IHE Delft is working with IIT Delhi to pilot a photo activated sludge system (PAS) to remove nutrients from the drain water of the Barapullah Drain. In Pavitra Ganga it will be tested in combination with Clean Blocks.
The fundamental principle governing the operation of the photoactivated sludge (PAS) reactor is to cultivate a mixed consortium of algae and bacteria (e.g. activated sludge/nitrifiers) to remove pollutants of interest from the Barapullah drain. PAS is a biological wastewater treatment system driven by photosynthesis, carefully engineered microbial communities and a relatively simple reactor technology. It has the potential to provide superior wastewater treatment in a number of smaller Indian communities. In combination with anaerobic biogas systems, a positive energy balance is possible with net zero greenhouse gases emissions.
The involved researchers are investigating three questions:
- What is the maximum nutrient removal efficiency of the PAS system under the prevailing Indian climatic conditions, in terms of g N removed/m2/day, per sunlight input (gN/mol photons), and the energy consumption (g N/kWh)?
- How do different operational parameters (HRT, pond depth, and biomass concentration) influence the efficiency of nutrient removal and biomass production?
- What are the possible resources that can be recovered from the algal biomass and what are their downstream recovery techniques?
For more information, contact Peter van der Steen
