Focus on Lead Markets:Waste and RecyclingWastewater Treatment

Ernő FleitAssociate Professor

Department of Sanitary and Environmental EngineeringBudapest University of Technology and Economics

Hungary

Problem expositionProblem exposition

Do we know enough from our solid and Do we know enough from our solid and liquid wastes (wastewater)?liquid wastes (wastewater)?

To meet standards – yesTo meet standards – yes For sustainability and lead market For sustainability and lead market

objectives – probably notobjectives – probably not Key issues on waste managementKey issues on waste management High-tech (generation) low-tech (waste High-tech (generation) low-tech (waste

management) dilemmas management) dilemmas Virtually no old concepts exist Virtually no old concepts exist New ideasNew ideas in old environment in old environment – – urban urban

cyclescycles

New Directive on waste (EU Directive 2006/12/EC)

Waste hierarchy Reduction (prevention of

generation) Re-use Recovery (recycling,

composting, energy) Disposal

Waste management cycle

Waste management options

Mechanical/biological treatmentAIM: Improvements on landfill operation

Reduction of waste volume to be landfilled

Reduction in emission potential Facilitation of landfill operation due

to reduced emissions Reduction in leachate collection

needs

Mechanical/biological treatment scheme

Considerations of dumping grounds

Mass balance for aerobic treatment

Considerations of dumping grounds II.

Mass balance for anaerobic treatment

Intermediate conclusions I.

No unique solution exists – as criteria vary Technical Financial Environmental Social Institutional Political

Intermediate conclusions II.

Selection of appropriate technology: Volume of waste Waste composition Market for secondary products if any Authority and social priorities Volume of residual material (available

landfill) Investment and operational cost New challenges

Nanotechnology – the promise (nanomarket growth to 1 trillion € over

the next 10 years)

Fields of application potential: Membrane filtration (drinking and

wastewater) Anti-microbial nanoparticles for

disinfection and microbial control Removal of arsenic and heavy metals Nanosensors for water quality monitoring

Nanotechnology – a cautionary note

Risk – toxicity and exposure Nanoexposure studies – only on

inhalation Aquatic environment ? Time-lag (see also DDT history) Safe particles

Biological wastewater Biological wastewater treatmenttreatment

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

Particle size distribution Particle size distribution Diffusion limitationDiffusion limitationss Ratio of floc and filament Ratio of floc and filament

former bacteriaformer bacteria Technological functionsTechnological functions

A novel concept – IASON A novel concept – IASON (developed by the BME)(developed by the BME)

I – 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

Wastewater bacteria on microscopic carrier materials

(PVA-PAA)

100 m

A

Challenges for wastewater treatment

Adoption to changes in ever changing Adoption to changes in ever changing wastewater compositionwastewater composition

New type of pollutants (EDS materials)New type of pollutants (EDS materials) Conceptual change and novel Conceptual change and novel

opportunitiesopportunities Professional background (R+D and Professional background (R+D and

education)education) Design of wastewater compositionDesign of wastewater composition

Conceptual change needed URBAN UREA

CYCLE

The problem itself

N removalN removal

NH4+

Nitrification (oxidation to NONitrification (oxidation to NO33--))

Denitrification (reduction to NDenitrification (reduction to N22))

30 g/cap/d30 g/cap/d

The problem in numbers In Budapest the annual carbamide release

via urine is 22,000 tons (30 g/cap/d) Market value: 2,2*109 HUF (9,1 Million €/y) Yearly expenditure on N removal 5,5*109

HUF (22,7 Million €/y) (0,5 Mio m3/d wastewater and 30 HUF/m3 N

removal cost)

These all together: 7,7 billion HUF/y (31,8 Million €/y)

What separates us from this money ???

Wastewater composition „design” for carbamide (2

problems) Inhibition of carbamide

degradation Removal of urea from wastewater

prior to reach WWTP/or at the head of WWTP

Removal of urea from raw wastewater

Microfiltration (should precipitable product is formed)

Ionic exchange (charged molecule) Simple adsorbers (if polymer) Sedimentation (if formed precipitate is

large and dense enough) FINAL RESULTS: greatly decreased N

load in raw wastewater (savings on O+M cost) and marketable N fertilizer (carbamide)

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

The classical period of wastewater treatment technology is over (LCA, EDS, cost, sustainability)

We must not keep the usual distance from our wastewater (e.g., Singapore – NEWater, reclaimed water)

The raw wastewater has to be considered as a valuable product (energy contents: MFC, biogas production), marketable compounds (carbamide)

Source control (EDS materials)