sulfate removal, BP.IC; 09/00188-4 - Influence of the organic loading rate on the performance of a fixed-bed anaerobic-aerobic reactor for treatment of domestic sewage, BP.IC; 08/00386-8 - Effect of the environmental conditions on energy production in anaerobic processes, BP.PD; 08/04073-4 - Membranes development to use as electrolyte in fuel cells at intermediate temperature (130-200 ºC), BP.IC; 08/01253-1 - Two-phase Fermentative System for Hydrogen and Methane Production from Domestic Sewage, BP.DR; 07/07574-1 - Removal of Cd2+ and Cu2+ from Wastewaters Using Continuous Anaerobic Bioreactor of Non-Random Fixed Bed, BP.DR; 07/08335-0 - Biological sulphate removal: sulphur recovery and biofiltration, BP.PD - associated scholarships

Abstract

This research project aims at advancement in the understanding of anaerobic and anaerobic/aerobic bioreactors based on biogeochemical cycles involved in the processes, in order to develop treatment systems that allow the recovery of material and energy from wastewaters as well as pollution control in water bodies. The general scope is to deepen the study of new configurations of wastewater treatment systems with anaerobic reactors as the core technology, aiming at the determination of rational basis to design and scale-up of reactors based on fundaments of process Engineering, Biochemistry and Microbiology. In addition, this objective must be complied with basis on a broad concept of environment control and sustainability. In other words, the wastewater treatment systems will be designed not only for pollution control, but also for the recovery of energy and interest compounds from wastewaters. In addition to the recovery of some compounds (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur), the biological production and recovery of hydrogen will be investigated in order to feed hydrogen cells and to be applied in reductive processes for pollution control. Several reactors and treatment systems will be evaluated based on the carbon, sulfur and nitrogen cycles giving emphasis to fundamental aspects. Moreover, the application of anaerobic reactors to remove toxic and recalcitrant compounds from wastewaters and groundwater will be investigated. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

CAVALCANTE DE AMORIM, EDUARDO LUCENA; BARROS, ARUANA ROCHA; RISSATO ZAMARIOLLI DAMIANOUIC, MARCIA HELENA; SILVA, EDSON LUIZ. Anaerobic fluidized bed reactor with expanded clay as support for hydrogen production through dark fermentation of glucose. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, v. 34, n. 2, p. 783-790, JAN 2009. (05/51702-9)

ALBANEZ, ROBERTA; DO CANTO, CATARINA S. A.; RATUSZNEI, SUZANA M.; RODRIGUES, JOSE A. D.; ZAIAT, MARCELO; FORESTI, EUGENIO. Feasibility of a Sequencing Reactor Operated in Batch and Fed-batch Mode Applied to Nitrification and Denitrification Processes. Afinidad, v. 66, n. 539, p. 44-55, JAN-FEB 2009. (05/51702-9)

BERGAMO, CAMILA MIRANDA; DI MONACO, RODRIGO; RATUSZNEI, SUZANA MARIA; DOMINGUES RODRIGUES, JOSE ALBERTO; ZAIAT, MARCELO; FORESTI, EUGENIO. Effects of temperature at different organic loading levels on the performance of a fluidized-bed anaerobic sequencing batch bioreactor. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING, v. 48, n. 3, p. 789-796, MAR 2009. (05/51702-9)