1. Focus on Lead Markets: Waste and Recycling Wastewater Treatment Ernő Fleit Associate Professor Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Budapest University of Technology and Economics Hungary

2. Problem exposition Do we know enough from our solid and liquid wastes (wastewater)? Do we know enough from our solid and liquid wastes (wastewater)? To meet standards – yes To meet standards – yes For sustainability and lead market objectives – probably not For sustainability and lead market objectives – probably not Key issues on waste management Key issues on waste management High-tech (generation) low-tech (waste management) dilemmas High-tech (generation) low-tech (waste management) dilemmas Virtually no old concepts exist Virtually no old concepts exist New ideas in old environment – urban cycles New ideas in old environment – urban cycles

3. New Directive on waste (EU Directive 2006/12/EC) Waste hierarchy Reduction (prevention of generation) Re-use Recovery (recycling, composting, energy) Disposal

4. Waste management cycle

5. Waste management options Mechanical/biological treatment AIM: Improvements on landfill operation Reduction of waste volume to be landfilled Reduction in emission potential Facilitation of landfill operation due to reduced emissions Reduction in leachate collection needs

6. Mechanical/biological treatment scheme

7. Considerations of dumping grounds Mass balance for aerobic treatment

8. Considerations of dumping grounds II. Mass balance for anaerobic treatment

9. Intermediate conclusions I. No unique solution exists – as criteria vary Technical Financial Environmental Social Institutional Political

10. Intermediate conclusions II. Selection of appropriate technology: Volume of waste Waste composition Market for secondary products if any Authority and social priorities Volume of residual material (available landfill) Investment and operational cost New challenges

11. Nanotechnology – the promise (nanomarket growth to 1 trillion over the next 10 years) Fields of application potential: Membrane filtration (drinking and wastewater) Anti-microbial nanoparticles for disinfection and microbial control Removal of arsenic and heavy metals Nanosensors for water quality monitoring

12. Nanotechnology – a cautionary note Risk – toxicity and exposure Nanoexposure studies – only on inhalation Aquatic environment ? Time-lag (see also DDT history) Safe particles

13. Biological wastewater treatment Suspended cell bioreactors (activated sludge systems) Suspended cell bioreactors (activated sludge systems) Particle size distribution Particle size distribution Diffusion limitation s Diffusion limitation s Ratio of floc and filament former bacteria Ratio of floc and filament former bacteria Technological functions Technological functions

14. A novel concept – IASON (developed by the BME) I – Intelligent I – Intelligent A – Artificial A – Artificial S – Sludge S – Sludge O – Operated by O – Operated by N - Nanotechnology N - Nanotechnology

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

16. Wastewater bacteria on microscopic carrier materials (PVA-PAA)

17. Challenges for wastewater treatment Adoption to changes in ever changing wastewater composition Adoption to changes in ever changing wastewater composition New type of pollutants (EDS materials) New type of pollutants (EDS materials) Conceptual change and novel opportunities Conceptual change and novel opportunities Professional background (R+D and education) Professional background (R+D and education) Design of wastewater composition Design of wastewater composition

18. Conceptual change needed URBAN UREA CYCLE The problem itself

19. N removal NH 4 + Nitrification (oxidation to NO 3 - ) Denitrification (reduction to N 2 ) 30 g/cap/d

20. The problem in numbers In Budapest the annual carbamide release via urine is 22,000 tons (30 g/cap/d) Market value : 2,2*10 9 HUF ( 9,1 Million /y ) Yearly expenditure on N removal 5,5*10 9 HUF (22,7 Million /y) (0,5 Mio m 3 /d wastewater and 30 HUF /m 3 N removal cost ) These all together: 7,7 billion HUF/y (31,8 Million /y) What separates us from this money ???

21. Wastewater composition design for carbamide (2 problems) Inhibition of carbamide degradation Removal of urea from wastewater prior to reach WWTP/or at the head of WWTP

22. Removal of urea from raw wastewater Microfiltration (should precipitable product is formed) Ionic exchange (charged molecule) Simple adsorbers (if polymer) Sedimentation (if formed precipitate is large and dense enough) FINAL RESULTS: greatly decreased N load in raw wastewater (savings on O+M cost) and marketable N fertilizer (carbamide)

23. FINAL CONCLUSIONS The classical period of wastewater treatment technology is over (LCA, EDS, cost, sustainability) We must not keep the usual distance from our wastewater (e.g., Singapore – NEWater, reclaimed water) The raw wastewater has to be considered as a valuable product (energy contents: MFC, biogas production), marketable compounds (carbamide) Source control (EDS materials)