Design of hybrid nano-engineered bioprocesses for wastewater treatment

Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain

1. University of Girona, Spain

2. Technical University of Munich, Germany

The capability of microbes to reduce functionalized graphene compounds can be used for advanced biological treatment of wastewater. Addition of low cost graphene oxide to an anaerobic community may enhance the redox conversion of persistent pollutants to their less toxic equivalents. The role of bioreduced graphene oxide (bRGO) in the anaerobic conversion of contaminants seems to be dual, as it may act as electron shuttle between the microorganisms and the pollutants, and it may promote the direct interspecies electron transfer between the microorganisms. This project will focus on developing a hybrid nano-engineered biotreatment based on bRGO. We will evaluate the redox conversion and metabolic pathways of a range of pollutants persistent to aerobic treatment (e.g., halogenated, nitro and azo-compounds). The addition of graphene oxide will be evaluated under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions. Given that the presence of bRGO may also enhance methane production, the process will also be evaluated in terms of the production and quality of the biogas.

Technical University of Munich, Germany – 12 months