Production of biomass in the wastewater polishing process and its conversion to ethanol

• Grant number: 13/10550-8
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2014
• End date: November 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Liliane Lazzari Albertin
• Grantee: Liliane Lazzari Albertin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Celia Maria Landi Franco ; Eleni Gomes ; Tsunao Matsumoto

Abstract

Many cities in the State of São Paulo use stabilization ponds for domestic wastewater treatment.Due to the accelerated eutrophication of receiving waters, has seen the need for additional removal of nutrients from the effluent ponds. However, the use of a supplemental complex system for polishing wastewater is counter intuitive on the original design of having a single treatment operation. Therefore, this project proposes the use of ponds with floating macrophytes, especially the family Lemnaceae sp., known as duckweeds, for polishing wastewater and generating a biomass with high protein value. Plants use the nutrients (N and P) present in the wastewater for their growth and to store them in tissue. This biomass can be promisingly used for ethanol production. Thus, a sewage treatment plant can work in an integrated and sustainable: duckweeds can be grown concurrently with the treatment of sewage, in a simple, economical and based on natural processes. The proposed treatment plant will be located in the sewage treatment plant of Ilha Solteira, SP. We will study the performance of the system, the treatment efficiency, production rate and composition of cellulosic biomass, and the feasibility and efficiency of its use for ethanol production. (AU)