This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project investigates a novel bioelectrochemical system for combined treatment of carbon and nitrogen in the wastewater of re-circulating and semi-re-circulating aquaculture facilities. The aquaculture industry is currently held-back by high levels of wastewater and expensive treatment technologies. Elevated levels of nitrogen versus carbon in aquaculture wastewater require several expensive and energy-intensive steps for complete treatment. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) represent a new technology capable of treating wastewater in an energy-positive manner while producing fewer byproducts than existing technologies. The project will construct and evaluate a novel three-cell BES that can treat several of the most important water pollutants in a combined, energy-positive step. Phase I will prove feasibility of the technology and quantify system performance. Phase II studies will develop detailed designs and begin pilot studies at IntAct or in the field, pending Phase I results.
The broader/commercial impacts of this research are to demonstrate a novel approach to aquaculture wastewater treatment with the potential to significantly enhance the economic of re-circulating and semi-recirculating aquaculture systems. Fish farming is emerging as a critical 21st century industry, with global annual production already more than 60 million tons. Yet industry growth is constrained by competition for water and the high cost of wastewater treatment technologies. By reducing energy-intensiveness and combining treatment processes, bio-electrochemical systems have the potential to greatly enhance the economics of re-circulating and semi-recirculation aquaculture facilities and the environmental sustainability of the industry.
