This is a recommendation for an award to support research on the feasibility of improving the dewatering of sludges derived from treatment of wastewater by the use of enzymes. This work could provide an alternative for sludge dewatering with substantial savings of energy and cost. The work will focus initially on obtaining sludge microbes which over-produce polysaccharide slimes, followed by isolating other microbes capable of degrading polysaccharides present in the sludge. Factors influencing rapid, effective, and adequate polysaccharide degradation will be identified and verified by addition of slime- degrading microbial cultures, their bacteriophages, and extracted depolymerase enzymes to model systems of slime-containing sludges. The proposal leading to this recommendation was submitted in accord with NSF 86-I9, Small Business Innovation Research. This proposed work has objectives consistent with those of the Program in Environmental Engineering and the investigators have qualifications appropriate for the work to be done. Award is recommended in the amount of $39,580 for six months starting on February 1, 1987. This will be for Phase I as described in NSF 86-19.
