Volcanic Spring Microorganism May Cut Costs For Waste Plants

A microorganism found at the volcanic springs in Yellowstone National Park may help wastewater plants cut costs upward of 60 percent.

Peter Lammers, a professor in algal bioenergy at Arizona State University, explained the possibility.

“Galdieria sulphuraria is one of the most interesting microorganisms on the planet,” he said, per The Guardian. “It grows in a witches brew, can degrade over 50 organic molecules and even photosynthesise like a plant.”

Given its effectiveness, the microorganism could be useful for treating wastewater at urban sewage farms, he said. Research is already in the offing, per The Guardian:

At a pilot site in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Lammers and researchers at New Mexico State University are diverting effluent from the city’s wastewater treatment plant into row upon row of long plastic bags primed with Galdieria sulphuraria. Air enriched with carbon dioxide is pumped gently through the tubes, while plastic wing-like foils move slowly up and down to mix the concoction.

The aim? To build an energy-positive wastewater treatment that helps preserve rivers, lakes and estuaries, reclaims the chemical energy in sewage, utilizes sunlight to expand that energy footprint and ultimately pays for itself.

If trials are successful, the microorganism could provide numerous benefits to wastewater plants. “The researchers believe that algal systems ultimately could eliminate sewage farms’ electricity bills, which can account for up to 60 percent of operating costs today, or even generate a surplus,” Sustainable Brands reported.

Fewer disinfectants would be required during treatment processes. The algae in the pilot project “uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, breaking down over 95 percent of the nitrogen and phosphates in a couple of days, according to The Guardian. The high temperatures and acid conditions also help kill bacteria, viruses and parasites, meaning sewage treated like this could require 10 times less chemical disinfectant than usual,” Sustainable Brands explained.

The system may also be able to create 400 percent the amount of rich organic sludge compared to ordinary sewage treatment as a result of the algae’s photosynthetic growth, Sustainable Brands reported. This product “can then be turned into biofuel oil using processes called hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrothermal gasification,” the site said.

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