PdNA Webcast Series, Part 2: PdNA Pilot- and Full-Scale Research and Future Directions

Webcast

Mainstream anammox treatment using partial denitrification anammox (PdNA) is a shortcut nitrogen removal technology that has generated tremendous interest and excitement over the last few years.

The WRF project Mainstream Deammonification with Biological Phosphorus Removal (5095) demonstrates a practical and realistic revolution in wastewater biological nutrient/nitrogen removal (BNR) technology, helping to significantly minimize the cost and impact of stringent total nitrogen limits. Shortcut nitrogen removal processes require less organic carbon than conventional processes, whether that carbon is from influent wastewater or exogenous sources. Implementing these processes allows for carbon capture/diversion without compromising nitrogen removal. Typical wastewater conditions and process efficiencies are unlikely to allow energy self-sufficiency via captured carbon, unless shortcut nitrogen removal is implemented.

Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this project’s goal was to develop proof of principle for different PdNA configurations—with the integration of biological phosphorus removal—and move PdNA into full-scale applications. PdNA with biological phosphorus removal has the potential to achieve low nutrient effluent concentrations with reductions in energy, chemicals, and treatment footprint. Ultimately, implementation of this process can provide significant cost savings to utilities while reducing nutrient discharges to the watershed and mitigating the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs).

Part 2 of the webcast series will focus on recent research on lab-scale and full-scale PdNA applications and emerging technologies, as well as including a discussion on future directions for PdNA research. This webcast will be of particular interest to scientists, engineers, and practitioners interested in new PdNA research and future directions.

Presenters:

  • George Wells, Northwestern University
  • Kartik Chandran, Columbia University
  • Rumana Riffat, George Washington University
  • Haydee De Clippelier, DC Water 

Moderator:

  • Jeff Moeller, Director of Research Services, The Water Research Foundation


Webcast materials were developed in part under Assistance Agreement No. 84008601 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to The Water Research Foundation. It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Agency. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.