Anammox is a novel and cost effective strategy for engineered biological nitrogen removal (BNR), which involves the biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen gas using nitrite as the terminal electron acceptor. Despite the well documented advantages of anammox over conventional BNR (lower operating cost and energy requirements, lower CO2 footprint), the first full-scale installation of anammox in the United States has yet to start. In this NSF GOALI project, the PI proposes to develop experimental and modeling based strategies to promote rapid startup and long-term stable operation of anammox reactors in the United States through a concerted collaborative effort between academic research labs and industry. The critical research and application question posed by this study is ?what is the optimal functional and structural composition of anammox communities that ultimately results in stable N-removal via anammox systems?? The academic teams involved in this project are from Columbia University and the Technical University of Denmark. Industry partners are the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and CH2M Hill.
This NSF GOALI project represents one of the first systematic attempts at full-scale and the second pilot-scale implementation of anammox in the United States. Using novel molecular techniques such as community profiling and gene expression, the ?black-box? of anammox will be opened. The analytical and modeling effort will lead to a better understanding of the specific mechanisms by which to ?engineer? stable multi-species anammox communities. Ultimately, the results of this project can help to promote widespread adaptation of anammox for BNR, based on a mechanistic understanding of the microbes that mediate these pathways.
This NSF GOALI project addresses reducing nitrogenous pollution in an environmentally sustainable fashion", one of the grand engineering challenges defined by the National Academy of Engineering and is expected to contribute significantly to the nitrogen removal program of New York City and additional utilities in the United States that adopt anammox. Therefore, this NSF GOALI project is expected to have a strong and wide impact on developing the practice of anammox for BNR. In addition, this NSF project will support two modes of community based outreach to students and teachers. First, the PI will integrate his research into high school education in FDA, a minority oriented school in Harlem, NY through the existing CTICE K-12 program. Adding such novel dimensions to existing educational models is expected to complement the ongoing social and economic rejuvenation of Harlem by improvements to secondary education. Second, high-school science teacher participants in the NSF STEP Teacher Training Program, aimed at enabling curricular enhancements in science education will be hosted in the PI?s laboratory during the summer.
