Harnessing the wonders of the microbial world to solve environmental problems René Rozendal

Transcription

1 Harnessing the wonders of the microbial world to solve environmental problems René Rozendal Understanding Microbial Communities - Developing the Potential Isaac Newton Institute Open for Business Event th of December Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge

2 About Paques Family owned business, founded in 1960 Number of employees: ~400 Number of Business Units: 4 (Europe, China, South America & India) Develop and commercialize novel biological solutions for wastewater and gas treatment More than 1,800 installations worldwide 2

3 Microbial Diversity 3

4 Our approach Application of useful microorganisms from nature in our high rate bioreactors 4 In strong collaboration with universities!

5 Environmental Biotechnology Pure culture processes not feasible on waste Dirty environments, already full of microbes Large flows, so sterilisation not economically feasible Only option: Understand the role that certain target microbes have in nature and recreate their preferred environment inside a bioreactor. Community engineering vs Genetic engineering 5

6 Paques product portfolio Know how area Application Products Organics ANAEROBIC AND AEROBIC WATER TREATMENT BIOPAQ IC BIOPAQ UASB / UASB+ BIOPAQ AFR CIRCOX BIOPAQ UBOX H 2 S / SO 2 (BIOGAS) DESULFURISATION THIOPAQ BIODESOX Nitrogen & Phosphate (DE)NITRIFICATION ANAMMOX PHOSPAQ ASTRASAND PHOSPAQ Metals and sulphate METAL RECOVERY SULPHATE REDUCTION THIOTEQ SULFATEQ BIOMETEQ Separation FILTRATION AND SOLID REMOVAL ASTRASAND ASTRASEPARATOR 6

7 Anaerobic Treatment World leader in anaerobic wastewater treatment Removal of organic contaminants Biogas production >1000 Biopaq references in more than 60 countries 7

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9 ARCHAEA BACTERIA Sulfolobus Pyrodictium Thermoproteus Thermofilum Methanosarcina Methanosaeta E.coli Methanospirillum Pelobacter Methanobacterium Cytophaga Methanococcus Syntrophomonas Thermococcus Syntrophobacter Thermomicrobium Synergistes Clostridium Propionibacterium 0.1 changes per nt Tritrichomonas Giardia EUCARYA Zea Homo Coprinus Paramecium Porphyra macroscopic organisms 9 Vairimorpha Encephalitozoon Physarum Trypanosoma Dictyostelium Naegleria Entamoeba (Image by: Damien Batstone, The University of Queensland) Methanosarcina (Image by: Broad institute)

10 Hydrolysis Acidogenesis Acetogenesis Complex Organic Matter/Particulates Monomers (sugars, proteins) Volatile Fatty Acids, Ketones, Alcohols, H 2 4 stages Products of one stage are the substrates of the next stage. Hydrolysis, acidogenesis, and acetogenesis done by bacteria Acetic acid, H 2 Methanogenesis 10 Biogas Methanogenesis done by specialised archaea

11 Before the 80 s, flocs were used LOW BIOMASS DENSITY 11

12 Then anaerobic granules were discovered During the 70 s development of anaerobic granular sludge technology (Lettinga) Much more microbial biomass per m 3 reactor, so much higher conversion rates 12

13 13 GRANULAR BIOMASS (SIZE: mm)

14 Survival strategy Biofilm & Granule formation Source: istockphoto Photo: S. van koningsbruggen 1 mm 14 Photo s: G. Gonzales-Gil, A.Alphenaar

15 Dilution rate < growth rate Microorganisms stay inside the system. 15

16 Dilution rate > growth rate Wash out of microorganisms! 16

17 Dilution rate > growth rate However, microbes are smarter than that! Under the right circumstances microorganisms can form granules to stay in reactor! 17

18 18 BIOPAQ IC settler 8 m diameter

19 BIOPAQ IC Internal Circulation 19

20 Product development - Size Volume Diameter

21 Large scale biotechnology up to 5000 m 3 (15 m diameter and 28 m height) Capacity: ~100 ton COD/day ~50,000 m 3 biogas/day Equivalent to: ~15 MW th or ~5 MW e (~10,000 households) 21

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23 Biogas composition Compound Vol% Methane (CH 4 ) Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) Water (H 2 O) 0-5 Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S)

24 24 Consequenses of H 2 S exposure H 2 S conc. (ppm) (Possible) consequences 0.02 Rotten egg smell 1.6 Exposure limit (average over 8 hours) 10 Evacuation limit 100 Numbing of the olfactory nerves in 3 to 15 minutes Stinging of eyes and throat Risk of pulmonary oedema 200 Acute numbing of olfactory nerves Stinging of eyes and throat Risk of pulmonary oedema 500 Impairment of mental abilities Loss of sense of balance Numbing of respiratory organs in 30 to 45 min. Lethal after 30 to 60 min. 700 Rapid loss of consciousness (max. 15 min.) Breathing stops Lethal after 12 to 15 min Immediate loss of consciousness Acute numbing of breathing Knock down effect Lethal within 3 min. H 2 S in Biogas: >>1000 ppm!!!

25 THIOPAQ technology: Conversion of H 2 S to elemental sulphur Absorber H 2 S + OH - HS - + H 2 O Bioreactor HS - + ½ O 2 S 0 + OH - 25

26 H 2 S removal by biological oxidation Two possibilities: Complete oxidation: H 2 S + 2 O 2 H 2 SO 4 (sulfuric acid - dissolved) Partial oxidation: H 2 S O 2 H 2 O+ S 0 (elemental sulfur a solid) 26

27 How to stimulate sulfur accumulation? HS - S 0 SO 3 2- SO 4 2-2e - X 4e - X 2e - Cytochrome pool saturated 8H O 2 cbb3 4 H 2 O Oxygen supply via Redox Control (Janssen 1995) 27

28 28 Photo: A. Janssen

29 Natural Environment Thiopaq inoculum Sodium Bicarbonate DGGE analysis 16S rrna Full Scale Halothiobacillus W5, original dominant organism Pure culture Thioalkalivibrio sp. 29

30 0.02 ton S per day 0.5 ton S per 0.9 ton S per day day 2.8 ton S per day 4 ton S per day 13 ton S per day 30

31 THIOPAQ Gas desulphurisation with recovery 31

32 THIOPAQ Fertilizer 32

33 33 ANAMMOX TOTAL NITROGEN REMOVAL

34 Comparison Conventional vs. ANAMMOX Conventional: nitrification + denitrification ANAMMOX Ammonium aeration (2.8 kwh/kg N) Ammonium aeration (1 kwh/kg N) Nitrate Ammonium Nitrite COD (>5 kg/kg N) COD (0 kg/kg N) Nitrogen gas >4.7 ton CO 2 /ton N Nitrogen gas 0.7 ton CO 2 /ton N 34

35 Our starting point: two-step ANAMMOX Sharon ANAMMOX NH 4 + NH 4 + NO 2 - N 2 air 35 Rejection water WWTP Rotterdam 2002

36 Next step: one-step reactor ANAMMOX N 2 effluent influent (NH 4+ ) air 36

37 GRANULES AGAIN! Anammox Granules Anaerobic Granules 37

38 38 Principle One Step ANAMMOX

39 Principle One Step ANAMMOX O 2 NH 4 + NO 2 - N 2 NH 4 + NH

40 AMX AOB 40

41 41 MEI HUA Group Glutamate production China 11,000 kg N/day

42 Advanced Integrated Anaerobic Treatment Rendac Rendering Son (NL) 6,000 kg N/day 42

43 What s next? The Biobased Economy 43

44 Complex Organic Matter/Particulates Hydrolysis Monomers (sugars, proteins) Acidogenesis Acetogenesis Methanogenesis Volatile Fatty Acids, Ketones, Alcohols, H 2 Acetic acid, H 2 Volatile Fatty Acids (C 2 /C 3 /C 4 ) V F A P L A T F O R M BIOBASED PRODUCTS 44 Biogas

45 High Rate VFA Production High rate systems for the production of VFA Granular biomass VLR>> 100 kg COD/m 3 /day Product: >10 g/l VFA Mixture of acetate, propionate, butyrate, lactate, etc. 45

46 Bioplastic Poly-b-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Common and widespread storage material in microorganisms Storage up to 90 wt% in granules Properties similar to petrochemical plastics Biodegradable Made from renewable resources Currently made using conventional fermentation. Too expensive to become a commercial success. Van Loosdrecht & Kleerebezem 46

47 47 New process developed

48 How does it compare? Characteristics Mixed microbial cultures, so normal wastewater treatment No genetically engineered micro-organisms! RBCOD (i.e., VFA) from wastewater as feed No expensive raw materials required! High PHA accumulation percentages (80-90% of dry weight) Lower Downstream Processing costs Direct use possible (i.e., without Downstream Processing) Result: major cost improvement compared to conventional fermentation process! 48

49 Ecological role of bioplastics PHA = Microbial Fat Feed supply Time Pulse feeding of substrate favors growth of bioplastic producing microorganisms: feast famine regime

50 Microbial selection Substrate PHA storing bacteria Non PHA storing bacteria

51 PHB [%] 100 Evolution based system improvement April July 2007 Feb Time [h] (Mark van Loosdrecht & Robbert Kleerebezem)

52 52 12/5/

53 PHA Pilot Plant 53 Mars production plant Veghel, Netherlands Capacitity : 1 kg/day

54 PHA pilot : Resultaten 74 % PHA 54

55 Products / Intermediates VFA or carboxylate Platform Solid biomass (organic waste, agricultural residu, etc.) V F A Biopolymers Alcohols Industrial WW Algae(waste) WWT sludge (e.g., municipal) Fatty Acids (C 2 /C 3 /C 4 ) P L A T F O R M Biogas Electrons Biomethane MCFA (C 6 /C 8 ) e-products Etc. 55

56 Take away messages Environmental biotechnology is about understanding the role certain target microbes have in nature and recreating their preferred environment inside a bioreactor. In the past environmental biotechnology was mainly about treatment (C, N, S, etc.); the future will be about resource recovery (bioplastic etc.). All our technologies originated at universities, so for us a strong collaboration between universities and companies is of vital importance. 56

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