Development of a Novel Macroporous Material for Phosphorus Removal from Water
Mentor 1
Marcia Silva
Location
Union 260
Start Date
28-4-2017 12:20 PM
Description
As one of the most common nutrient pollutants, phosphorus enters the Great Lakes via municipal and industrial wastewaters, agricultural runoff, and air pollution. The cause for concern is due to the role phosphorus plays as an aquatic plant nutrient. Overloads of nutrients have negative impacts on a water body, causing algae blooms. In some cases, the decomposition of algae can devoid a water body of oxygen to the point where aquatic life cannot be sustained. A material engineered to retain phosphorus more effectively and at a lower cost than current filtration technology was fabricated. The material's efficiency of phosphorus retention was analyzed using a column experiment which simulated fixed bed filtration in a municipal wastewater treatment. Various concentrations of phosphorus were added to the column and the retention efficiency was found as approximately 94%. The results also indicate that soluble phosphorus is rapidly removed, at high flow rates such as 5 seconds per column volume. These factors enable high rate passive filtration of storm water to remove phosphorus as part of by-pass or partial treatment option, and a prototype system for this mode of filtration was developed. During a major rain event, storm water is collected into holding tanks, as wastewater treatment plants can be overwhelmed. This prototype serves to filter this water with engineered material, effectively retaining phosphorus before it reaches the Great Lakes.
Development of a Novel Macroporous Material for Phosphorus Removal from Water
Union 260
As one of the most common nutrient pollutants, phosphorus enters the Great Lakes via municipal and industrial wastewaters, agricultural runoff, and air pollution. The cause for concern is due to the role phosphorus plays as an aquatic plant nutrient. Overloads of nutrients have negative impacts on a water body, causing algae blooms. In some cases, the decomposition of algae can devoid a water body of oxygen to the point where aquatic life cannot be sustained. A material engineered to retain phosphorus more effectively and at a lower cost than current filtration technology was fabricated. The material's efficiency of phosphorus retention was analyzed using a column experiment which simulated fixed bed filtration in a municipal wastewater treatment. Various concentrations of phosphorus were added to the column and the retention efficiency was found as approximately 94%. The results also indicate that soluble phosphorus is rapidly removed, at high flow rates such as 5 seconds per column volume. These factors enable high rate passive filtration of storm water to remove phosphorus as part of by-pass or partial treatment option, and a prototype system for this mode of filtration was developed. During a major rain event, storm water is collected into holding tanks, as wastewater treatment plants can be overwhelmed. This prototype serves to filter this water with engineered material, effectively retaining phosphorus before it reaches the Great Lakes.
