What has Microbial Ecology to do with a Novel Process for Wastewater Treatment?
Dr Mike Dempsey, MMU
Tuesday 13th December, E34, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00 pm.
The expanded bed biofilm reactor has been developed from lab-scale through technical and pilot scales to a full-scale prototype. Its primary purpose was to achieve nitrification of secondary effluent, which is does very effectively. In the absence of substrate-limitation, the process can achieve an ammonia oxidation rate of up to 1 kg/m3/d, which is high compared to competing tertiary nitrification processes. The process was also found to reduce organic matter pollutants (CBOD) and suspended solids (SS) by 50-60%, mainly through the activity of heterotrophic bacteria, protozoa, rotifers, nematode and oligochaete worms. This complex biological community develops because the process cannot become clogged with solids and therefore never requires backwashing. In other processes, the backwashing step normally removes most of these slower-growing organisms.
A full-scale, package-plant prototype is currently under trial at a UK wastewater treatment works, and results will be presented from all scales of operation, including preliminary results from the full-scale system. The technology was developed as part of my research at MMU and is being commercialised through a spin-out company, Advanced Bioprocess Development Ltd. (ABD). The technology has been licensed for the manufacture of package plants to be used for municipal and domestic wastewater treatment and, as a shareholder of ABD, MMU will receive income from commercialisation of this technology through a share of the royalties paid.
If you wish to receive seminar abstracts each week by e-mail, please ask to be added to the EGS Seminar Mailing List by contacting Daphne Lai at D.Lai@mmu.ac.uk. Thanks.
IT Services will round off the latest set of Technology Roadshows with two dates in the last week of term:
Monday December 12th, 2.30-4.00pm, Didsbury BH 0.1
Tuesday December 13th, 2.30-4.00pm, Gaskell OB314
So for all the latest updates on the new telephone system, the progress of the MMU Print project, and all the innovations coming out of LRT, please join us at Didsbury on the 12th and Gaskell on the 13th.
The Careers & Employability Service offers a fantastic programme of career development workshops and employer presentations to help our students maximise their chances of career success. The workshop sessions are crammed with information and practical tips, whilst our employer presentations offer students the chance to network, find out about opportunities and what organisations look for in potential candidates.
Encourage your students to take part in the career development workshops and employer presentations taking place on campus next week:
Self-employment? An introduction
12:00, Friday 9th December 2011, Room 3.03, Chatham Building
Employer event: Boots Year in Industry Presentation
11.30 & 13.30, Friday 9th December 2011, LT3, MMU Business School (Aytoun Building)
Full details can be found at http://www.mmu.ac.uk/careers/events
Please encourage your students to attend.
MMU Careers & Employability Service