The goal of this project is to develop thermophilic, anaerobic treatment technology for wastewater with high oncentrations of salt and aromatics – BioXtreme. Chemical industries produce large volumes of wastewater containing extremely high salt concentrations and a variety of pollutants, such as phenolics, poly-phenolics and other aromatics. If properly treated, industrial water reuse can help in alleviating freshwater scarcity, in areas worldwide. The Netherlands – universities and private companies – has a strong position in waste water treatment, in particular granular sludge technology. At extreme salt concentrations, high concentration of aromatics and thermophilic conditions, stable granules formation can no longer be guaranteed, and alternative technology  is required. Anaerobic MBR (membrane bioreactor) potentially is an excellent option, with low investment costs and energy use. Anaerobic processes are reported to be able to degrade refractory organic compounds and more specifi cally aromatic compounds in moderate conditions. A breakthrough in waste water treatment can be achieved when Anaerobic MBR (AnMBR) technology fit for extreme conditions can be developed, as will be done in this project. The main scientific challenges for development of AnMBR treatment for extreme conditions are:

• To retain the crucial organisms required for the degradation of aromatic compounds (based on elucidation of the degradation pathways of aromatic substances).
• To determine the mechanisms underlying the formation of a stable, robust and effective biomass, either in the reactor broth or as a dynamic cake layer on the membrane.
• To determine the best flow conditions for membrane operation, balancing minimal fouling and the formation of a biofi lm that can enhance degradation.

Worldwide scarcity of freshwater is a large and rapidly growing problem. Industrial demand is increasing dramatically, especially in fast developing economies like China. Industrial demand in 2025 is forecasted to be at twice the level of the year 2000. Industry competes with domestic and agricultural use for the supply of good quality freshwater. Waste water released by industry can pollute freshwater sources, which enhances scarcity issues. Re-use of industrial water (either in industry or for example agriculture) can help signifi cantly to alleviate the scarcity problems. A large part of produced industrial water is characterized by high concentrations of salts and aromatics. There is an urgent need for sustainable and cost effective treatment that can make this water suitable for (re-)use. BioXtreme delivers such a technology. The industrial partners, Paques and Evides Industriewater already have a strong international position in anaerobic treatment and the supply of (re-used) water to the chemical and food industry, respectively. They see BioXtreme as a valuable addition to their product portfolio, opening market segments presently not accessible. Following a lab scale pilot trial, the industrial partners will organize a larger scale pilot at the location of one of their customers. Market implementation at commercial scale is expected 3-4 years after completion of this project.

Consortium:

Evides Industriewater
Paques
STW
TU Delft

Project coordinator:

Prof.dr.ir. Jules van Lier / Dr.ir. Henri Spanjers
j.b.vanlier@tudelft.nl / h.l.f.m.spanjers@tudelft.nl