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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Future of Water Infrastructure and Innovation Summit

Energy and water systems are interdependent, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has invested in energy and water for several years, including the Energy-Water Desalination Hub (led by the National Alliance for Water Innovation, NAWI), and research and development (R&D) in resource recovery from wastewater, among other areas. The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held The Future of Water Infrastructure and Innovation Summit to inform the understanding of future opportunities in the water space. The virtual summit was held on October 27 and 28, 2020. The organizers gathered information from a diverse group of relevant water and wastewater stakeholders representing academia, industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and local/regional utilities. Topics from Day 1 discussions included: desalination, water and wastewater treatment/recovery, produced water, industrial management of water, and hydropower, conveyance, and water systems.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Water-Related Technology Performance Development

This U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory techno-economic analysis evaluates those parameters having the greatest performance and cost impact on wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) effluent wastewater treatment systems, and air cooled condensers for dry cooling systems. Two supercritical pulverized coal power plants are considered: 1) an existing plant (modified for surface water discharge and air emissions consistent with limits for existing plants) retrofitted with wet FGD effluent wastewater treatment and 2) a greenfield plant constructed with an air-cooled condenser (ACC). Sensitivity analyses are completed on various process parameters associated with the wet FGD effluent wastewater treatment system and ACC to determine the impact on the net plant efficiency and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Research and development targets are recommended for the parameters shown to have the greatest potential impact on cost or performance.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electron beam irradiation of 1,4 dioxane

Electron beam irradiation produces both, reducing and oxidizing species which facilitate the reduction of contaminants found in water and wastewater. To investigate the impact of electron beam on 1,4-dioxane, a widely used solvent which has been declared as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a beamline was designed and commissioned at the Upgraded Injector Test Facility at Jefferson Lab. Here, wastewater samples can be irradiated with a beam energy up to 10 MeV and a beam current of up to 100 nA. Beam acceleration is achieved by two superconducting radio-frequency cavities cooled by liquid helium in a cryomodule. A beam spot with a diameter of ~5 cm was produced at the target location using a pair of raster coils. Electron beam irradiation studies were performed using 1,4-dioxane in two different matrices, de-ionized water and secondary effluent wastewater, and for two concentrations, 10 microg/L and 100 microg/L. The concentration of 1,4-dioxane after irradiation was measured as a function of dose.

Li, Xi↗
DOE OSTI2026

Conus-Wide Mapping of Water Availability and Cost

Background: New demands for water can be satisfied through a variety of source options. In some basins surface and/or groundwater may be available through permitting with the state water management agency (termed unappropriated water), alternatively water might be purchased and transferred out of its current use to another (termed appropriated water), or non-traditional water sources can be captured and treated (e.g., wastewater). The relative availability and cost of each source are key factors in the development decision. Unfortunately, these measures are location dependent with no consistent or comparable set of data available for evaluating competing water sources. With the help of water managers, water availability was mapped for over 2500 watersheds throughout CONUS. These values are unique in that they account for institutional factors (i.e., water rights, compacts, treaties, instream flows) that locally limit water use. Five water sources were individually examined, including unappropriated surface water, unappropriated groundwater, appropriated water, municipal wastewater and brackish groundwater. Associated costs to acquire, convey and treat the water, as necessary, for each of the five sources were estimated. These metrics were developed to support regional water planning and policy analysis with initial application to electric transmission planning in the western US. Problem: These data were originally developed in 20141 and updated in 20182. New datasets on which these data depend have been published. As such, there is need to update the water availability and cost data. There is also need to map this same data to a county resolution and to publish the data in a more accessible place. Organization of the dataset: Data are organized according to five primary water sources: • Unappropriated fresh surface water • Unappropriated fresh groundwater • Appropriated water • Recycled wastewater, and • Brackish water

Tidwell, Vincent [Pacific Northwest National Labor↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluating various composite sampling modes for detecting pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 virus in raw sewage

Inadequate sampling approaches to wastewater analyses can introduce biases, leading to inaccurate results such as false negatives and significant over- or underestimation of average daily viral concentrations, due to the sporadic nature of viral input. To address this challenge, we conducted a field trial within the University of Tennessee residence halls, employing different composite sampling modes that encompassed different time intervals (1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 24 h) across various time windows (morning, afternoon, evening, and late-night). Our primary objective was to identify the optimal approach for generating representative composite samples of SARS-CoV-2 from raw wastewater. Utilizing reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we quantified the levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) RNA in raw sewage. Our findings consistently demonstrated that PMMoV RNA, an indicator virus of human fecal contamination in water environment, exhibited higher abundance and lower variability compared to pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Significantly, both SARS-CoV-2 and PMMoV RNA exhibited greater variability in 1 h individual composite samples throughout the entire sampling period, contrasting with the stability observed in other time-based composite samples. Through a comprehensive analysis of various composite sampling modes using the Quade Nonparametric ANCOVA test with date, PMMoV concentration and site as covariates, we concluded that employing a composite sampler during a focused 6 h morning window for pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 RNA is a pragmatic and cost-effective strategy for achieving representative composite samples within a single day in wastewater-based epidemiology applications. This method has the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of data collected at the community level, thereby contributing to more informed public health decision-making during a pandemic.

sampling timing↗
DOE OSTI2025

In anaerobic reactors the microbial community structure depends on feed type, with no “keystone” species tied to COD removal

Two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) systems provide treatment for high strength wastewater with high stability and performance. Encapsulation technology can intensify AD to facilitate the separation of the solids retention time from the hydraulic retention time (HRT), offering lower HRTs, smaller reactors, and high effluent quality. To support successful deployment, however, the encapsulated community must contain all the needed microorganisms for successful treatment and be flexible enough to treat a variety of wastewaters. Here, a two-stage system was investigated in which microbial cultures were enriched on various high-strength wastewaters in suspended flow-through systems to determine how feed type influenced performance and microbial community structure. The hypothesis was that specific genera, or so-called “keystone species” would positively correlate to organic carbon degradation for a given feed, enabling construction of a well-functioning community for encapsulation. Results showed that the number of total bacteria (as 16S rRNA gene copies) did not correlate to soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) removal, indicating that the community structure and/or members were important for good performance. Results also showed that feed type strongly influenced carbon removal and microbial community structure for 1st-stage fermenting communities, but not 2nd-stage methanogenic communities. In this study, the “core” community members were defined as organisms common to all of either the 1st- or 2nd-stage reactors irrespective of the feed they received and were present in at least 50% of the samples throughout the entire experiment. “Unique” community members were specific to a single feed, and hence, only present in either the 1st- or 2nd-stage reactors receiving that feed. In both 1st- and 2nd-stage communities, only one core genera and no unique genera were positively and significantly correlated to sCOD removal. Verification experiments performed with encapsulated communities showed that organisms identified in flow-through system and correlated with carbon degradation, though not significantly, seemed to be important for performance. Our results suggest that one cannot construct a community containing specific populations in lieu of enrichment. Nevertheless, a single diverse encapsulated anaerobic community should provide good (>80%) carbon removal when fed a variety of influents, if time is provided for enrichment after deployment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Potential Advantages to Employing an Onsite Laboratory at FUSRAP Sites Contaminated with Radionuclides and Metals - 20353

Various factors that support an evaluation of the relative costs, advantages and disadvantages of utilizing an onsite laboratory or an offsite laboratory for remediation of Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) sites contaminated with radionuclides and metals are presented. In terms of how much more quickly an onsite laboratory provides results versus an offsite laboratory, the results of this study provide tools for calculating the amount of cost savings per day for excavation of contaminated soils for various scenarios including: - State, municipal or local property remediation where the remediation schedule becomes time-critical due to the extra cost and inconvenience to the town or municipality caused by the need for increased security and safety personnel, possible road closures and detours, and the inconvenience to the public due to modified or decreased services of State or municipal facilities; - Residential property where the remediation schedule becomes time-critical due to the inconvenience to the homeowner as well as the importance of maintaining good community relations; - Commercial property where the remediation schedule becomes time-critical due to the hardship and potential loss of revenue endured by the property owner; - Open area where treatment of excavation water is required, and - Open area where treatment of excavation water is not required. For every scenario, the number of matrices, radionuclide and metal contaminants of concern and the project duration are important factors. The costs for the onsite laboratory included the capital costs associated with setting up the lab such as trailer(s) or building(s), power and water hookup, analytical testing equipment, balances, computers, desks and bookcases; support equipment such as hot plates, filtration assemblies, safety equipment, ovens, etc.; and supplies such as glassware, pipettes, filters, etc. and ongoing costs such as labor, chemicals and reagents, standards, cost of the laboratory obtaining certification and maintenance. Offsite laboratory sample testing costs are generally very competitive and typically substantially lower than onsite laboratory costs if only the sample testing costs are considered. The great disadvantage of using an offsite laboratory is that they often cannot guarantee rapid turnaround times for results which creates project delays associated with the remediation process including delays determining the completeness of the characterization and remediation processes, delays in backfilling a property and additional costs for treating wastewater (excavation water, stormwater or both). These costs will vary greatly depending upon the area of the country in which the project is located due to the wide range of labor costs for the onsite laboratory and field workers, as well as the contaminants of interest, matrices and most importantly the size of the impacted area and the number of properties located in that area. This paper provides guidelines for calculating the cost savings that may be realized if an onsite laboratory can generate results more quickly than an offsite laboratory by estimating the costs associated with the remediation process for the various scenarios noted above such as work crew labor costs, excavator and dump truck equipment rentals, wastewater treatment costs (if applicable) and the additional costs incurred by homeowners, commercial property owners and towns/municipalities that are reimbursed by the potentially responsible parties. Key assumptions involve the typical quickest turnaround time provided by the onsite and offsite laboratories. Costs for the operation of a wastewater treatment system and the remediation of a site area or property were provided by personnel who have been involved in the operation of a large FUSRAP site in New Jersey for many years. This study provides valuable information for determining the most cost-effective approach for analysis of project samples and therefore may be used on upcoming FUSRAP projects. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 110B: US DOE High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Interpretation

This panel focused on the US DOE High-Level radioactive Waste (HLW) definition interpretation. Discussion integrated topics such as the issuance of the HLW interpretation Federal Registration Notice, the status of the draft Environmental Assessment that analyzes the treatment and commercial disposal of up to 10,000-gallons of SRS Defense Waste Processing Facility recycle wastewater in South Carolina, and the path forward. Panelists with presentations: Status on the Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater from SRS (Theresa Kliczewski); Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement on the HLW interpretation (Kara Colton, Rick McLeod); Technical Aspects of Potential Disposal of SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater (Kent Rosenberger)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Oil and Natural Gas Development near and beneath Uranium Tailings Cells and Other Remediated Sites - 20358

DOE LM is responsible for maintaining remedies at more than 50 remediated sites that require active long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M). Institutional controls (ICs) were established to limit human and environmental exposures to residual contamination by controlling land use, restricting access to potential hazards, and making the public aware of potential dangers from the residual contamination. ICs for each site were developed based on current and foreseeable conditions; however, these controls should evolve to mitigate potential human health and other environmental risks from unanticipated changes in activities or site conditions. Activities conducted beyond the DOE long-term care boundaries by non-DOE parties may impact the effectiveness of ICs or even the long-term stability of disposal cells and groundwater remedies. Several sites that LM manages or that will transfer to LM for LTS and M are in active oil and gas production basins. The sites are associated with uranium ore milling or nuclear test sites and have been remediated or are in the process of remediation and have no ongoing DOE mission. Particularly since 2005, hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') combined with directional drilling has dramatically increased oil and natural gas (oil/gas) production in the United States, now making it the number one hydrocarbon-producing country. Fracking has allowed production from shale and other rocks of low natural permeability that were historically not considered viable oil/gas resources. Also, because wellbores can now be drilled as many as 5 kilometers or more horizontally, hydrocarbons can be recovered from zones without having access to the surface above them. Drilling activity near Rulison, Colorado, the location of an underground nuclear detonation managed by LM, has raised public concerns that remnant radioactivity in the detonation zone could migrate to producing wells and enter the natural gas distribution system. At sites like the Falls City, Texas, Disposal site, transitioned to LM with a split estate, increased production in the region has resulted in wellbores beneath the long-term care boundary of the site. While the DOE license for Falls City was approved by the NRC in 1997 without the acquisition of the subsurface rights, NRC has raised concerns on whether this activity impacts the integrity of the cell and/or groundwater remedies. In Wyoming, LM is anticipating receiving the license for the Bear Creek site and manages the Spook site, both locations of uranium mill tailings disposal cells. These Wyoming sites are in an active region of major oil and gas development. This change in surrounding land use will require LM to work collaboratively with NRC to address these concerns. At several DOE sites radioactive waste, and often intermixed nonradioactive constituents, is permanently isolated in engineered disposal cells. At other sites, residual contamination can be present in groundwater, blast cavities, and infinite amounts within soil. Areas targeted for oil and gas development at the Texas and Wyoming sites range from depths of 2440 to 3350 meters (8000-11000 feet) below ground surface. When most site remedies were designed, oil and gas development was not considered to be an issue within the site boundary. With the more recent uses of directional drilling, fracking, and associated wastewater injections, the evaluative criteria for incoming sites and ICs for managing long-term protectiveness and regulatory compliance are changing. Although DOE surface ownership was previously thought to be a robust IC to prevent surface and subsurface development, particularly at disposal sites, that may no longer be the case. Whereas the subsurface development at Texas and Wyoming sites is currently occurring at thousands of meters beneath the surface, shallower and direct onsite development would be more of a concern for LM. The energy introduced when a well is hydraulically fractured causes microseismic events (magnitude -2 to 1.0) as the fractures propagate but does not directly cause seismic events (earthquakes) of sufficient magnitude to damage surface structures. Additionally, the extent of the hydraulic fractures is limited to the targeted depths, which are far below the surface. However, earthquakes of sufficient magnitude to damage surface structures have been attributed to the injection of wastewater into disposal wells. States that have experienced these effects have enacted regulations that limit the rate and pressures that wastewater can be injected into disposal wells. Items LM may consider are the need for monitoring the volume of water injected into nearby disposal wells and possibly installing seismic stations at sites most susceptible to damage. While the need to demonstrate that no impact from oil and gas extraction activities on a site groundwater remedy or disposal cells will vary from site to site, LM is assessing risk criteria for this activity. Though LM has not experienced an issue yet at a uranium tailings disposal site, it cannot assume that there will be none, and must address NRC concerns. LM is building on past experiences at other sites and beginning to form new processes with the hope that these concepts can be applied for other future sites. (authors)

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Demand response event simulator and risk-aware bidding tool for industrial customers

Incentive Based Demand Response (IBDR) program participation delivers financial benefits to the consumers and resiliency benefits to the electricity grid. Effectively participating in these programs as an industrial consumer requires bidding strategies that balance financial risk with operational constraints. Existing bidding tools tend not to fully incorporate stochastic IBDR event modeling, program specific baseline and payment/penalty calculations, or demand reduction process control schemes that account for the cascading impacts of shutdown in complex facilities. Here, this work presents an IBDR event simulator and risk-aware bidding framework tool integrating three key components: a flexible, parameterized demand response event generator that rigorously accounts for program structures and stochasticity, a demand response operational simulation model that generates explicit control strategies for load reduction, and a Monte Carlo simulator to evaluate financial risk for varied capacity bids. A case study at a wastewater treatment plant participating in PG&E's Capacity Bidding Program demonstrates the framework's utility. In the peak capacity price month of August, optimal bidding by the wastewater treatment plant nets a mean IBDR benefit of $101,000 (67% of the August electricity bill) with 0.4% probability of a financial loss. This framework enables industrial operators to make informed bidding decisions, negotiate better program terms with demand response load aggregators, and analyze energy flexibility investments at their facilities. Ultimately, this work reduces participation barriers in IBDR programs and supports the broader goal of enhancing grid reliability and renewable energy integration.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Highly efficient, rapid, and concurrent removal of toxic heavy metals by the novel 2D hybrid LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ]

According to a United Nations report, by 2050 nearly six billion people worldwide will suffer from clean water scarcity. This is mostly because of the exponential proliferation of world population, urbanization, industrialization, and water pollution. Heavy metals are common water pollutants that can pose grave public health consequences. Existing water purification systems are lack of materials that have the potential for quick, simultaneous, efficient, and cost-efficient removal of numerous toxic metals from wastewater. Here, in this work, we report the design and synthesis of an economically viable Layered Double Hydroxides - Stannic Sulfide, LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] that exhibits a rapid, efficient, selective, and concurrent removal of Cu 2+ , Ag + , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Hg 2+ from parts per million (ppm) level to below 5 parts per billion (ppb) satisfying World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe drinking water limit. Moreover, LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] shows exceptionally high removal efficiencies of the above metals in acidic, neutral, and basic conditions. LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] also demonstrates enormous sorption capacities of 378, 978, 332, 579, and 666 mg/g for Cu 2+ , Ag + , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Hg 2+ , respectively. Remarkably, LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] displays extraordinary tolerance to the concentrations of Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Cl - , CO 3 2– , NO 3 – ,and SO 4 2- , and other constituents in tap and river water, it efficiently sequestrates Cu 2+ , Ag + , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Hg 2+ from ppm to safe drinking water levels in minutes. LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] shows pseudo-second-order sorption kinetics suggesting chemisorption adsorption mechanism involving M–S bonding. Altogether, the regeneratable LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] becomes an exceptional material that shows ultrahigh removal, unprecedented selectivity, rapid adsorption kinetics, wide pH stability, and a massive adsorption capacity. The integration of these features places LDH–[Sn 2 S 6 ] at the top of all adsorbents known to date and thus could be used for wastewater purifications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impacts of anthropogenic gadolinium on the activity of the ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea

Widespread use of gadolinium-based contrast agents in medical imaging has resulted in increased Gd inputs to municipal wastewater treatment plants. Others have reported that typical wastewater treatment does not attenuate Gd, resulting in discharges to natural waters. However, whether elevated Gd impacts the performance of biological treatment has not been investigated. We examined whether gadolinium chloride or Gd chelated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) affected the activity of the model nitrifying bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. At nominal GdCl 3 additions ranging from 1 to 500 µM, no impact was observed compared to the control. Most (>98%) of the added Gd precipitated, and extracellular GdPO 4 nanoparticles were observed. When chelated with DTPA, Gd remained soluble, but no statistically significant impact on ammonia oxidation was observed until the highest concentrations tested. At 300 and 500 µM Gd-DTPA, a temporary reduction of nitrite production relative to the control (effect size 1.3 mg l -1 and 1.5 mg l -1 , respectively, at 24 h) was seen. By itself, DTPA was highly inhibitory. Modeling suggested that DTPA likely chelated other metals, but adjusting the concentrations of the most abundant metals in the medium, calcium and magnesium, indicated that lowering their free ion activities was probably not the cause of inhibition. Complexation of other essential metals was more likely. Furthermore, our studies indicate that while the low bioavailability of Gd may limit its ecosystem impacts, the role of synthetic ligands used with Gd and other rare earth elements should e considered as the production, use and disposal of these elements increases.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Production of polyacrylonitrile/ionic covalent organic framework hybrid nanofibers for effective removal of chromium(VI) from water

Hexavalent Cr(VI) found in industrial wastewater is a proven carcinogen which causes serious health issues in humans around the world. This study presents a novel method to enhance the Cr(VI) oxyanion removal from wastewater by polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers through incorporation of a guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic framework (BT-DG) in the nanofibers structure. In this work, simple electrospinning technique was employed to produce PAN nanofibers and BT-DG was synthesized through condensation between benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde and N,N'-diaminoguanidine monohydrochloride. In-situ polymerization of BT-DG onto PAN nanofibers resulted in generation of hybrid PAN-BT-DG nanofibers. This modified PAN-BT-DG was characterized by obtaining its point of zero charge (PZC), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphology and surface elements and oxidation states by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). PAN-BT-DG exhibited positive surface charge below pH 4, making it an outstanding adsorbent, for Cr(VI) removal. Cr(VI) adsorption onto PAN-BT-DG followed pseudo second order kinetics and adsorption data fitted well to Freundlich isotherm model. Highest Cr(VI) removal was obtained at 55 °C with a maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 173 mg/g at pH 3. Kinetic studies revealed that Cr(VI) adsorption onto PAN-BT-DG is endothermic and thermodynamically feasible. Desorption studies were conducted on PAN-BT-DG using 1 M NaOH as the stripping solvent and PAN-BT-DG exhibited excellent regeneration after five consecutive cycles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pilot microbial electrolysis cell closes the hydrogen loop for hydrothermal wet waste conversion to jet fuel

The global shift toward net-zero emissions necessitates resource recovery from wet waste. In this study, we demonstrate the first feasibility of combining pilot-scale microbial electrolytic cells (MECs) with hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) for simultaneous post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHW) treatment and efficient hydrogen (H₂) production to meet biocrude upgrading requirements. Long-term single reactor operation revealed that fixed anode potential enabled rapid startup, and low catholyte pH and high salinity were effective in suppression of cathodic methanogenesis and acetogenesis – resulting in high current density of 16.6 A m –2 and 9.3 A m –2 when feeding synthetic wastewater and PHW respectively. Additionally, the anode biofilm exhibited spatial variations in response to local environmental conditions. In conclusion, onsite parallel or serial operations of multiple MECs showed good performance using actual PHW with a record-high H 2 production rate of 0.5 L L R day –1 for MEC over 10 liters scale, and the optimal chemical oxygen demand (COD)-to-H 2 yield reached 0.127 kg-H 2 per kg-COD, supporting a self-sufficient, closed-loop upgrade to jet fuel.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrating Contaminant Source Indicators, Water Quality Measures, and Ecotoxicity to Characterize Contaminant Mixtures and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Variability in an Urban Watershed

Thousands of chemical contaminants threaten watersheds but are time and cost prohibitive to monitor. Identifying their sources, transport, and ecological risk is limited in heterogeneous urban watersheds. We present an integrative watershed approach using source-specific indicator compounds, common water quality measures, and ecotoxicity assays to examine the distribution of contaminant mixtures in an urbanized watershed. Indicator compound concentrations were temporally and spatially distributed for treated/untreated sewage (sucralose, artificial sweetener), road runoff (diphenyl-guanidine [DPG] and 6PPD-quinone [6PPD-Q], automobile tire additives), and lawncare runoff (aminomethanephosphonic acid (AMPA), major degradant of the herbicide glyphosate). Sucralose was predominately sourced from treated wastewater; measurable concentrations in tributaries indicated raw sewage inputs. DPG and 6PPD-Q concentrations correlated to road density during base flow and were elevated during stormflow. AMPA was measurable spring through fall, especially where lawns were dense. When specific sources dominated flow, water quality measures correlated with wastewater (sulfate, potassium, chloride, and sodium) and road runoff (chromium and lead) indicators. The limited behavioral toxicity observed in exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) (18%) was not well explained by source-indicators. PFAS concentrations were highly variable spatially but not well explained by our source-specific indicator compounds. Here, more costly compound-specific monitoring may be necessary when multiple sources exist or when unexpected toxicity trends occur.

computer simulations↗
DOE OSTI2023

NEWTS Database Dashboard

The NEWTS (National Energy Water Treatment and Speciation) database dashboard displays sites across the nation where energy-related wastewater stream samples and composition data have been collected. Using the dashboard, community leaders and the public will be able to quickly explore and obtain sample data from locations displayed on a map where various government agencies collect and analyze water samples from energy-related wastewater streams.

Aqueous Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2024

NEWTS State-Level Database Dashboard

The National Energy Water Treatment and Speciation (NEWTS) State-Level Database Dashboard enables quick visualization and exploration of energy-related wastewater data collected from state environmental agencies and research projects across the United States. The dashboard features a subset of the NEWTS Integrated Dataset (version 1.0), which was built to provide stakeholders with a unified and standardized database to support wastewater treatment and critical minerals exploration. The full NEWTS Integrated Dataset and citations for the original data resources can be found here: https://edx.netl.doe.gov/dataset/newts-integrated-dataset-version-1-0

abandoned mine drainage↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development and Validation of a Process Model and Open-Source Process Simulator for Microalgae-Based Tertiary Phosphorus Recovery

Microalgae-based tertiary wastewater treatment has the potential to meet stringent effluent phosphorus limits, with the added benefit of producing a marketable feedstock. However, the lack of validated mechanistic models and their implementation in process simulators have limited the adoption of this technology. In this study, an updated lumped pathway metabolic model (Phototrophic-Mixotrophic Process Model, PM 2 ), including both photoautotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms of microalgae, was developed to predict effluent phosphorus concentration and biomass yield in response to dynamic influent and varying environmental conditions. The model was implemented in QSDsan – an open-source, Python-based design and simulation platform – for robust simulation under uncertainty. A global sensitivity analysis was performed to prioritize model parameters for calibration. The model was then calibrated and validated using batch experimental data and 45 days of continuous online monitoring data from a full-scale (568 m 3 ·d -1 ) microalgae-based tertiary wastewater treatment plant (EcoRecover process). In particular, along with dynamic influent composition, temperature and light intensity data with diel variation were provided as model inputs to reflect the microalgal behavior under day-night cycling. Overall, the QSDsan-based microalgae process simulator was able to predict effluent phosphorus within 0.02–0.04 mg-P·L -1 , while also capturing the general trends of state variables according to nutrient availability.

Lumped pathway metabolic model↗