Abstract

Technologies to treat wastewater in decentralized systems are critical for sustainable development. Bioreactors are suitable for low-energy removal of inorganic and organic compounds, particularly for non-potable applications where a small footprint is required. One of the main problems associated with bioreactor use is sporadic spikes of chemical toxins, including nanoparticles. Here, we describe the development of DIYBOT (Digital Proxy of a Bio-Reactor), which enables remote monitoring of bioreactors and uses the data to inform decisions related to systems management. To test DIYBOT, a household-scale membrane aerated bioreactor with real-time water quality sensors was used to treat household greywater simulant. After reaching steady-state, silver nanoparticles (AgNP) representative of the mixture found in laundry wastewater were injected into the system to represent a chemical contamination. Measurements of carbon metabolism, effluent water quality, biofilm sloughing rate, and microbial diversity were characterized after nanoparticle exposure. Real-time sensor data were analyzed to reconstruct phase-space dynamics and extrapolate a phenomenological digital proxy to evaluate system performance. The management implication of the stable-focus dynamics, reconstructed from observed data, is that the bioreactor self-corrects in response to contamination spikes at AgNP levels below 2.0 mg/L. DIYBOT may help reduce the frequency of human-in-the-loop corrective management actions for wastewater processing.

Details

Title
Digital Proxy of a Bio-Reactor (DIYBOT) combines sensor data and data analytics to improve greywater treatment and wastewater management systems
Author
McLamore, Eric S 1 ; Huffaker, Ray 1 ; Shupler Matthew 2 ; Ward, Katelyn 1 ; Datta Shoumen Palit Austin 3 ; Katherine Banks M 4 ; Casaburi Giorgio 5 ; Joany, Babilonia 5 ; Foster, Jamie S 5 

 Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA (GRID:grid.15276.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8091) 
 School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (GRID:grid.17091.3e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2288 9830) 
 Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA (GRID:grid.15276.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8091); MIT Auto-ID Labs, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, USA (GRID:grid.116068.8) (ISNI:0000 0001 2341 2786); MDPnP Interoperability and Cybersecurity Labs, Biomedical Engineering Program, Department of Anesthesiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, USA (GRID:grid.116068.8); NSF Center for Robots and Sensors for Human Well-Being, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA (GRID:grid.169077.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 2197) 
 Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA, College Station, TX, USA (GRID:grid.264756.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 4687 2082) 
 Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Space Life Science Lab, Merritt Island, USA (GRID:grid.15276.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8091) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2403302171
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.