Nitrous Oxide Management in a Novel Biological Process

The research will centre on reducing the production of nitrous oxide, the greenhouse gas 310 times more damaging than carbon dioxide on a weight for weight basis, during water and wastewater processing. Suitable candidates for the PhD may have a background in biological sciences (including biochemistry and microbiology) chemistry, environmental sciences or chemical engineering.
The aim of the research is to investigate the mechanisms of nitrous oxide formation in a novel membrane oxygenated biological process for wastewater treatment from a demonstration plant sited in Cambridge. The biological process receives oxygen from an electrolyser that is producing hydrogen from wastewater effluent: this is summarised in the diagram below and the video at https://waterinnovation.challenges.org/winners/triple-carbon-reduction/. Microbially mediated pathways are critical in the production and attenuation of nitrous oxide depending on the environmental conditions in a system. Mass and energy balances will be conducted on the demonstration plant to establish nitrous oxide emissions and the effect of mitigation measures.

Cranfield University is an exclusively postgraduate university focussed on technology and management. The Water Theme (www.cranfield.ac.uk/themes/water/about-us) is the largest dedicated academic centre focussed on water and wastewater science, engineering and management in the UK. Researchers come from backgrounds in biological chemical and physical sciences, environmental science and management, engineering disciplines as well as management and social sciences. The PhD will have access to the comprehensive laboratory resources and technician support in the Environmental Analytical Facility (www.cranfield.ac.uk/facilities/environmental-analytical-facility).

Results of the research will enable lower greenhouse gas emissions through production of hydrogen combined with efficient wastewater treatment to protect the environment and deliver net zero carbon emissions for society.

The project offers the unique opportunity to work on a cutting-edge wastewater treatment technology, a pure oxygen version of the Membrane Aerated Bioreactor (MABR), as part of a £3.5 million OFWAT (the water services regulator) Innovation Fund project. As well as staff and colleagues at Cranfield, you will be interacting with the wider project team led by Anglian Water with partners Oxymem, Element Energy Ltd, Jacobs, University of East Anglia, Brunel University, Severn Trent, Scottish Water, Northern Ireland Water and United Utilities. You will be expected to deliver at least one presentation at a major international conference such as the International Water Association (IWA) Biennial Congress. As a student within the WIRe CDT (https://cdtwire.com/) you will also be an essential member of the 2022 cohort that includes students from Newcastle and Sheffield Universities.

At the end of the PhD, the successful candidate will have developed skills for roles in academia, government and industry. As well as being able to deliver research, you will have gained transferable skills in communication, data analytics, digital, project management and writing that will be invaluable for management and leadership careers in business, government and universities.

Graduates from the WRIC programme will produce new knowledge across the disciplinary landscape and graduate to occupy professional roles of influence and authority which require a thorough understanding of the pathways by which knowledge and technology are adopted and put to socially significant use. The people and knowledge delivered through the CDT will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's >£5bn annual spend on water and water related infrastructure (OFWAT, 2017), improving its resilience and securing its value for society for generations to come. With ambitions to nurture domain experts who can flourish at the interfaces of scientific disciplines and economic/industry sectors, the impact imperative is a significant but stimulating challenge for the WRIC CDT. Our impact strategy seeks to; (i) ensure rapid dissemination of scientific insights, (ii) maximise awareness and uptake of research sponsored through the CDT, and (iii) improve professional and lay understandings of the water infrastructure challenges facing society and the science behind candidate solutions. This strategy has been developed with project and Centre stakeholders so as to leverage additional resources, and maximise impact.
Improving the resilience of water infrastructure systems will be of benefit to a wide range of stakeholders. Given the CDT's bold intention to tackle knowledge gaps at the interfaces between disciplines and problems, new scientific understandings generated through WRIC will be of value to the knowledge users in the public sector (local authorities, regulators) and private sector (utilities, consultancies, technology providers), ultimately benefiting both lives and livelihoods across the UK and beyond. The UK economy will benefit from robust and resilient water infrastructure, in-line with the UK Government's Industrial Strategy for cleaner economic growth, the efficient use of resources, and building a regenerative circular economy. In the next Price Review PR19 (2020-25), water companies will be financially rewarded for implementing enhanced system resilience and innovation. Research outputs from WRIC will enable water companies to be able to meet these demands, alongside ambitious industry targets for zero water and wastewater quality failures, demand reduction and chemical recycling (OFWAT, 2017; UKWIR, 2017). These developments will facilitate inward international investment, development of new technology providers and supply chains, and opportunities for exporting intellectual property and know-how worldwide, further benefiting the UK economy. Project partners, including Thames Water, Severn Trent Water, Atkins, Stantec, Datatecnics also benefit from access to high quality graduates and facilities. Furthermore, regulatory agencies (Environment Agency, Drinking Water Inspectorate) and the European Commission will see benefits from improved compliance to regulations and sustainability agendas (Water Framework Directive 2008/32/EC and Drinking Water Directive 2017/0332(COD)).
The CDT programme will benefit the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) government investments (£138M). Sheffield, Cranfield and Newcastle Universities have all received capital grants through UKCRIC to fund industrial scale test facility and observatory facilities to form an Urban Water Hub. The CDT will supply the resources to use and maximise the benefits and outputs from these facilities. Cooperation with other UKCRIC CDTs will help students better understand contemporary challenges for infrastructure and cities will catalyse horizontal innovation transfer and elevate the transformative potential of WRIC graduates.