SANSED II

Funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Phase II:               2005-2008

Coordination:        University of Bonn

1.     Aims

Aim of the research project SANSED II is to find appropriate site-adapted treatments for waste- and drinking water to improve water quality and recycle nutrients. Systems shall be developed where the possible, advantageous use of the water and the nutrients determine the technology and the water management.

After evaluating the status quo of socio-economy and natural conditions, the actual use and the expected development, site-adapted solutions are developed. Economic, ecologic and health aspects have to be regarded.         
Re-use, concentration and separation of fluxes by simple, cheap decentralised solutions shall close nutrient cycles. Modular solutions will be developed, applied and optimised in pilot projects. New technological ideas of water supply and waste (water) treatment that are accepted by the population will lead to a new behavior towards water.
Main focus of SANSED is the reuse of nutrients and waste water, including the use of waste and energy (biogas) .

On the Campus CT and in the rural area different treatment technologies shall be set up and optimised and the application and use of substrates will be evaluated. The following topics are included:

1. Anaerobic fermentation 
2. Urine separation
3. Sieving + Soil filter
4. Application of substrates
5. Planning water management
6. Drinking water treatment and supply

Some of these technologies are used in pilot projects in Europe (e.g. urine separation), some are already quite common (e.g. biogas, soil filter). Within the project known processes shall be adapted to different structures (Infrastructure, Socio­economy), and to the tropical area and the conditions in the Mekong Delta. Aim is to find low-cost solutions with uncomplicated technology that are nevertheless effective.
One important aim is the further development of the substrate treatment (e.g. by composting, vermicomposting or urine drying) combined with a successful application in agriculture to assure the reuse.
Besides the scientific and technical interests, education/study and information important.. Furthermore there will be the planning of a decentralised waste water treatment, compared to a central solution in a periurban area.

2.     Background Science and Technology

In the area of waste water the following techniques will be developed

• Urine separation

• Sieving with soil filter

• Waste water treatment with energy yield: biogas (with pond)

Treatment for organic and mineral fertiliser:

• Urine drying

• Struvite precipitation

•  Ammonium sulphate-production

•  Vermicomposting

•  Composting

In the field of drinking water treatment, adapted concepts will be developed from known local methods (Flocculation with Al-suphate, Ceramic filter, boiling), and may include soil filter, UV-desinfection.

Urine separation takes advantage of the distribution of nutrients between urine and faeces to produce a highly concentrated fertiliser. Around 90% N, 75% K, 70 % P are excreted with the urine by humans. In Germany this is evaluated in some pilot projects with participation of the University of Bonn.

At the “Lambertsmühle” yellow (urine), brown (faeces) and grey water (shower, washing) are collected separately. Here the University of Bonn (Inst. of Plant Nutrition and Inst. for Hygiene) has been analysing the possible use, fertilising efficiency and characteristics of urine and composted and vermicomposted faeces (Simons & Clemens, 2003, 2004), Pharmaceutica in urine (Schneider, 2004) and microbiological parameters (Rechenburg, 2004).

In Berching, the Huber AG is running a system where urine is precipitated as struvite, brown water treated anaerobically (DeSaR-Anlage, zB. Bischof, 2004).
In some other European countries, e.g. Sweden (Vinneras, 2002) or Switzerland and China (Novaquatis) there are research activities on this topic.

Sieving is a common treatement to separate solid out of waste water. After passing the fine sieve, the water will run into a soil filter where pathogenic microrganisms, nitrogen and phosphorous are reduced (Rechenburg, 2004, Bahlo, 1996).

Biogas-Technology is used for waste water with high BOD concentrations.
Regading biogas, actual research deals with optimising large scale plants producing electricity (Germany) or fuel (e.g. Sweden). Small fermenters that are used in developing countries, mainly with direct use of cooking gas can improve the waste and waste water situation (Arnold & Clemens 2004). When treated waste water in pond systems the use of fermenters instead of anaerobic ponds is recommended to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

Ponds have a long tradition in Southeast Asia and China. The use of excrements which is common may lead to problems regarding health and hygiene as well as management. Using dried urine in ponds is a new approach.

Composting of organic waste is practiced in different countries in Europe and worldwide. Nevertheless, there is not much literature on scientific background on process control and pathogens. In many systems the temperature, necessary for hygienisation will not be reached. Composting of faeces is relatively new. In Sansed 1 composting experiments were carried out with biogas sludge and pig excrements (Hedel et al, 2004).

Treatment of organic waste by worms is called vermicomposting. Although worms were known for a long time to be part of the destruction process, the use of this knowledge as a technique is pretty new. Scientific publications are rare. Some research on the topic was done in Vietnam (Fuchs, 2005) and in Bonn (Simons, 2004).

Main criteria is the proper use of produced fertiliser substrates. In the Mekong Delta mainly mineral fertiliser are used on alluvial and acid sulphate soils. Rice is the dominating crop, followed by fruit production.

Furthermore there will be planning of a wastewater treatment for a periurban area. A decentralised solution will be compared to a centralised solution. This feasibility study will lead to a planning tool that can be used by municipalities.

3.     Working plan

In SANSED II several University Institutes of Bonn, Bochum and Can Tho and eight companies will collaborate.

Table 1: Topics and partners in SANSED II

Tabelle 2: Partner (alphabetical order) and activity

The following table shows where pilot plants are built, the working groups and the time frame. 

4. General time frame and milestones:

•  Preparation, Kick-off workshop: spring/summer 2005

•  Detailed planning: until autumn 2005

• Construction: until spring 2006

• Measurements, optimisation

• Final workshop end of 2007  

More detailed in proposals of different working groups.

5.    Output

• Results about function of decentralised systems in tropical climate

• Collaboration between companies and university

• Water centre as a „German Technology centre“ for student education and others.

• Results for interational studies (z.B. ARTS) and courses for (waste) water specialist

• Field laboratory to study and spread

6.    Literature cited

Arnold U., Clemens J., 2004: Nutrient Fluxes in Waste Water in Farming Systems in the Mekong Delta. Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin.

Arnold U., Clemens J., 2003: Decentralised wastewater treatment systems implemented within rural water management systems, Mekong Delta, Vietnam,  Water & Wastewater Asia Conference, Sept. 2003, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Becker M., (2004) :Do Green Manures have a future in rice-based systems of Southeast Asia? Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin

Bischof., (2004): DeSa/R - A pilot system in Huber administration building. DeSa/R-Symposium, Berching, 14.7.2004, S. 101-124

Clemens J. and Cuhls C. (2003): Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Mechanical and Biological Waste Treatment of Municipal Waste. Environmental Technology, 24: 745-754.

Clemens J. and Huschka A. (2001): The Effect of Biological Oxygen Demand of Cattle Slurry and Soil Moisture on Nitrous Oxide Emissions. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 59: 193-198.

Clemens J. and Ahlgrim H.J. (2001): Greenhouse Gases from Animal Husbandry. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 60: 287-300.

Fuchs J., 2005: Vermikompostierung. Diplomarbeit IPE, Bonn

Hedel S., Clemens, J., Arnold U., 2004: Composting Pig Excrements in the Mekong Delta. Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin

Kroiss H., 2004: Infiltration of rainwater and treated rainwater – benefits and challenges. S.173-194. DeSa/R-Symposium, Berching, 14.7.2004

Nuber Th.(2004) Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin.

Rechenburg A., Dangendorf F, 2004: IWA Conference Marrakesch

Saleh E., Asch, F., Becker M., 2004: Evaluation of Residue Management in Irrigated rice-based Systems of the Mekong Delta. Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin

Schneider R., 2004: Pharmaka im Urin: Abbau und Versickerung vs Pflanzenaufnahme. In: Nährstofftrennung und –verwertung in der Abwassertechnik am Beispiel der „Lambertsmühle“, Abschlussbericht Verbundvorhaben, gefördert vom Ministerium für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz NRW.

Simons J., Clemens J., 2003: The use of separated human urine as mineral fertilizer. Ecosan International Symposium, Lübeck

Simons J., Clemens J., 2005: Nährstofftrennung und –verwertung in der Abwassertechnik am Beispiel der „Lambertsmühle“, Abschlussbericht Verbundvorhaben, gefördert vom Ministerium für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz NRW.

Wieneke, F., 2004: Deutscher Tropentag, Berlin.

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