MS Graduate Student
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
NC State University
Contact: Dr. Mike Burchell (mike_burchell@ ncsu.edu)
Start Date: January 15, 2024
Project description:
This project will evaluate technologies that combine physical and biological processes to enhance nitrogen and phosphorus removal at smaller rural wastewater treatment facilities - a crucial strategy to improve surface water quality in NC. Advances in duckweed breeding and genetics and in the use of biochar have increased their potential to strip nutrients from wastewater. This study will combine laboratory experiments and scaled-up tests at a rural wastewater facility to enhance and build upon previous on-site research by members of the project team. We hypothesize harvestable duckweed and biochar filters will significantly reduce ammonium-nitrogen and phosphate in secondary wastewater effluent. Further, treatment efficiency will be enhanced as a treatment train and if wetland plants and pulsed aeration are added to the biochar filter. Nutrients captured by duckweed and biochar adsorption could potentially be recovered and reused as soil amendments. These alternatives could significantly improve watershed health, with minimal economic effect on underserved rural communities. This research project will be further enhanced through undergraduate and graduate student training, as well as the development of outreach materials and workshops for rural wastewater operators that will complement the goals of existing state wastewater infrastructure programs.