Woodchip Bioreactor Research and Consulting
The Freshwater Institute Bioreactor Project
At The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute, we have invested significant effort into research on the engineering-based design of enhanced-denitrification bioreactors, or “woodchip bioreactors”, to reduce point and non-point sources of nitrate from multiple types of agriculture and industry. On the research front, we aim to improve the nitrate-removal ability of woodchip bioreactors, and on the engineering consulting-front, we work with a number of partners on bioreactor installation and monitoring to mitigate nitrate output across the country.
A conventional woodchip bioreactor design consists of an excavation, filled with an organic carbon source, through which nitrate-laden water is routed. The maintenance of saturation precipitates the anoxic (sans oxygen) conditions required by the denitrifying bacteria to convert nitrate in the water to nitrogen gas, thus cleaning the water.
Currently, our bioreactor research involves four “pilot-scale” (test) reactors that allow the comparison of a range of hydraulic retention times for treating aquaculture wastewater. This work also aims to quantify the potential for woodchip clogging due to this specific type of wastewater. This 1:10 ratio pilot-scale work is leading up to the instillation of full-sized woodchip bioreactors at the Freshwater Institute.