Electron beam technology for biogas and biofertilizer generation at municipal resource recovery facilities

In the era of circular economies, municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are viewed as resource recovery facilities. At the very minimum, the targeted resources are water, biogas, and phosphorus. However, municipal wastewater streams (sludge and effluent) need to be adequately treated to eliminate the potential for the transmission of microbial pathogens including protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. This paper presents the results from a study demonstrating the use of electron beam technology for sludge hygenization and enhanced methane (biogas) production using municipal wastewater samples. Cogeneration of heat for fertilizer drying and granulation and electricity for powering the electron beam system are also demonstrated.