{"id":53114,"date":"2024-12-12T07:14:39","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T07:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=53114"},"modified":"2024-12-12T08:08:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T08:08:27","slug":"bioresource-innovation-to-promote-sustainable-sludge-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/bioresource-innovation-to-promote-sustainable-sludge-management\/53114\/","title":{"rendered":"Transforming the water sector: Bioresource innovation to tackle water quality challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"
The global water sector is undergoing a critical transformation, reducing its environmental footprint while improving water quality in our rivers, streams and coastlines through cutting-edge innovation.<\/p>\n
An increasingly pressing environmental challenge faced by the industry is the sustainable management of treated sewage sludge, particularly in the context of removing harmful contaminants such as PFAS<\/a> (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as \u2018forever chemicals.\u2019<\/p>\n These substances persist in the environment, affecting biodiversity and pose serious health risks, making their removal crucial for protecting both ecosystems and human health.<\/p>\n To confront these issues, the Ofwat Innovation Fund is supporting groundbreaking projects addressing these environmental concerns, including a number that have a strong focus on sludge management and the elimination of PFAS.<\/p>\n Sludge is a bi-product of treating sewage \u2013 a combination of solid matter and the remnants of dead bacterial cells left over from the treatment process. This bioresource contains valuable nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which improve agricultural soils when applied as fertiliser.<\/p>\n On a national level, the UK produces around 1.2 million dry tons of sludge per year<\/a>, and this is increasing. In 2020, 94% of sludge in the UK was reused for soil and agriculture.<\/p>\n However, sludge can also harbour contaminants, such as microplastics, heavy metals, and, most notably, PFAS. These synthetic chemicals can be found in industrial and consumer products, which can make their way into wastewater and subsequently into treated sludge.<\/p>\n There is increasing understanding that traditional practices of spreading treated sludge on land could introduce these contaminants into soils. Once in the soil, these chemicals could make their way into waterways and potentially disrupt ecosystems, posing longer-term environmental risks.<\/p>\n We now have an opportunity to support the development, scaling, and implementation of sustainable solutions to better manage PFAS in sludge and wastewater with the ultimate aim of preventing their entry into natural systems.<\/p>\n Research is increasing understanding of the impacts of PFAS on the environment. Around the world, evidence has found PFAS present in most stages of the water cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Conventional water treatment methods were not developed with PFAS in mind, as these chemicals resist breakdown through typical filtration and chemical processes. This limitation underscores the need to support new and innovative technologies to address the growing PFAS challenge.<\/p>\n Among the promising solutions emerging is gasification, a process that can destroy PFAS and other contaminants by breaking them down into simpler, less harmful compounds.<\/p>\n Gasification not only neutralises harmful chemicals but also helps manage other pollutants, such as microplastics, thereby protecting both soil and waterways. By preventing these contaminants from entering the environment, gasification technology contributes to improving overall water quality and advancing the sustainability of sludge treatment practices.<\/p>\n The Sewage Sludge Gasification<\/a> project \u2013 a partnership led by Yorkshire Water, in collaboration with the Carbon Trust, Queens University Belfast, EnertecGreen, and seven water companies across the UK and Ireland is a winner of the Ofwat Innovation Fund\u2019s fourth Water Breakthrough Challenge.<\/p>\n Sewage sludge is exposed to high temperatures in a controlled oxygen environment, causing it to break down into useful gases and other bioresources \u2013 and, importantly, destroys PFAS, which is such a threat to the health of the environment and to people.<\/p>\n It offers a productive alternative to spreading sludge to land. In addition to producing hydrogen-rich syngas (short for synthetic gas) to generate electricity, the gasification process leaves behind biochar and vitrified ash \u2018stones\u2019.<\/p>\n The carbon-rich biochar, which resembles small pieces of charcoal, will be tested as a filter to treat wastewater and as an additive in brick manufacturing. It could also be used as a soil improver to increase water and nutrient retention, and as it doesn\u2019t readily decompose, it is safe in the knowledge that it is PFAS-free. The biochar could also be a good vehicle for sequestering carbon in soil – though it must be properly managed to ensure soil pH levels are not negatively impacted.<\/p>\n The vitrified ash could be used as aggregate in the construction industry to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of concrete. Syngas is a blend of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, and it has the potential to be used to produce green electricity, along with other high-value products.<\/p>\n The project\u2019s gasification plant is expected to generate 50 megawatts of electricity (MWe) from sludge, which would cover its operational energy needs and contribute excess power to the grid. This innovation presents a significant opportunity for the water industry to reduce its reliance on traditional energy sources and lower its carbon footprint.<\/p>\n There is also a significant opportunity to scale this technology across the UK. If implemented nationally, sewage sludge gasification could generate up to 375 MWe of energy (enough to power more than 300,000 homes), significantly reducing the sector\u2019s carbon emissions and supporting the country\u2019s broader energy transition.<\/p>\nUnderstanding sewage sludge and its environmental impact<\/h3>\n
The growing issue of PFAS<\/h3>\n
Making the most of our bioresources<\/h3>\n