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Rather than signal the last stop on its journey back into the environment, the wastewater treatment process might be the first step toward a second life as a renewable energy source. Dr. Metin Duran, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the research group have secured a $40,000 grant from the Philadelphia Water Department to investigate the conversion of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) present in wastewater into methane gas.

For the past five years, the group has worked with the Philadelphia Water Department to develop technologies that convert wastewater byproducts into renewable energy. For this research study, the group will explore anaerobic co-digestion of FOG, commonly referred to as 鈥榮cum,鈥� which accumulates during wastewater treatment and is typically sent to landfills.

鈥淔OG contains significant amounts of lipids, which makes it a potential source of renewable energy,鈥� says Dr. Duran. 鈥淎naerobic co-digestion of FOG seems the most efficient and economically feasible way to convert it into a renewable energy source.鈥�

To achieve this conversion, the group will combine FOG and naturally occurring microbes that are capable of digesting it into an engineered system designed to optimize the digestion and conversion process. The result of this process is methane gas.

鈥淎t the municipal level, it costs about $50 per ton simply to send this FOG to the landfill,鈥� says Dr. Duran. 鈥淐onverting it to an energy source not only saves money, but it鈥檚 also better for the environment. This project also fits well into Philadelphia鈥檚 sustainability initiative, as the city has plans to build a co-generation plant to convert methane into electricity.鈥�