물환경연구재단(WERF)은 처리 사이클에서 폐수로부터 발생하는 유가자원(valuable resources)의 재생 용량을 확장하는 신규 계약을 수주했다고 최근 발표했다. 첫 번째 프로젝트는 ‘폐수로부터 발생하는 폴라스미드(Plasmid)와 희귀 희토류 원소(Earth Element)’ 연구로 미국의 벅넬 대학교(Bucknell University)가 타당성 연구를 주도하고, 이러한 원자재를 생산하기 위해 수자원 재생시설(WRRFs)에 필요한 기준 및 세부사항 정립을 도울 예정이다.

두 번째 프로젝트는 ‘폐수로부터 발생한 고품질 바이오고형물’로,  고품질의 안전하고 안정적인 바이오고형물을 비용효율적으로 생산하고 더욱 성공적으로 시장화하기 위해 WRRFs에 필요한 기준 및 세부사항을 정의함으로써 바이오고형물 사용을 눈에 띄게 확대시킬 것으로 기대된다.

 

 

 

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) recently announced that it has awarded four new contracts to further expand the capabilities of recovering valuable resources from wastewater in the treatment cycle.

 

In the first project, "Plasmids and Rare Earth Elements from Wastewater" (NTRY8R15), Bucknell University will conduct a feasibility study on the recovery of plasmids and rare earth elements from wastewater and help define the standards and specifications needed for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to produce these commodities.

 

The second project, "High Quality Biosolids from Wastewater" (NTRY7R15), will significantly expand biosolids use by defining the standards and specifications needed for WRRFs to cost-effectively produce and more successfully market high-quality, safe, and stable biosolids.

 

The research team, led by Material Matters, Inc., will develop a guidance tool for identifying and assessing markets for high-quality biosolids based on case studies of successful programs and eventually test the guidance in the Washington, D.C. area. WERF is also partnering with a number of water utilities affiliated with the Water Services Association of Australia and Water New Zealand to further expand this research to include Australia and New Zealand.

 

The third study, "Sustainable Struvite Control Using Residual Gas from Digester Gas Cleaning Process" (NTRY9T15), was awarded to the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department. The purpose of this research is to establish the feasibility of using residual gas (primarily CO2) following methane recovery to control struvite formation in WRRFs.

 

The project team will also develop a protocol for implementation of similar struvite control methods at other WRRFs. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and CH2M are also collaborating with WERF on this research.

 

The fourth project awarded to Michigan Technological University has the potential to support municipalities seeking cost-effective and sustainable biosolids treatments for Class A designation.

 

This project, "High-Tech Analysis of Low-Tech Methods for Sustainable Class A Biosolids Production" (NTRY11T15), will complement another ongoing WERF project evaluating "Next Generation Tools for Assessing Death and Decay of Critical Wastewater Bacteria" (U1R12) by measuring and standardizing methods to predict pathogen reduction. Additionally, WERF has partnered with equipment manufacturer Lystek International Inc. to support this research.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 10월 22일]