RESEARCH 57th Central CANADIAN SYMPOSIUM ON WATER QUALITY - The Canadian Association on Water Quality
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57th Central CANADIAN SYMPOSIUM ON WATER QUALITY
RESEARCH
April 4, 2022
New Student Centre, Convention Centre
York University, Toronto, Canada
Supported by
Canadian Association on Water Quality
IWA Young Water Professional Canada
Ryerson University
University of Toronto
York University
Queens University
The Canadian Association on Water Quality is a non-governmental, non-profit organization for scientists, engineers, technologists, administrators, practitioners and students engaged in or interested in research on water quality or on the control or treatment of water pollution. The mission of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ) is to create and foster a nationwide network of professionals dedicated to the development and communication of knowledge to preserve and enhance the water quality environment. Website: https://www.cawq.ca IWA YWP Canada aims to be an inclusive, forward thinking, and supportive community for all early career Canadians working in the water sector. We started the IWA YWP Canada with the goal of gathering together early career professionals working in our country’s water sector so that they can network and share knowledge with each other. Website: https://iwa-network.org/news/iwa-launches-a-new-young-water-professionals-chapter-in-canada/ Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-focused education and a university clearly on the move. It is a distinctly urban university with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Ryerson has a mission to serve societal need and a long- standing commitment to engaging its community. Website: http://www.ryerson.ca
The University of Toronto (UofT) was founded in 1827 and has evolved into one of Canada’s leading educational institutions. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities. Our community of professors, students, researchers, and partners have the opportunity to discover, learn and create knowledge that is both significant nationally and internationally. The UofT strives to foster an academic environment that allows learning and scholarship to flourish, producing quality work and graduates that have the ability to not only address today’s pressing issues but the challenges we may face in the future. Website: http://www.utoronto.ca York University is Canada's third-largest university. York University has approximately 52,300 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and 295,000 alumni worldwide. It has eleven faculties, including the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Faculty of Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, Schulich School of Business, Osgoode Hall Law School, Glendon College, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Graduate Studies, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (formerly the Faculty of Fine Arts), and 28 research centres. Website: http://www.yorku.ca
Symposium Themes
Municipal and
industrial Waste/Residuals Bioenergy/Resource Water Recycling &
Wastewater Management Recovery Reuse
Treatment
Impacts of Climate
Change on Water Artificial
Emerging Wastewater Intelligence in
Contaminants Surveillance Quality & Water
Industry Water Management
Modelling of Process Water
Environmental Water and Public Drinking Water Treatment in Oil &
Systems Health Treatment Gas Sectors
Surface and
Groundwater Stormwater
Quality Management
Dear Conference Attendees Welcome to the 57th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research! It is our great honor and pleasure to host the 57th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research in-person. The symposium aims to bring together people in diverse fields of water quality engineering and management. With increasing concerns over water and climate issues, there is an urgent need to develop next-generation technologies for water and wastewater industry to ensure economic benefits for our society and improve sustainability in environment and waste resources management. The goal of this conference is to share recent research achievements and innovations in both existing and developing research areas in the context of sustainable waste and wastewater treatment. On behalf of the organizing committee, we would like to thank you for participating and contributing to this event and look forward to stimulating conversations around the many topics that will be presented at the symposium. Thank you! Sincerely Conference Organizing Committee
Conference Organizing Committee
Ahmed Eldyasti, PhD, PEng Ron Hofmann, PhD, PEng
Associate Professor Conference Co-Chair
Civil Engineering Professor and NSERC IRC
Lassonde School of Engineering Department of Civil Engineering, University of
York University Toronto
Farokh Laqa Kakar Stephanie Gora, PhD, PEng
Professor at George Brown College- President of
IWA-YWP Canada; Ph.D. Candidate at the Civil Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering
Engineering department of Ryerson University; Lassonde School of Engineering
President of Graduate Leadership Council at York University
Ontario Water consortium; Vice President of
Young Professionals in the Canadian Association
for Water Quality (CAWQ); Global Ambassador
at the Society of Women Engineers.
Sarah Jane Payne, PhD, PEng
Elsayed Elbeshbishy, PhD, PEng
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Queen’s University
Ryerson University (Renaming in Process)
Conference Agenda
April 4-5, 2022
New Student Centre, Convention Centre
York University, Toronto, Canada
Registration and Breakfast (8:00 am – 8:45 am) ELC Schulich Private Dining Room
Dr. Ahmed Eldyasti, Conference Chair,
8:45
Dr. Dan Palermo, Chair, Department of Civil Engineering,
am -
Welcome Address York University
9:00
Mr. Mike Lywood, CAWQ president
am
Mrs. Farokh L. Kakar, IWA YWP President
Opening Activity and Keynote Speaker - ELC X106
Dr. Stephanie Gora
INTERACTIVE WATER SAFETY ACTIVITY WITH THE AUDIENCE
9:00
am –
10:10
Dr. Syed Imran Ali (Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research)
am
UNLOCKING LIFE-PRESERVING INFORMATION FROM ROUTINE WATER
QUALITY MONITORING
Break (10:10 am – 10:30 am)
Session (2): Wastewater Session (3): Water Quality
Session (1): Wastewater
Technology II and Treatment
Technology I
ELC Schulich Private
ELC X211 Dining Room
Time ELC X106
Co-chairs: Dr. Ahmed Co-chairs: Dr. Stephanie
Co-chairs: Dr. Parnian Izadi
Eldyasti and Rama Gora and Md
and Shabir Razavi
Pulicharla Annadduzaman
AN INTERMITTENT TREATMENT OF BIOCHAR TYPE,
ENERGIZATION GREYWATER BY PARTICLE SIZE, AND
STRATEGY FOR OXYGEN BASED VEGETATION
IMPROVEMENT OF MEMBRANE BIOFILM INFLUENCE LEACHATE
DIRECT INTERSPECIES BIOREACTOR: WATER QUALITY FROM
10:30
ELECTRON TRANSFER IN EXPERIMENTAL AND A GREEN ROOF
-
A MICROBIAL MODELING STUDY SUBSTRATE
10:45
ELECTROLYSIS CELL
am
ASSISTED ANAEROBIC
DIGESTER Mostafa Khalil, Yang Liu, Wenxi Liao, Jennifer Drake,
Peter Vanrolleghem, Yun Sean C. Thomas
Zhou
Basem Zakaria, Bipro Dhar
CORRELATION BETWEEN IMPACT OF NANOSCALE MULTI-ELEMENT
DEVELOPMENT AND ZERO-VALENT IRON COMPOUND SPECIFIC
CALIBRATION OF A AND NANO-IRON ISOTOPE ANALYSIS
BIOWIN PROCESS MODEL POWDER ON THE REVEALS AEROBIC
TO EVALUATE VOLATILE FATTY BIODEGRADATION OF
10:45
TREATMENT ACIDS RECOVERY 2,3-DICHLOROANILINE
-
ALTERNATIVES FOR THROUGH DARK AT A COMPLEX SITE
11:00
PROCESS FERMENTATION
am
INTENSIFICATION
Shamsunnahar Suchana, Elodie
Abir Hamze, Bipro Dhar, Passeport
Fatima-zahra Ezzahraoui, Rania Elsayed Elbeshbishy
Hamza
MODELLING ANAEROBIC METHANE YIELD IN A NUTRIENT CONTENT OF
DIGESTION MICROBIAL SEMI CONTINUOUS GREEN ROOF
COMMUNITY GROWTH STUDY FOR CO- SUBSTRATE AS
RATE USING COBRAPY DIGESTED PRIMARY AFFECTED BY BIOCHAR
TOOLBOX SLUDGE AND AND VEGETATION
11:00
THICKENED WASTE
-
ACTIVATED SLUDGE IN
11:15
Maryam Ghazizade Fard, Sonia A MUNICIPAL Virinder Sidhu, Wenxi Liao,
am
Battista, Ehssan Koupaie WASTEWATER PLANT Liat Margolis, Marney Isaac,
Sean Thomas, Jennifer Drake
Hassan Mahdi, Elsayed
Elbeshbishy
EFFECT OF COMBINED SONOLYSIS OF DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT
CHEMICALS MUNICIPAL SOLID FOR LAB-SCALE OILY
CONDITIONING ON WASTES BY LOW- WATER FITRATION
ANAEROBIC DIGESTATE FREQUENCY SYSTEM USING SURFACE
DEWATERABILITY ULTRASOUND AS ENGINEERED FOAMS
11:15 PRETREATMENT FOR
– ENHANCED
11:30 Umme Sharmeen Hyder, BIOMETHANE Jordan Bouchard and Amy
am Elsayed Elbeshbishy PRODUCTION Bilton
Arshad Hashmi, Farokh Laqa
Kakar, Amir Bazyar, Elsayed
Elbeshbishy
A REVIEW OF RECENT PROCESS
ADVANCES ON FATE OF OPTIMIZATION OF
CORONAVIRUSES IN COMBINED PRE- COMPARATIVE
11:30 WASTEWATER AND TREATMENT OF ASSESSMENT OF RIGHT-
– WASTEWATER THICKENED WASTE OF-WAY STORMWATER
11:45 TREATMENT PLANT ACTIVATED SLUDGE TO MANAGEMENT
am INCREASE BIOGAS PRACTICES
PRODUCTION
Kaiyu Zhang, Ehssan
Salomeh Chegini, Elsayed Keval Vejani, Darko
Elbeshbishy Joksimovic
IMULATING COMPARING SAMPLING ASSESSMENT OF
WASTEWATER METHODS FOR GRANULAR ACTIVATED
TREATMENT PLANTS WASTEWATER CARBON FILTER
11:45 USING ARTIFICIAL MONITORING OF SARS- ADSORBERS TO REDUCE
– INTELLIGENCE COV-2 AND VARIANTS PFAS EMISSIONS FROM
12:00 OF CONCERN MUNICIPAL
pm WASTEWATER
Mohamed Sherif Zaghloul, TREATMENT PLANTS
Gopal Achari Alexandra Tsitouras
Soroosh Mortazavian and Ron
Hofmann
INVESTIGATING THE EXTRACELLULAR
EFFECT OF TRACE POLYMERIC
METAL SALTS IN WOOD SUBSTANCES AND
HYDROLYSATE ON LIPID ANTIBIOTICS
ACCUMULATION RESISTANCE GENES IN
12:00 ABILITY OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
– RHODOSPORIDIUM OF THERMALLY
12:15 TORULOIDES-1588 HYDROLYZED SEWAGE
pm SLUDGE
Rahul Saini, Carlos Gonzalez,
Krishnamoorthy Hegde, Nervana Haffiez, S.M.
Satinder Brar, Pierre Vezina Mirsoleimani Azizi, B.S.
Zakaria, B.R. Dhar
Lunch (12:15 pm – 1:30 pm) – ELC Main Dining Room
Annual General Meeting for CAWQ (12:30 pm – 1:30 pm) – ELC Schulich Private Dining Room
Keynote Speaker 2 – ELC X106
Linda Li, MASc, PEng: Dillon Consulting Limited
1:30– 2:00
pm
Contributing to World Water Development as a Canadian Consulting Young
Professional
Panel Discussion – ELC X106Dr. Kati Bell: Vice President And Director of Water Strategy for Brown and
Caldwell
Dr. Howie Honeyman: Chief Executive Officer & President, Forward Water
Technologies
2:00– 3:30
Dr. Satinder K. Brar: Professor and James and Joanne Love Chair in
pm
Environmental Engineering, York University
Mike Lywood: President of CAWQ, Principal Water Services Engineer.
Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions
Farokh Laqa Kakar: PhD Candidate at Ryerson University (Host)
Break (3:30 pm – 4:00 pm)
3MT Competition (4:00 – 5:00 pm) ELC X106 (Co-chairs Ahmed Eldyasti and Hayat Reza)
ELECTRO-MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR FOR THE Oumaima El-hachimi, J.F.
TREATMENT OF LANDFILL LEACHATE Blais, P. Drogui, D. Alphard
Masoume Ehsani, Ning Zhu,
FOULING CONTROL IN ULTRAFILTRATION OF
Huu Doan, Ali Lohi and Amira
SKIMMED MILK SOLUTION USING IN-SITU
ULTRASONIC SURFACE CLEANING Abdelrasoul
EFFICIENT CARBON MANAGEMENT Ahmed Mahmoud,
USING THE ALTERNATING ACTIVATED Moomen Soliman, Ahmed
ADSORPTION (AAA) SYSTEM Eldyasti
Monitoring green roof performance using low-cost Afsana Alam Akhie , Darko
image sensor Joksimovic
NOVEL NOB OUT-SELECTION USING A KINETIC- Moomen Soliman, Ahmed
BASED ADAPTATION STRATEGY Mahmoud, Ahmed Eldyasti
THE EFFECTS OF EXTERNAL CONDUCTIVE MATTERS
ON THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES OF THE ANAEROBIC Julia O’Reilly, Ehssan Koupaie
DIGESTION PROCESS
PERSISTENT, MOBILE, AND TOXIC PLASTIC ADDITIVES Eric Fries, Tanjot Grewal, Dr.
IN CANADA: PROPERTIES AND PRIORITIZATION Roxana Sühring
EFFECT OF FREE NITROUS ACID PRE-TREATMENT ON Salomeh Chegini, Elsayed
BIOGAS PRODUCTION AT LOW EXPOSURE TIMES Elbeshbishy
ENERGY AND RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF WASTEWATER
Mohammad Elassar, Mohamed
TREATMENT PLANTS IN SMALL COMMUNITIES IN
Hamoda, Rania Hamza
ONTARIO
Isolation, identification and characterisation of thermophilic Shraddha Chavan, Bhoomika
and thermotolerant PHA producing bacteria using waste Yadav, R.D. Tyagi, Patrick
feedstocks: an insight into the extremophiles Drogui
EPS production and application for landfill leachate treatment R. TYAGI , P. DROGUI, A.
(combining with electrochemical treatment) ATMAKURI
Closing Remarks and Student Awards (5:00 - 5:30 pm) ELC X106
Social/Networking (7:00 - 9:30 pm) ELC Schulich Private Dining RoomKeynote Speakers
Dr. Syed Imran Ali – Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research
Dr. Syed Imran Ali is an environmental engineering researcher and
an experienced humanitarian aid worker. He works on solving
critical engineering challenges related to water and health in
emergencies. Dr. Ali has served in emergency responses and led
research in South Sudan, Pakistan, Jordan, Rwanda, Uganda, and
elsewhere with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without
Borders) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Dr. Ali holds a
PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph
and has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he
completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Presently, he is an adjunct
professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering at York
University and a research fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for
Global Health Research, also at York, where he leads the Safe
Water Optimization Tool Project (https://www.safeh2o.app/).
Linda Li, MASc, PEng – Dillon Consulting Limited
Linda Li is an Environmental Engineer at Dillon Consulting and a
graduate of the University of Waterloo. Linda conducted her
Master’s research on sustainable treatment of municipal wastewater
in cold regions, which she previously presented at CAWQ. In the
past 5 years, Linda has been heavily involved in projects related to
industrial wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment process
design, water/wastewater plant construction, and environmental
compliance. She has worked closely with pharmaceutical clients
focused on vaccine development and production, providing
ongoing support in their infrastructure project delivery, as well as
environmental monitoring and wastewater treatment. Throughout
the COVID pandemic, Linda’s role as an environmental engineer
has allowed her to support global vaccine development and
delivery. Linda is a dedicated member of the Water Environment
Association of Ontario’s Young Professionals Committee. She also
serves on Water’s Next Selection Committee for the Canadian
Water Summit. As a Young Professional who is passionate about knowledge sharing, Linda has been a
guest lecturer at Ryerson University and a panelist at University of Toronto. She is currently serving on the
International Water Association’s Programme Committee and organizing the next World Water Congress
in Copenhagen Denmark.Panelists Dr. Kati Bell C. Howie Honeyman Vice President And Director of Water Strategy Chief Executive Officer & President, for Brown and Caldwell Forward Water Technologies Dr. Kati Bell is Vice President And Director of Dr. Howie Honeyman has 20 years of Water Strategy for Brown and Caldwell (BC) experience commercializing new and has over 25 years of experience in the water technologies at Xerox, Cabot Corp., E Ink, industry. leveraging her global water and Natrix Separations and as former CTO of wastewater experience of over 5 billion gallons GreenCentre Canada. He commercialized per day of treatment capacity, she is currently high capacity high through-put membranes responsible for leading BC’s research and for bioprocessing as SVP of Natrix innovation program which is aligned with Separations (recently acquired by service offerings in wastewater and advanced Millipore-Sigma). Howie also invented treatment, potable reuse, digital solutions, and led the team that developed the first resource recovery, aging infrastructure, and wet- commercial platform of e-paper used in e- weather and stormwater. she leads BC’s global readers today (E-paper at E-Ink and MIT partnerships with strategic research partners, start-up). Since 2015, Howie has been sets the vision for the BC treatability laboratory, leading Forward Water Technologies to and collaborates with all of BC’s disciplines to become a premier wastewater treatment leverage research to advance innovative solution. Howie is also an inventor of solutions for our clients. Kati graduated with a record on over 50 US patents and holds a PhD in environmental engineering from PhD in chemistry from the University of Vanderbilt University and serves as an adjunct Toronto. faculty member at the University of Toronto and University of Memphis and helps advise graduate students in water at a number of programs around the globe.
Session 1: Wastewater Technology I
AN INTERMITTENT ENERGIZATION STRATEGY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF
DIRECT INTERSPECIES ELECTRON TRANSFER IN A MICROBIAL
ELECTROLYSIS CELL ASSISTED ANAEROBIC DIGESTER
B. ZAKARIA 1*, B. DHAR 2
1
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alberta
2
Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta
ABSTRACT
Such integrated processes are usually operated with a continuous supply of a small external voltage
to assist the microorganisms in overcoming the thermodynamic barrier involved in the degradation
of complex organics. Since the amount of energy required for the external voltage leads to
additional cost, a few reports demonstrated that intermittent power supply could achieve
comparable or better methanogenesis performance than the continuous power supply. Therefore,
we investigated an intermittent power supply scheme for operating MEC-AD to shed new light on
microbial syntrophy, and functional methanogenesis pathways. We operated a MEC-AD system
with sewage sludge under continuous (24 h/d) vs. intermittent (12-18 h/d) power supply modes.
The results showed that intermittent power supply strategy could promote direct interspecies
electron transfer (DIET) based syntrophy between electroactive bacteria (Geobacter sp.) and
methanogen (Methanobacterium). Moreover, extracellular electron transfer (EET)-related genes
expression and methane generation were positively correlated with the intermittent power supply,
which subsequently improved methane production. Keywords: Biomethane; anaerobic digestion;
microbial electrolysis cells; Extracellular electron transfer; Direct interspecies electron transport;
Intermittent power supply
*
Presenting author, bzreda@ualberta.caDEVELOPMENT AND CALIBRATION OF A BIOWIN PROCESS MODEL TO
EVALUATE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
F. EZZAHRAOUI 1*, R. HAMZA 1
1
Ryerson University
ABSTRACT
Process intensification has become imperative for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to cope
with continuously increasing received amounts of sewage, stringent environmental regulations,
and tight available footprint and financial conditions. This study summarizes the research to
develop a plant-wide model for the Activated Sludge North Toronto Treatment Plant (NTTP) using
a software simulator (Biowin). With a current influent average of around 19 MLD, NTTP performs
under the rated treatment capacity. The model mimics the NTTP performance, predicts the plant’s
behavior, and allows to take control actions to conserve the desired effluent quality and increase
the influent flow rate. A series of steady-state and dynamic simulations were run to calibrate and
tune the model. Documentation and flows and lab data from online and offline sources were
exploited to configure the plant model, characterize the influent, calibrate and validate the model.
The BioWin model for the existing process layout was developed so that alternative processes can
be investigated: reconfiguration for Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) such as Modified
Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) and advanced treatment processes such as Membrane Aerated Biofilm
Reactors (MABR).
*
Presenting author, fezzahraoui@ryerson.caMODELLING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION MICROBIAL COMMUNITY GROWTH
RATE USING COBRAPY TOOLBOX
MARYAM GHAZIZADE FARD 1 , SONIA BATTISTA, EHSSAN KOUPAIE
Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
ABSTRACT
The pulp and paper (P&P) industry is one of the biggest organic waste producers and contributors
to environmental pollutants. Biological treatment of P&P wastewater produces sludge, a biowaste
composed of organics (mainly cellulose fibers) and ash. Among the currently practiced sludge
management approaches, anaerobic digestion (AD) has been attracting attention due to its potential
to produce value-added products such as methane-rich biogas and biofertilizer. The analysis of
microbial community involved in the analysis of the AD of P&P sludge has shown the relative
abundance of major bacteria phylum and genera. In this research work, genome-scale modelling
is proposed to optimize the performance of P&P sludge anaerobic digestion. A python COBRA
model was employed to simulate biogas production from P&P sludge based on previously
published literature.
Modeling genus pathways in the AD process using the COBRA toolbox summarizes the
quantitative analysis of the system and improves understanding of its behaviour under different
environmental and operating conditions. Previous studies on the modeling and optimization of the
AD process have been limited to kinetic reaction studies, and a cobra genome-scale model to
optimize biomethane production has not been explored. In this research, modelling focuses on
biomethane production after the fermentation stage, including acetogenesis and methanogenesis,
using the two microbial species Thermotoga and Methanosarcina and their respective pathways.
The models for Thermotoga and Methanosarcina are obtained through the BIGG database.
Modelling is composed of two main steps for each species: first flux balance analysis and,
secondly, OptKnock. Flux balance analysis can predict the growth rate and metabolite
concentrations of a microbial community by reporting the maximum biomass and desired
metabolite fluxes. The next step is using the OptKnock method, an optimization tool that returns
specific reactions in bacteria that should be removed to meet the desired outcome. If the biomass
growth and biogas production rates are coupled in terms of cell growth and end-product synthesis,
then the OptKnock formulation will be modified to only knock out the exchange reactions to
optimize the media. To reduce the number of equations in the problem, OptKnock may have to be
run on Thermotoga and Methanosarcina separately, and the results will be combined for analysis
(Figure 1).
The OptKnock framework was finally described for suggesting a reaction deletion strategy that
could lead to optimizing biogas production. The flux balance analysis on both microorganisms
with an objective maximizing CH4 showed potentiality for improving methane secretion from
almost 40 mmol/gDW/h to 1270 mmol/gDW/h. As Methanosarcina was growth coupled already,
OptKnock was performed on Thermotoga only. 4 side reactions were found to be redundant, and
their deletion provides higher production of the final desired product. It is worth mentioning that
in future, actual lab experiments data are required on these species and on other microbial
1
Presenting author email: 18msgf@queensu.cacommunities as well to construct a genome-scale model for validation and ultimately to run presented methods on the entire anaerobic digester pure culture community. Figure 1. Workflow diagram
EFFECT OF COMBINED CHEMICALS CONDITIONING ON ANAEROBIC
DIGESTATE DEWATERABILITY
U. HYDER 1*, E. ELBESHBISHY 1
1
Ryerson University
ABSTRACT
Anaerobic digestate from municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) contains more than
90% water. The high volume of the digestate imposes handling and disposal challenges. Often
anaerobic digestate undergoes dewatering, which helps decant the water from the digestate,
improves cake solid content, and reduces storage, transportation, and disposal costs. Chemical
conditioning before the dewatering process facilitates solid-liquid separation that enhances the
efficacy of the dewatering process. Organic polymers have wide application in MWWTPs for the
enhancement of dewatering. The experiment aims to evaluate the effect of different chemicals
individually and in combination on the municipal anaerobic digestate dewaterability and
phosphorus release. Anaerobic digestate is conditioned using cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM)
alone, with the dual application of ferric chloride (FeCl3) and CPAM and a combination of FeCl3,
CPAM, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). CPAM suppresses and neutralizes surface charges of
digestate particles and bridge the gap between the particles to hold them in a floc structure.
Overdose of the polymer may cause disaggregation, redispersion of the particles, and increase the
solution's viscosity. Therefore, polymer overdose increases chemical costs, which creates the
necessity to identify the optimum polymer dose. Full-scale anaerobic digestate conditioned with
0.35% and 12 to 14 kg/ton polymer doses were replicated and compared in lab-scale experiments
with various doses of 0.5% CPAM. Lab-scale data achieved a 17% increase in the cake solid
content and a 94% reduction in capillary suction time (CST) with an optimum and lower polymer
dose of 2.2 kg/ton DS. Remarkable improvement of dewatering was observed compared to
municipal anaerobic digestate when FeCl3 was added along with CPAM. A combined dose of 2.2
kg/ton DS CPAM and 1.0 kg/ton DS FeCl3 shows a minimum CST 11.8s and maximum cake solid
content 30% with 94% reduction in CST and 13% increase in cake solid percent compared to those
of digestate. However, a combined dose of 2.2 kg/ton DS CPAM and 1.5 kg/ton DS FeCl3 exhibits
the lowest turbidity 32 NTU, 84% decrease in turbidity than digestate. A combined dose of 2.2
kg/ton DS CPAM and 2.1 kg/ton DS FeCl3 show a minimum SRF 0.24 Tmin/kg, a 99% decrease
in SRF than raw digestate. Trivalent cation Fe(III) forms colloidal ferric hydroxide (Fe(OH)3 )
with very low solubility, which acts as bridges to strengthen the aggregation between particles and
reinforces polymer flocculation and polymer bridge formation. Along with 0.5% CPAM and 0.5%
FeCl3, 3% Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was also added to observe the effect of advanced oxidation
on dewatering and phosphate removal efficiency. Combined dose of 2.2 kg/ton DS CPAM, 1.5
kg/ton DS FeCl3 and 400 mg/l H2O2 shows the lowest CST 5.4s and turbidity 25 NTU with a
reduction of both the indices by 97% and 87.5%, respectively. Biosolids' quality improved in cake
solid content by 37% with the same dose of combined chemicals. However, a combined dose of
2.9 kg/ton DS CPAM, 1.0 kg/ton DS FeCl3 and 400 mg/l H2O2 showed the lowest SRF by 0.07
Tmin/kg with a 99% reduction in SRF compared to that of digestate. Combined dosing of CPAM,
FeCl3, and H2O2 converted the fixed iron (Fe) in anaerobic digestate to Fe ++ then Fe +++.
Converted Fe +++ subsequently reacted and formed phosphate (PO43-) precipitates, dropping the
sedentary total phosphorous (TP) content of anaerobic digestate by 77% in the sludge conditionedby the combined dose of 2.2 kg/ton DS CPAM, 1.5 kg/ton DS FeCl3 and 400 mg/l H2O2. The
experiment also demonstrated a reduction of 70% of soluble reactive orthoPO43- while digestate
conditioned by a combined dose of 2.2 kg/ton DS CPAM, 1.5 kg/ton DS FeCl3and H2O2 500
mg/l. The experiment results confirm the effect of combined chemical addition on enhancing
dewaterability by improved CST, turbidity, SRF, and phosphorus release for municipal anaerobic
digestate and improving biosolids quality by increasing the cake solid content.
*
Presenting author, ummesharmeen.hyder@ryerson.caA REVIEW OF RECENT ADVANCES ON FATE OF CORONAVIRUSES IN
WASTEWATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
KAIYU ZHANG2 , EHSSAN KOUPAIE
a
Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
ABSTRACT
The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). So far, there have been three major outbreaks caused by
coronaviruses in this century. Therefore, during the COVID-19 outbreak, researchers have used
information from previous outbreaks to forecast COVID-19’s behaviour. The current literature
suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted to humans via respiratory droplets and
aerosols. However, research shows that SARS-CoV-2 genetic material has been found in the feces
of a significant proportion of COVID-19 cases and, thus, in municipal wastewater. Wastewater
surveillance (WWS) provides an effective method for monitoring COVID-19 community
transmission by testing wastewater. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between the
quantity of viral RNA in wastewater and the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population, further
supporting the technical viability of WWS. However, to interpret WWS results, data on the
stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater are needed. The survival of coronaviruses in water
(or wastewater) is influenced by various factors, including temperature, pH, organic matter, and
suspended solids. This study intends to provide an overview of the factors affecting the survival
and surveillance of SARS-CoVs based on the available data in the literature.
Temperature is the most critical factor that can influence the survivability of coronavirus. It has
been observed that the SARS-CoVs population decreases with increasing temperatures. For
example, the survival of SARS-CoV-2 and MHV decreases with rising temperatures in untreated
wastewater, autoclaved wastewater, and tap water samples. Temperatures over 20ºC often result
in faster decay rates for both viruses than temperatures below 15ºC in autoclaved wastewater and
tap water. The pH level also has a considerable impact on SARS-CoV-2 survival. It has been
demonstrated that the pH level between 5.5 to 6.0 was ideal for SARS-CoV-2 to survive; lower
than 5.5, the infectivity of the virus would be affected. Studies also have shown that the SARS-
CoV-2 could survive for up to 6 days if the pH ranges from 5 to 9, while at extreme pH levels (pH
2-3 and 12-13), the virus loses its infectivity within one day. The presence of organic matter and
suspended solids may impact the survivability of coronavirus in various water matrices. Gundy et
al. noted that HCoV survived longer in unfiltered water samples than in filtered water samples for
a 99.9% reduction of the viral population at 23 ºC, suggesting the presence of suspended solids in
wastewater could increase protection and survival for coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 is less stable in
the wastewater environment and is mostly retained in primary or secondary sludge due to its
hydrophobic nature, though no specific data supports this. Coronaviruses are also unlikely to
survive sludge treatment processes, which typically involve high temperatures, long residence
times, pH changes, diverse microbial populations, and predatory microorganisms, all of which
contribute to viral inactivation. Balboa et al. found no SARS-CoV-2 RNA in digested sludge after
thermal treatment and anaerobic digestion in 15 sludge samples, suggesting the current sludge
treatment processes are likely to be effective against SARS-CoV-2.
2
Presenting author email: kaiyu.zhang@queensu.caSIMULATING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MOHAMED SHERIF ZAGHLOULI , GOPAL ACHARI Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary ABSTRACT Introduction: Artificial intelligence was used to simulate a full-scale activated sludge biological nutrient removal process. The near-real-time predictive power and adaptability of machine learning models can reduce disruptions in wastewater treatment plants, and generate savings through optimizing operation. Additionally, data-driven models allow the simulation of complex processes, such as biological nutrient removal, where the physio-chemical interactions can be challenging to represent mathematically. Current artificial intelligence models mainly focus on simulating a small number of parameters, usually in the effluent, using a direct input-output approach. In this work, a more robust machine learning model was developed, where 15 process parameters were predicted. These parameters included biomass properties, operation parameters, and effluent characteristics. Daily data between 2010 and 2020 was used to develop and validate the model, collected from a single BNR process with a capacity of 25,000 m3 /d. A total of 3131 data samples were split into 2661 samples for developing the model, and 470 samples for evaluating it. A modular, multistage, model structure that features sequential predictions was developed for this model. An enseble of machine learning algorithms, including artificial neural networks, support vector regression, and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems were used. Feature selection was performed using a combination of multicollinearity reduction and RReliefF ranking algorithm. Figure 1 shows a sample of the predictions made by the model of unseed evaluation data. The overall average correlation coefficient (R2 ) was 69%. The average normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) was 0.06. The average symmetric mean absolute error (sMAPE) was 7.5%. The ensemble model was 5% more accurate individual machine learning models. The developed model was more versatile than other machine learning models in the literature due to the modular nature of the model structure. It also relatively reduced the ambiguity of black-box data-driven models by predicting biomass and control parameters. Future studies could investigate the use of additional data pre-processing steps such as rescaling or transforming the data. It is also recommended to explore other data splitting and feature selection techniques and add more algorithms to the ensemble. Figure 1: Examples of parameter predictions using the evaluation dataset i mohamed.abdelsamie@ucalgary.ca;
Session 2: Wastewater Technology II
TREATMENT OF GREYWATER BY OXYGEN BASED MEMBRANE BIOFILM BIOREACTOR: EXPERIMENTAL AND MODELING STUDY M. KHALIL 1*, Y. LIU 2, P. VANROLLEGHEM 3, Y. ZHOU 4 1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta 2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 3 modelEAU-Department of Civil and Water Engineering, Université Laval 4 State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Health and Green Remediation, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University. ABSTRACT Water reclamation is becoming more essential due to the increasing burden on fresh water resources and global water scarcity as a result of rapid urbanization development. Greywater has a great potential for reclamation due to its large volume (50-80% of domestic water use) and reduced contamination load. Recovery of treated greywater, which is the used water generated from domestic sources, such as bathing and laundry, excluding human excreta from toilets and urinals, can maximize the efficient conservation of global water resources. However, greywater has distinct characteristics such as high concentrations of surfactants, antibacterial agents, and low availability of nutrients for microbial growth, especially under aerobic biological treatment conditions. The oxygen-based membrane biofilm reactor (O2-MBfR) was reported to have high oxygen transfer efficiency, and can eliminate foaming problems and greenhouse gas stripping due to its bubbleless aeration. However, our understanding on the treatment mechanisms is still lacking. There is a need to model and elucidate the process kinetics occurring in the counter- diffusion biofilm treating greywater. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the mechanisms and kinetics of greywater treatment using the O2-MBfR through calibration of a one- dimensional (1-D) multi-species biofilm model with data collected from continuous operating reactors treating greywater. The lab-scale O2-MABR model was used to simulate the performance of carbon oxidation and nitrogen removal from synthetic greywater under various operational conditions. O2-MABR reactors were simulated using a multicompartment model constructed in the simulation software AQUASIM 2.1 with the same structural dimensions and membrane surface area as the actual lab-scale reactor. The total volume of the reactor is 2.0 L with 1.6 L as a bulk liquid volume and 0.4 L occupied by the PVDF membranes. The biological processes were modelled according to the Activated Sludge Model No.1 (ASM 1) including both aerobic and anoxic organic carbon oxidation for heterotrophic biomass, one-step nitrification for autotrophic nitrifiers, and hydrolysis of both organic and nitrogen particulates. Moreover, the model included the effect of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) on biological treatment as a competitive and non-competitive inhibitor for organics biodegradation and hydrolysis, respectively. The experiments were performed using synthetic greywater that simulates combined bathing and laundry greywater. Samples were collected from the reactor influent and effluent, and TCOD, SCOD, NH4+-N, NO3--N, TN, LAS Total, and LAS Soluble were measured. The Dissolved Oxygen concentration (DO) inside the reactor was recorded as well as the air inlet pressure. The flow rate was changed several times to impose different retention times and loading rates. Both the experiment and simulation lasted for 140 days. The results revealed that the developed model is able to predict the effluent of the measured parameters and they are in good agreement with the experimental results under low organic loading conditions (until 100 days), as they were in the
range of 25% of each other. However, a significant increase in the gap between experimental and
modelling results started to appear under higher loadings and is subject to further study.
*
Presenting author, mostafaw@ualberta.caIMPACT OF NANOSCALE ZERO-VALENT IRON AND NANO-IRON POWDER ON
THE VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS RECOVERY THROUGH DARK FERMENTATION
A. HAMZE 1*, B. DHAR 2, E. ELBESHBISHY 1
1
Ryerson University
2
University of Alberta
ABSTRACT
Governments worldwide adopt sustainable development strategies to achieve more resilient
infrastructure and ecosystems. Nowadays, national security and economic establishment have
become more susceptible due to risks and uncertainties brought by globalization. Thus, strategic
development plans are shifting their reliance on finite, non-renewable sources, mainly natural gas,
and fossil fuel, to renewable energy. Canada developed the 2016 Pan Canadian Framework on
clean growth and climate change to meet the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to decrease
greenhouse gas emissions and the global rise in temperature to “below” 2°C (preferably to 1.5°C)
compared to pre-industrial levels. Moreover, Canada is committed to adopting renewable and
clean energy to support the achievement of a low-carbon economy with net-zero emissions by
2050. Though a well-established technology, anaerobic digestion (AD) is still an aggressive
research focus due to its promising performance in converting waste into biogas. AD technology
relies on solid landfill waste or other biomass materials such as sewage, manure, municipal,
industrial, and agricultural waste to produce bioenergy. On another side, iron is the most abundant
transition metal and the fourth dominant element on Earth. It exists in its elemental, ionic, and
mineral form throughout the different layers of Earth. Iron as an additive presents a wide range of
favorable characteristics; it can (1) accelerate the hydrolysis phase by decreasing insoluble
materials, (2) promote enzyme activities, (3) decrease ORP leading to an immediate increase in
microorganisms’ activity, (4) improve the conductive properties which can stimulate direct
interspecies electron transfer mechanism, (5) remove the odor-causing substance and (6) low
implementation cost. Also, nanotechnology is considered one of the essential advancements in
different fields of science and technologies. This technology relies on particles referred to as
nanoparticles that range between 1 and 100 nm. These particles inherit essential features from their
size, allowing them to penetrate cell membranes of biological bodies and hence the potential to
interact with the immune system and alter the adsorption, the intake, and the metabolism of
biological barriers. This research aimed to compare the effects of nanoscale zero-valent iron and
nanoscale iron powder in the recovery of the value-added volatile fatty acids from thickened waste
activated sludge (TWAS). On the other hand, the effect of different doses of the nanoscale zero-
valent iron and nanoscale iron powder on the hydrolysis rate and volatile fatty acids yields will be
presented.
*
Presenting author, abir.hamze@ryerson.caMETHANE YIELD IN A SEMI CONTINUES STUDY FOR CO-DIGESTED PRIMARY
SLUDGE AND THICKENED WASTE ACTIVATED SLUDGE IN A MUNICIPAL
WASTEWATER PLANT
H. MAHDI 1*, E. ELBESHBISHY 2
1
Graduate Student
2
Professor, Ryerson university
ABSTRACT
The ratio of primary sludge (PS) and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) is a vital factor in
the production of digester gas in the wastewater plants. Many wastewater plants do not track sludge
ratio, but instead, use a specific monthly or annual sludge ratio that is calculated as an average for
their processed PS and TWAS. A semi-continuous study for the methane yield were used to study
different PS and TWAS ratios in a municipal wastewater plant. The substrate used in the study
(TWAS and Primary sludge) and inoculum (digester sludge) were collected from the Ashbridges
Bay plant in Toronto (ABTP). The TWAS thickening treatment in the ABTP is dissolved air
flotation. The primary sludge is produced in two different treatment trains in the plant (primary
sludge from P building (PS-P) and primary sludge from D building (PS-D). Four sludge ratios
were chosen for the semi-continuous study. The ratios selected were based on the results from a
previous batch BMP study. The selected ratios were: (28:36:36)% , (33.3:33.3:33.3)%,
(36:32:32)% and (40:30:30)% (TWAS:PS-P:PS-D (V/V)). The semi-continuous study showed that
the ratio (28:36:36)% (TWAS:PS-P:PS-D) at 15 days hydraulic retention time was better than the
ratios (33.3:33.3:33.3)%, (36:32:32)% and (40:30:30)% in producing higher yield (188 mL CH4/g
TCOD compared to 163 mL CH4/g TCOD, 174 mL CH4/g TCOD and 154 mL CH4/g TCOD,
respectively).
*
Presenting author, hmahdi@ryerson.caSONOLYSIS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES BY LOW-FREQUENCEY ULTRASOUND AS PRETREATMENT FOR ENHANCED BIOMETHANE PRODUCTION ARSHAD HASHMI *, FAROKH LAQA KAKAR *, AMIR BAZYAR *, ELSAYED ELBESHBISHY * * Environmental Research Group for Resource Recovery, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of low-frequency ultrasound (LFUS) as pretreatment to enhance biomethane production through mesophilic anaerobic digestion of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS), primary sludge (PS), and food waste (FW). After the pretreatment of the feedstocks with different ultrasonic energies of 0 (CT), 1000, 3000, 5000, 10000, and 20000 kJ KgTS-1, a biochemical methane production (BMP) test was performed to evaluate the effect of different sonolysis energies on biomethane production. The results of this study showed that regardless of applied ultrasonic energies, FW achieved a higher yield (347 mLCH4 g TCOD added-1) followed by PS (313 mLCH4 g TCOD added-1), and TWAS (240 mLCH4 g TCOD added-1). In contrast, the increased percentage of biomethane compared to the control group revealed that regardless of applied ultrasonic energies, TWAS achieved a higher increase at 5000 kJ KgTS-1 (32%) followed by PS (20%) and FW (19%), which support the effectiveness of sonolysis on agglomerated and hard structure substrates. For all 3 types of feedstocks used in this study, the biomethane yield showed an increasing trend up to 5000 kJ KgTS-1 and then declined afterward but remained higher than control groups. This effect showed that higher biodegradability was not necessarily positively correlated to higher ultrasonic energies which support the existence of an optimum ultrasonic energy. KEYWORDS: LOW FREQUENCY ULTRASOUND, PRETREATMENT, MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, BIOMETHANE Email: arshadhashmi@hotmail.com
PROCESS OPTIMIZATION OF COMBINED PRE-TREATMENT OF THICKENED WASTE ACTIVATED SLUDGE TO INCREASE BIOGAS PRODUCTION S. CHEGINI I, E. ELBESHBISHY II I Environmental Applied Science and Management - Ryerson University. II Civil Engineering Department - Ryerson University ABSTRACT The present study investigates the possibility of improving anaerobic digestion with individual, and combined pre-treatment of waste activated sludge. The pre-treatments techniques decompose microbial cell membrane, intracellular organic matter, sludge flocs, and extracellular polymeric substance, which enhance hydrolysis rate, and biodegradability of activate sludge. In this study, the response surface methodology, and central composite with a quadratic design model was applied to evaluate the impacts of temperature, free nitrous acid concentration, and pH, on anaerobic digestion performance. Ultimately, an optimum pre-treatment conditions (i.e., temperature, FNA concentration, and pH level) for the maximum methane production and minimum chemical usage is proposed. The maximum volume of methane production was achieved from the waste sludge treated with triple pre-treatment (heat @60 °C), free-nitrous acid @1.4 mg HNO2-N/L), and pH @ 5.5), which had improved performance with more than 30% higher methane production than that of the raw sludge with temperature of 25 °C±1 and a pH = 6.8±0.1 (control sample). This study discloses that triple combined pre-treatment of waste activated sludge achieved better performance than individual, and dual pre-treatment in terms of enhancing methane production as the most significant outcome. Keywords: Thermochemical pre-treatment, Anaerobic digestion, Thickened waste activated sludge, Methane production, Central composite design, Response surface methodology
CORRELATION BETWEEN EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SUBSTANCES AND
ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE GENES IN ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF THERMALLY
HYDROLYZED SEWAGE SLUDGE
N. HAFFIEZ 1*, S. AZIZI 2, B. ZAKARIA 3, B. DHAR 4
1
MSc. Graduate Student, University of Alberta
2
PhD Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta
3
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alberta
4
Associate Professor, University of Alberta
ABSTRACT
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are hotspots for propagating antibiotics resistance genes
(ARGs) and their spread to natural ecosystems. The uncontrolled land application of antibiotics-
contaminated biosolids from WWTPs poses severe threats to human health and the environment.
The effects of the thermal hydrolysis process (THP) on the fate of ARGs have received particular
attention due to its potential positive impact on ARGs removal during anaerobic digestion (AD)
of sewage sludge. In sludge, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have been identified as a
significant ARG reservoir, while THP is known to solubilize EPS. Thus, the changes in different
EPS components due to THP can influence ARG propagation during AD. For the first time, this
study focused on exploring the correlation between ARGs abundance and EPS components in AD
of sewage sludge integrated with THP as a pre-treatment process. THP was performed under low
and high temperatures (80°C, 110°C, 140°C, 170°C). The highest ARGs removal in AD was
obtained with THP at 140°C. However, THP operating temperatures showed a non-linear relation
of ARG propagation in AD due to the rebounding effect. Except for macrolides resistance genes,
most ARGs and integrons positively correlated with EPS polysaccharides. In contrast, β-lactam
resistance genes were only strongly correlated with EPS protein. These results suggest that
integrating THP targeting specific EPS components will be critical to effectively alleviating ARG
dissemination in AD. Keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes; Anaerobic digestion; Thermal
hydrolysis process; Extracellular polymeric substances; Sewage sludge
*
Presenting author, haffiez@ualberta.caSession 3: Water Quality and Treatment
BIOCHAR TYPE, PARTICLE SIZE, AND VEGETATION INFLUENCE LEACHATE
WATER QUALITY FROM A GREEN ROOF SUBSTRATE
W. LIAO 1*, J. DRAKE 2, S. THOMAS 1
1
Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and
Design, University of Toronto
2
Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto
ABSTRACT
Green roofs have been suggested to provide ecosystem services, including stormwater
management and ecological benefits. Biochar, due to its favorable nutrient and hydrological
properties, has been promoted as an optimal substrate additive to green roofs for mitigating
discharge water quantity and quality. However, since biochar is porous and lightweight, it is
susceptible to wind and water erosion, which may result in biochar loss and environmental
pollution. The applications of biochar granules or biochars in large particle sizes may alleviate
biochar erosion loss, but research on the effects of processed biochars on leachate water quality is
lacking. In addition, biochar type and biochar particle size influence plant responses and thus,
leachate water quality may vary with vegetation performance. Therefore, in this study, we
investigated the effects of two differently processed biochars (unprocessed biochars vs. granulated
biochars) at a wide particle size range (0.25–6.3 mm) on leachate water quality on a commercial
green roof substrate, with the presence and absence of a drought-tolerant native forb Agastache
foeniculum. The integrated leachate quality for the treatments was evaluated using the Canadian
Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) based on drinking
water guidelines. Our results showed that unprocessed biochars reduced nutrient leaching (total
nitrogen and dissolved phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) from green roof
substrates due to increased water retention capacity and total porosity. In contrast, granulated
biochars, although showing less pronounced positive effects on nutrient leaching, decreased total
suspended solids and improved integrated leachate quality due to enhanced plant performance. In
addition, we found that biochars in small particle sizes better reduced nutrient leaching and loss of
particulate matter than biochars in large particle sizes. This is possibly due to improved water
retention capacity and formation of water-stable aggregates in the substrates with small biochar
particles. The presence of vegetation generally reduced the leaching of nutrients and total
suspended solids, likely explained by plant nutrient uptake and root substrate stabilization.
However, the leaching of total nitrogen increased with plant biomass, which is possibly due to
litter inputs and rapid litter decomposition. On balance, we suggest that uses of granulated biochars
may have better long-term effects on discharge water quality from green roofs due to improved
integrated water quality, decreased biochar and substrate particle losses, and enhanced plant
performance. Our results provide a clear incentive for field trials of biochar granules on operational
green roofs.
*
Presenting author, wenxi.liao@mail.utoronto.caMULTI-ELEMENT COMPOUND SPECIFIC ISOTOPE ANALYSIS REVEALS
AEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF 2,3-DICHLOROANILINE AT A COMPLEX SITE
S. SUCHANA 1*, E. PASSEPORT 1
1
University of Toronto
ABSTRACT
Compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is an established tool for evaluating in situ
transformation of organic contaminants. To date, CSIA has never been applied to understand the
in situ fate of 2,3-dichloroaniline (2,3-DCA). Although persistent in the environment, several
microorganisms were identified as able to degrade 2,3-DCA, thus making this contaminant a
potential candidate for bioremediation. Using a controlled-laboratory experiment, we determined,
for the first time, negligible carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation, and a significant inverse
nitrogen isotope effect during aerobic 2,3-DCA biodegradation via dioxygenation using a mixed
enrichment culture. The corresponding AKIEN value ranged from 0.9938±0.0003 to
0.9922±0.0004. The ε_(N,bulk) value, ranging from +6.2±0.3 to +7.9±0.4‰ was applied to
investigate the potential in situ 2,3-DCA biotransformation at a contaminated site, where the field-
obtained carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures suggested aerobic biotransformation by native
microorganisms. Under the assumption of the applicability of the Rayleigh model at the field site,
the extent of 2,3-DCA transformation was estimated at up to 80 to 90%. This study proposes multi-
element CSIA as a novel application to study the fate of 2,3-DCA in groundwater and surface
water.
*
Presenting author, shamsunnahar.suchana@mail.utoronto.caNUTRIENT CONTENT OF GREEN ROOF SUBSTRATE AS AFFECTED BY BIOCHAR
AND VEGETATION
V. SIDHU 1*, W. LIAO 2, L. MARGOLIS 3, M. ISAAC 4, S. THOMAS 2, J. DRAKE 1
1
Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto
2
Institute of Forestry and Conservation, University of Toronto
3
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto
4
Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough
ABSTRACT
Green roofs provide several benefits including reducing the heat island effect, enhancing
stormwater retention, and increasing biodiversity. Pyrolyzed biomass (“biochar”) has been
suggested to enhance the water and nutrient retention of green roofs, but effects on substrate
chemistry have received little attention. We examined the effects of biochar amendment and
vegetation type (sedum and native plant species) on the nutrient content of an organic green roof
substrate. The green roof substrate in 24 of 48 extensive green roof test beds (1.83 m x 1.83m) was
amended with sugar maple biochar at rate of 5.4% (v/v) at Green Roof Innovation Testing
Laboratory (GRIT lab) located on the roof of Daniels building at Saint George Campus, University
of Toronto. Half of the test beds were planted with sedum species and half sown with native plant
species. Composited substrate profile samples were taken from test beds two years after the study
establishment, with samples analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, total C, total
N, and total and plant available P. Biochar increased organic matter content and total C in all
amended beds whereas both decreased in sedum beds when compared to native species beds. Total
N followed the same trend as in total C except in native species beds where total N was slightly
reduced. Biochar reduced total substrate P in native species beds by 51% whereas total P almost
tripled, and available P increased in sedum beds. Sedum likely had more impact on substrate
chemistry than native plant species as it had almost complete plant coverage. As substrate
chemistry impacts water quality of discharge from a green roof, these findings will contribute to
effective green roof management to enhance discharge water quality. Keywords: Green roof,
substrate, biochar, nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus. *Email address of presenting author:
vir.sidhu@utoronto.ca
*
Presenting author, vir.sidhu@utoronto.caCOMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF RIGHT-OF-WAY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES KEVAL VEJANI, DARKO JOKSIMOVIC Civil Engineering Department - Ryerson University ABSTRACT The present need of cost effective stormwater management, coupled with the emphasis laid by the Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP), is making the use of Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater practices to maintain the pre-development hydrology essential. Many LID practices like rain gardens, bioretention cells, vegetative swales, etc. either interact with private land or occupy public space. On the other hand, several Right-of-Way (ROW) LID practices can be implemented beneath the roads or as a pavement itself, during the new road construction or as retrofits. These include the Etobicoke Exfiltration System (EES), Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers (PICP) and Dome Concrete Forming System (DCFS). For the purpose of this study, a Dual Drainage (DD) model is developed using the recently released version of USEPA SWMM (v5.2) that allows explicit modelling of minor and major system flows, for a 10.4 ha study area in the Town of Richmond Hill, Ontario. The model is used to investigate the hydrologic performance of the three mentioned ROW LID practices, and conduct a comparative assessment between the four scenarios (three ROW LIDs and end-of-pipe stormwater management pond) in terms of water balance and cost. Email: keval.vejani@ryerson.ca
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