1. IASON – INTELLIGENT ACTIVATED SLUDGE OPERATED BY NANOTECHNOLOGY Fleit, E. and Melicz, Z. (BUTE) Zrínyi, M., Filipcsei, G. and László, K. (BUTE) Dékány, I. and Király, Z. (SZTE) Budapest University of Technology and Economics Department of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering

2. Problem exposition (colloids vs wastewater treatment) Do we know enough (from each other)? Do we know enough (from each other)? State-of-the-art in wastewater treatment State-of-the-art in wastewater treatment „High-tech low-tech” dilemmas „High-tech low-tech” dilemmas Hungarian context Hungarian context One new idea in old environment – IASON One new idea in old environment – IASON Results Results Conclusions Conclusions Innovation chain (lessons learned) Innovation chain (lessons learned)

3. Do we have mutual problems? Definitely we do…

4. A typical colloid problem: foaming and scum (cream) formation (on full scale)

5. URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE (HUNGARY): UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 195019551960196519701975198019851990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002 Access to sewerage Access to sewerage including population living on sewered areas but not using this service Access to public water supply Population supplied by public taps located along streets % of the total population

6. Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 1990

7. Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 2003

8. Wastewater treatment in Hungary - 2015

9. Hungarian Wastewater Master Plan: strategy with dilemmas  Scheduling (scenarios)  Cost efficiency (taking EU technologies without adoption)  Emissions and water quality impacts

10. Long-term (but hidden) links between wastewater treatment and colloid sciences Late lessons from early warnings… Late lessons from early warnings… Colloid size substrates (foams, creams, emulsions, etc.) Colloid size substrates (foams, creams, emulsions, etc.) Colloid size reactants (biofilm, ESP, activated sludge flocs, etc.) Colloid size reactants (biofilm, ESP, activated sludge flocs, etc.) Kinetic and financial problems Kinetic and financial problems

11. Starting point – a key element in biological wastewater treatment remains uncontrolled Suspended cell bioreactors (activated sludge systems) Suspended cell bioreactors (activated sludge systems) Particle size distribution ? Particle size distribution ? Diffusion limitation ? Diffusion limitation ? Ratio of floc and filament former bacteria ? Ratio of floc and filament former bacteria ? Technological functions ? Technological functions ?

12. A novel concept - IASON I – Intelligent I – Intelligent A – Artificial A – Artificial S – Sludge S – Sludge O – Operated by O – Operated by N - Nanotechnology N - Nanotechnology

13. An example: the Bardenpho process Anaerobic Anoxic Oxic Raw wastewater Treated effluent IASON process control

14. Project objectives Control and design of floc size distribution and settleability (density) Control and design of floc size distribution and settleability (density) Control of substrate and electron acceptors (O 2 and/or NO 3 ) within the floc Control of substrate and electron acceptors (O 2 and/or NO 3 ) within the floc Biofilm formation (nitrification/denitrification) Biofilm formation (nitrification/denitrification) Direct regulation of technological functions in microscopic dimensions by nanotechnology (microreactor development) Direct regulation of technological functions in microscopic dimensions by nanotechnology (microreactor development)

15. Wastewater bacteria on microscopic carrier materials (PVA-PAA/starch) (biofilm development after 1 week)

16. The first step: immobilization on designed microreactors Immobilization with adsorption Ionic bounds Covalent bounds Cross-linking Matrix entrapment Microcapsulation Combined methods Heterotrophic bacteria (South-Pest WWTP) on PVA-PAA hydrogels (400x)

17. Growth of selected (technological aims) bacteria on hydrogels Nitrifying bacteria 100x Budapest Sewerage Works

18. Comparative respirometric experiments (AS and IASON) days Cummulative O 2 consumption (mgO 2 ) Activated sludge Colonized PVA-PAA

19. Nitrification efficency of biomass grown on PVA- PAA gels days Nitrification efficiency (%)

20. Development of active microreactors 1. day2. week3. week

21. Functioning of autotrophic system (upon 3 weeks of biofilm developmen) mg/l NH 4 -N NO 2 -N NO 3 -N oP pH 8,8 8,6 8,4 8,2 8,0 7,8 7,6 7,4 Nyers Tisztított

22. IASON - future nanotechnological design objectives Establishment of microscopic size reactors (contolled gradients) Solid carrier material (hydrogel) Substrate Oxygen Aerobic layer Anaerobic/anoxic layer End-product

23. Conclusions „Traditional” technologies/pollutants „Traditional” technologies/pollutants Changes of wastewater composition (rapid) Changes of wastewater composition (rapid) New type of pollutants New type of pollutants Conceptual change and novel opportunitie Conceptual change and novel opportunitie Nano- and biotechnology Nano- and biotechnology Design of wastewater composition Design of wastewater composition Professional background (R+D and education) Professional background (R+D and education)