PhD thesis on sustainable denitrification of wastewater

 In a modern wastewater treatment plant, in addition to carbon (named COD and BOD) removal, nitrogen and phosphorus should also be removed. For this purpose, they usually have a denitrification unit. However, the microorganisms need an easily accessible carbon source to be able to remove nitrogen. This carbon source is usually fossil-based methanol or sometimes expensive ethanol.

However, the question is if it is possible to use volatile fatty acids that could be produced from sludge, food wastes etc., and use it as this carbon source? This was the topic for research for Tugba Sapmaz who has nailed her thesis today entitled "Unlocking Sustainability in Wastewater Denitrification through Waste-Derived Volatile Fatty Acids" and will defend it on Friday 15 March 2024. She put these publications in her thesis:

1- Towards maximum value creation from potato protein liquor: Volatile fatty acids production from fungal cultivation effluent

2- Waste-derived volatile fatty acid production and ammonium removal from it by ion exchange process with natural zeolite

3- Potential of food waste-derived volatile fatty acids as alternative carbon source for denitrifying moving bed biofilm reactors

4- The Effect of Sequential and Simultaneous Supplementation of Waste-Derived Volatile Fatty Acids and Methanol as Alternative Carbon Source Blend for Wastewater Denitrification

I wish her good luck with the defense.