Microorganisms control the fluxes of geochemical cycles, and anaerobic microbial processes are recently discovered with new implications on relevant fluxes of nitrogen and carbon in human-influenced ecosystems. Wastewater treatment as a model of a heavily human-influenced ecosystem and sewage transport systems are a source of pollution that have been overlooked for a long time, large amounts of uncharacterized and uncontrolled GHG emissions are released to the atmosphere contributing to climate change.
This project will investigate the microbial eco-physiology involved in the fluxes of harmful emissions from sewage transport and treatment systems (i.e. ammonia, methane, nitrate, nitrite, nitrous oxide, and sulfide). Sewage transport and wastewater treatment systems offer optimal conditions for key anaerobic microbial processes, leading to harmful emissions to occur. Several studies have measured fugitive CH4 and N2O emissions from sewer networks, which represent a major source of GHG (9-12). The understanding of the microbial mechanisms that originate these negative emissions, and the microbial interactions that control their fluxes; are critical to create integrated and sustainable treatment technologies.
A special applied focus is given to the characterization of current emission profiles, and the microbial potential to control such emissions and prevent their release into the environment. Microorganisms that oxidize methane using nitrate and/or nitrite have the potential to revolutionize the current challenges in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in wastewater transport and sewage treatment. For that to happen, the understanding of the intricate microbial ecophysiology in full-scale engineered sewage systems is of extreme importance.
In this project, we apply state-of-the-art omics, modern bio-reactor technology, and use current real treatment systems as models to unravel further their potential. Ultimately, this project will:
Highlight new directions to existing challenges in sewage treatment and current treatment technologies.
Have big impact in the field, considering that any outcomes and deliverables of this project will be a great output to a new field, with lack of physiological data to complement engineering developments any eco-physiology knowledge is a significant contribution.
Contribute to the knowledge on microbial processes to solve methane emissions in sewage treatments.
To characterize emissions in sewage facilities and the anaerobic microbial processes of interest.
To identify environmental and engineered parameters governing these emissions in sewage facilities.
To relate to the current regulatory framework on GHG from the sample points.
