DEVELOPMENT OF AN

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DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN-VESSEL BIOTREATMENT SYSTEM
FOR ON-BOARD MANAGEMENT OF BILGE WATER Dr. Mark
E. Zappi, P.E. E-Tech Laboratory Swalm School of
Chemical Engineering Mississippi State University
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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• The management and disposal of shipboard
  wastewaters pose
• both technical and economic challenges to USN
  ships with
• millions of dollars spent annually on treatment.

Two wastewaters are typically generated
Grey water personnel activity
(sewage) Bilge water industrial
activity (OG, industrial chemicals,
BOD, with some M)
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RESEARCH CONCEPT

• Bilge water remains in the ship bilge tanks for
  long periods of time
• Holding tanks provide a potential ecosystem
  conducive to enhanced biological activity
• Biological activity can be oriented toward
  organic pollution degradation
• Eliminates or reduces treatment requirements at
  ports of call

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Evaluate the effectiveness of various bacterial
  types toward the removal of pollutants from
  actual bilge water samples
• Optimize the rate and extent of targeted
  biotreatment activity
• Establish key SOPs for effectively managing the
  proposed biotreatment strategy
• Mature the project into a demonstration project
  funded under other DoD funding programs via
  collaboration with interested DoD entities

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KEY PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS
Project PI Dr. Mark E. Zappi Environmental
Engineer
CO-PIs (All from MSU) Ms. Emily Easterling
Microbiologist Dr. Todd French Industrial
Microbiologist Mr. Rafael Hernandez Chemical
Engineer Dr. Don Hill Chemical
Engineer Students 1 MS level graduate
student 1 Undergraduate level student DoD
Participant Mr. Gary Broom US Navy
(Pascagoula, MS)
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SUMMARY OF APPROACH
Organize a Technical Advisory Committee consisting
of experts from DoD and Academia
Collect and characterize numerous samples
from various sources and solicit input from USN
on historical analytical information
Screen various microbial isolates and
consortia collected from both MSU bacterial
archives and screening activities of selected
ecosystems
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SUMMARY OF APPROACH
Perform a series of microcosm experiments to
assess performance of bacterial seeds,
nutritional formulations, and REDOX Conditions
Perform large-vessel verification testing at
MSU
Collaborate with USN for performance of pilot
testing on actual ships using other funding
sources (possibly EQT or SERDP)
Technology transfer via final report,
technical presentations at conferences, and
peer-review publications
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The Development of a Bioprocess
Science
Engineering
Trials
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2
3
etc.
Biological Mechanism
Engineered Reactor
The Product A technically performing process
that operates
within an economically feasible
range over the target design life.
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Key Biotechnology RD Efforts
Utilization of novel enzymes
Development of syngas fermentation
Bioconversion of waste products into fuels and
other valuable chemicals
Optimization of bioremediation approaches
Integrating biotic and abiotic mechanisms
Development of novel bio-based adsorbents
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CURRENT INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY RD BY OUR
GROUP(blue-enviromental/green-agricultural/red-in
dustrial)

• Bioremediation of chlorinated solvents using
  novel enzyme inducers
• Bioremediation of explosives contaminated media
• Biofiltration of solvent laden-gases
• Integration of biotic and abiotic mechanisms into
  new hybrid processes
• Odor management via biofiltration and pit
  management
• Fermentation of synthesis gas for production of
  ethanol
• Fermentation of synthesis gas for production of
  acetic acid
• Methanogenic conversion of acetic acid waste
  streams to biogas
• Methanogenic conversion of carbon dioxide and
  hydrogen into biogas
• Development of new fermentor designs for syngas
  fermentation
• Advanced separation of ethanol from fermentor
  effluents
• Biologically enhanced recovery of petroleum
  reserves
• Assisting a local company with the design and
  optimization of a syngas to ethanol fermentation
  plant in Winona, MS
• Development of a bio-product for a large
  Mississippi Company
• Development of Bio-based adsorbents
• Development of novel substrates for
  immobilization/attachment of active organisms
  during chemical production

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THE PERFECT BIOCATALYST

• Capable of functioning within oligotrophic
  environments
• Free-swimming bacteria
• Anaerobic or anoxic
• Capable of rapid degradation of a wide range of
  petroleum products and AF3
• Not inhibited by salt water and/or heavy metals
• Little to no production of methane
• Capable of degrading BOD from both grey and bilge
  waters

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CANDIDATE BACTERIAL TYPES

• Anaerobic
• Requires no gas source for supplying terminal
  electron acceptor
• Limited equipment requirements
• Produces minimal biomass
• - May produce methane
• - Typically slow degradation kinetics
• - Limited proven activity toward petroleum
  products

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CANDIDATE BACTERIAL TYPES

• Anoxic (Denitrifiers)
• Requires no gas source for supplying terminal
  electron acceptor
• Limited equipment requirements
• Produces minimal biomass
• Does not produce methane
• Faster rate of degradation than anaerobic
  respiration
• - Residual nitrate levels may be too high for
  untreated release
• - Limited activity toward some petroleum
  products
• - Some nitrate salts may be corrosive to tanks

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CANDIDATE BACTERIAL TYPES

• Aerobic
• Proven biotreatment technique for reported
  pollutants
• High rate of degradation
• Does not produce methane
• Very hardy bacterial group
• - High biomass production
• - Requires gas source (air or oxygen) for
  respiration
• - Highest equipment requirement

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PLANNED ANALYTICAL METHODS

• Biochemical
• Heterotrophic plates, glucose activity, PLFA
  assay, methanogenic activity, and MicroTox assay
• Physical Characterization
• S/S, TS, turbidity, and conductivity
• Chemical Characterization
• GC, GC/MS, IC, TOC, COD, BOD5, pH, N, P, M
• Target treatment levels will be current
  criteria

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PROJECTED PROJECT SCHEDULE
Mos. 2 6 Screen bacterial sources
Mos. 10 13 Develop data and draft report
Mos. 4 12 Microcosm tests large vessel test
gtMos. 12 Solicit pilot study funds and DoD partner
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Additional Merits/Users of Developed Technology

• Should be of interest to commercial cruise
  lines
• Insitu bioremediation of contaminated
  aquifers

Potential use with oil-water separator
wastewaters Development of oligotrophic
biotreatment strategies
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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MSU ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(E-TECH) LABORATORY
Mark E. Zappi, Ph.D., P.E. Director and Professor
of Chemical Engineering
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E-TECH LABORATORY MISSION

• Provide students with a state-of-the-art setting
  for hands-on RD experience
• Support governmental and industrial entities with
  the development and optimization of treatment
  processes
• Basic RD Traditional academic RD (long
  term)
• Applied RD Partnership with industry
  (short-term)
• Develop/Optimize chemical and biochemical
  manufacturing processes for promoting industrial
  growth (technology incubator)

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E-TECH Laboratory Faculty Staff
Engineering (6 PhD 1 MS) Environmental Bio
processing Green Manufacturing
Microbiology (1 PhD 1 MS) Industrial Environm
ental Petroleum
Students (4 PhD 14 MS) Graduate (PhD
MS) Undergraduate Highschool
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Our Forte?
Bridging the gap from basic
science to field application
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Chemostats
Electrokinetics Cell
Methanogenic Microcosms
Jar Test Apparatus
Anaerobic Microcosms
The E-TECH Laboratory is equipped with Numerous
State of the Art Bench-Scale Reactor Systems
Adsorption Columns
Bioslurry Reactor
Bench Composters
Biocells
Biofilter Columns
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ICP
Analytical Facilities Over 1,200K of new
equipment purchased since 1999
Experienced analysts
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Technology Development Experience
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Bioreactor Development Efforts
Optimize designs to support targeted bioactivity
Determine design limitations
Evaluate process economics
Develop design protocols and operational SOPs
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CURRENT ENVIRO-TECHNOLOGY RD(Green-DoD/Maroon-S
eaGrant/Blue-EPA/Red-Ag/Purple-Industrial/Brown-Mu
nicipality)

• Composting of spent natural adsorbents
• Evaluating the formation and fate of odor causing
  compounds within swine raising facilities
• Development of an advanced attached bioreactor
  for treating swine facility wastewaters
• Activated sludge treatment of swine facility
  wastewaters
• Anaerobic treatment of poultry wastewaters
• Alcohol induced aerobic biodegradation of vinyl
  chloride and TCE
• Ozonation of wood preserving waste within
  groundwater matrices
• Adsorption of organic pollutants onto natural
  adsorbents
• Peroxone oxidation of nitroaromatics
• Sonolytic enhanced ozonation of phenols within
  water matrices
• Titanium dioxide oxidation of chlorinated phenols
• Chemical oxidation enhanced aerobic biotreatment
  of PAH contaminated sediments
• Electrokinetic removal of heavy metals from soil
• Physical separation of heavy metals contaminated
  fractions from bulk soil
• Assessing the chemodynamics of lead at firing
  ranges
• Air phase treatment of TCE air streams using
  propane induced aerobic biotreatment
• Advanced bioremediation of petroleum products
  within soils
• Development of insitu chemical oxidation using
  ozone and peroxone for soil treatment
• Reduction/oxidation of explosives within soil and
  water matrices

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Technology Transfer Activities

• Enhance the flow of technical
• Information to stimulate industrial
• development via
• Publishing in peer-review journals
• Presentations at technical conferences
• and symposia
• Technical reports
• Formal industrial collaborations
• Patents
• Website

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Most importantly, the E-TECH Laboratory is about
students learning and laughing in a first class
RD environment
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QUESTIONS?