| 英文摘要: | 1707149
Cook
Trash in the US is typically sent to landfills, and while in a landfill this trash produces further wastes that require treatment, such as fugitive air emissions and wastewater (also called leachate). Some of this trash can be turned into biochar, which is a charcoal produced from organic matter such as food and yard wastes, that can remove pollutants from wastewater (i.e., by sorption processes). This biochar can be used to treat the landfill leachate, which will reduce pollutants and provide a source of energy. In collaboration with an industry partner, the PIs will complete the fundamental research and technology development needed to design more cost-efficient, environmentally sustainable, and reliable waste management and leachate treatment systems. Overall, it will help the industry overcome challenges posed by current waste management systems and support further innovation in this field to reduce costs and negative environmental impacts and to provide a reliable energy source from waste.
The collection and treatment of landfill leachate are required to minimize negative environmental impacts, especially on groundwater and surface water. Heavily polluted leachates require advanced treatment, such as adsorption. Overall, treatment needs to be reliable, cost-effective, and simple. While granular activated carbon can adsorb many contaminants, it is relatively expensive and often produced from non-renewable coal. Biochar, an alternative adsorbent, can be cost-effective, produced from waste, and environmentally beneficial. Diverting organic matter from landfills to biochar, results in carbon sequestration, reduces landfill methane emissions, and allows for the renewable production of energy and of water treatment adsorbents. The overall objective of this work is to identify and develop a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable landfill leachate treatment process and organic solid waste management approach. This work has three main tasks: (1) evaluate biochar adsorption treatment based on raw waste material, ash pre-treatment, and temperature; (2) evaluate biochar and regenerated biochar adsorption and biodegradation treatment capacity using an experimental setup that replicates full-scale performance; and (3) evaluate current waste management systems to compare the life cycle costs and environmental impacts of the different leachate treatment systems and develop criteria for full-scale implementation to reduce costs and environmental impacts compared with current technologies. This work includes both fundamental and applied research that will help landfill managers determine the most effective and sustainable organic solids waste management and leachate treatment options. The PIs work will develop an innovative leachate treatment option by conceptualizing a new adsorption and biodegradation approach using biochar and by generating data to show how to improve landfill leachate treatment. The PIs will identify criteria for optimizing the leachate treatment process and solid waste management processes. It is expected that this work will advance knowledge in biochar development and solid waste management systems. Through collaboration with the industry partner, the PIs will develop a suite of educational experiences including landfill tours, industry relevant and professional mentoring of students, industry input on curriculum development, and guest lectures by the industrial collaborator. It is expected that this project will support innovation by simultaneously using organic waste to: (i) treat landfill leachate, (ii) produce energy, and (iii) reduce waste accumulation and contamination, thereby reducing overall costs and environmental degradation that currently have significant negative impacts on local and global communities. |