8/18/2019 Extra Credit Seminar

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Extra Credit Seminar: Waste Water Management: Pathway to Pollution

Prevention and Resource Recovery by Dr. ania Datta

Dr. Datta discussed what ha!!ens to our wastewater a"ter we #ush.

Water runs down the sewer and ends u! in a waste water treatment "acility

where it is sent through three distinct !hases. he $rst !hase at the head o"the system gets the waste ready "or biological treatment% and the last !hase

sees the wastewater de!osited in a body o" water. he biological treatment

!hase involves setting u! an aerobic and anaerobic environment "or micro&

organisms that brea' down our wastes. his is where biology meets

engineering. Dr. Datta !ro!osed using wastewater to reclaim lost resources%

es!ecially !hos!houro% because o" the "ear o" shortagesus. ( large amount o" 

)P* comes through our wastewater "acilities. Certain micro&organisms

consume !hos!horous% while another ex!els the !hos!horous in a usable

"orm. +et another microorganism ta'es nitrites and coverts it into nitrogen

gas% !roducing methane as a by !roduct which is then ca!tured and re&used

as energy. hought not many waste water !lants are im!lementing this

system% it is an im!ortant !ath to ta'e into the "uture. Current waste water

methods use ,- o" the .S total energy consum!tion without giving anything

bac'. tili/ing every !art our waste water will trans"orm these "acilities into

water water reclamation "acilities. .

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