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Team Name: Copper in Biosolids Partner: Pembroke Pollution Control Centre Communication Lead: Josh Macmillan Team Members: Dele Atteh, Sebastien Swann, Josh Macmillan, Mandy Raney |
Project Overview
In order to recycle and reuse waste, most municipalities have introduced a composting site to generate income, to reduce the amount of waste occupying the landfill site, and to also add nutrients and organic matter back to the soil.
Many Wastewater facilities face challenges with the process involved with dewatering sludge (biosolids) as the end product is often left with high levels of copper in the heavy metals ratio. The biosolids team has conducted a literature review of various methods that have been performed by Wastewater facilities to bring a healthy balance to the copper levels in the ratio of heavy metals: dry solids: ammonia nitrate.
Superintendent of Utilities, Blaine McEwen, is working in collaboration with a group of Environmental Technician students to come up with a solution. Many cutting edge technologies were explored. Under the guidance of Blaine McEwen, mixing the Biosolids with the organic compost from the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre simply to make biosolids as a compost booster became the solution.
The students from Algonquin College collected samples from Pembroke Pollution Control Centre and the compost from the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre and mixed them at different ratio’s to test for reduction of copper.
The mixtures were left to sit for a month before the testing was done by the Algonquin College students. Copper levels were tested using a Digesdahl digester to burn off organics and turn the solids into a liquid. The liquid was then tested for the total amount of copper using the Hach. Testing is still in the process by the students but the results indicate levels of total copper in accordance to the Canadian Council of Minister of the Environment (CCME).
Many Wastewater facilities face challenges with the process involved with dewatering sludge (biosolids) as the end product is often left with high levels of copper in the heavy metals ratio. The biosolids team has conducted a literature review of various methods that have been performed by Wastewater facilities to bring a healthy balance to the copper levels in the ratio of heavy metals: dry solids: ammonia nitrate.
Superintendent of Utilities, Blaine McEwen, is working in collaboration with a group of Environmental Technician students to come up with a solution. Many cutting edge technologies were explored. Under the guidance of Blaine McEwen, mixing the Biosolids with the organic compost from the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre simply to make biosolids as a compost booster became the solution.
The students from Algonquin College collected samples from Pembroke Pollution Control Centre and the compost from the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre and mixed them at different ratio’s to test for reduction of copper.
The mixtures were left to sit for a month before the testing was done by the Algonquin College students. Copper levels were tested using a Digesdahl digester to burn off organics and turn the solids into a liquid. The liquid was then tested for the total amount of copper using the Hach. Testing is still in the process by the students but the results indicate levels of total copper in accordance to the Canadian Council of Minister of the Environment (CCME).