Burhan Shamurad

Email: b.a.s.shamurad@ncl.ac.uk

Project title

Integrating mineral wastes in the anaerobic digestion of OFMSW for improved recovery of renewable energy

Project supervisors

• School of Engineering
• Dr Paul Sallis
• School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
• Prof Neil Gray

Project description

I investigated a treatment strategy for the high organic component of a municipal solid waste. The strategy is feasible and affordable. It considers a variety of treatment scenarios.

I developed an integrated approach. This uses waste streams generated as a result of population growth and economic development. The approach ensures sustainable treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW).

I am investigating the effects of using mineral wastes (MWs) from municipal solid waste incineration plants. These include:

• IBA: incineration bottom ash
• FA: fly ash
• BA: boiler ash
• construction demolition wastes (CBW: cement-based waste)

Thy would provide trace elements (TEs) deficient in the OFMSW. They would also provide moderate alkalinity. This would prevent reactor acidification of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of the OFMSW.

I explored the control and operation of two types of reactor:

• batch biomethane potential (BMP) reactors
• continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs; single-stage and two-stage reactors)

I studied their performance under different feeding regimes, organic loading rates and hydraulic/solid retention times. This allowed me to determine the potential benefits of mineral waste amendments and aqueous trace metal supplements. These may be beneficial to anaerobic digestion efficiency, methane productivity and process stability.

I am carrying out further analysis to understand microbial community compositions and functions. These underpin the biological processes in anaerobic digestion.

Publications

• Shamurad B, Gray N, Petropoulos E, Tabraiz S, Acharya K, Quintela-Baluja M, Sallis P. Co-digestion of organic and mineral wastes for enhanced biogas production: Reactor performance and evolution of microbial community and function. Waste Management 2019, 87, 313-325.
• Shamurad B, Gray N, Petropoulos E, Tabraiz S, Acharya K, Quintela-Baluja M, Sallis P. Data of metal and microbial analyses from anaerobic co-digestion of organic and mineral wastes. Data in Brief 2019, 24, 103934.
• Petropoulos E, Shamurad B, Acharya K, Tabraiz S. Domestic wastewater hydrolysis and lipolysis during start-up in anaerobic digesters and microbial fuel cells at moderate temperatures. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 2019, (ePub ahead of Print).
• Tabraiz S, Hassan S, Abbas A, Nasreen S, Zeeshan M, Fida S, Shamurad BA, Acharya K, Petropoulos E. Effect of effluent and sludge recirculation ratios on integrated fixed films A2O system nutrients removal efficiency treating sewage. Desalination and Water Treatment 2018, 114, 120-127.

Interests

Travel, reading

Qualifications

• MSc Environmental Engineering – Newcastle University
• BSc Mechanical Engineering – Baghdad University