The NSF REU intern should have an overall interest in the water environment and sound math and science background. Useful, but not required, skills would include prior field and laboratory work related to water quality analyses and an interest in working with a team of students on a broad project. A novel bioreactor system is under investigation in our laboratories, which has been shown to achieve high nitrification rates. The system uses bundles of microporous hollow fiber membranes. Air or pure oxygen flows through the inside of the hollow fibers while bacteria grow on the outside of the fibers.
Wastewater containing ammonia is circulated on the outside of the fibers.
The bacteria growing on or near the fibers oxidize the ammonia to nitrate. The membranes provide high gas permeability, while not allowing transport of water across the membrane. They are manufactured as small-diameter hollow fiber bundles that provide a very high surface area to volume ratio. Currently, a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student, Yener Keskiner, is working on the project. A number of studies have been performed with the system using ammonia in the liquid and gas phase.