Porous Material for Removal of Ammonia from Water
Mentor 1
Marcia Silva
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
When rivers and streams become overloaded with nutrients, they undergo expedited eutrophication, a process which leads to the proliferation of algae and threatens the health of our ecosystem. Modern practices in agriculture and industry lead to high volumes of nutrient discharge into the rivers. Areas with high volumes of discharge are known as point sources. Wherever possible, we use available technologies to remove the contaminants from the run-off in these locations. Current methods of ammonia filtration such as nitrification and oxidation require installation of large tanks at the point of filtration. This incurs prohibitive costs and makes these methods unfit for wide-scale application. Furthermore, these options cannot be implemented in colder climates, necessitating the development of a new filtration mechanism. Many alternative methods such as chlorination perform best in the absence of other contaminants. This project focuses on development of a porous material designed for targeted removal of Ammonia. Our chosen material can operate in colder climates where nitrification cannot. This material does require low levels of water hardness to function properly, but it can be engineered to accept ammonia over other contaminants, making it a good choice for use in waters with multiple pollutants. This study aims to optimize adsorption kinetics of the material and ensure its suitability for application under these parameters. Preliminary data shows a 60-80% adsorption rate. We expect to see this rate to surpass 90% as we refine the modification process and the material’s selectivity for ammonia increases. This research illustrates the potential of engineered materials in addressing problems around the world.
Porous Material for Removal of Ammonia from Water
Union Wisconsin Room
When rivers and streams become overloaded with nutrients, they undergo expedited eutrophication, a process which leads to the proliferation of algae and threatens the health of our ecosystem. Modern practices in agriculture and industry lead to high volumes of nutrient discharge into the rivers. Areas with high volumes of discharge are known as point sources. Wherever possible, we use available technologies to remove the contaminants from the run-off in these locations. Current methods of ammonia filtration such as nitrification and oxidation require installation of large tanks at the point of filtration. This incurs prohibitive costs and makes these methods unfit for wide-scale application. Furthermore, these options cannot be implemented in colder climates, necessitating the development of a new filtration mechanism. Many alternative methods such as chlorination perform best in the absence of other contaminants. This project focuses on development of a porous material designed for targeted removal of Ammonia. Our chosen material can operate in colder climates where nitrification cannot. This material does require low levels of water hardness to function properly, but it can be engineered to accept ammonia over other contaminants, making it a good choice for use in waters with multiple pollutants. This study aims to optimize adsorption kinetics of the material and ensure its suitability for application under these parameters. Preliminary data shows a 60-80% adsorption rate. We expect to see this rate to surpass 90% as we refine the modification process and the material’s selectivity for ammonia increases. This research illustrates the potential of engineered materials in addressing problems around the world.
