Question 1

What is the main aim of the project?

Accepted Answer

The aim is to develop a treatment method for organosulfur compounds, exploring the combination of microbial and electrochemical separation and degradation.

Question 2

What are the key methodologies and experimental approaches being used?

Accepted Answer

Headspace chromatography, electro sorption, microbial degradation, electrochemical driven separation, electrochemical degradation.

Question 3

What specific hypothesis is being tested?

Accepted Answer

• Microbial degradation of organosulfur compounds can be stimulated by specific tuning of the redox potential.
 • The bioavailability of organosulfur compounds can be improved with sorption.
 • A chain of different redox conditions is required for a full degradation pathway for organosulfur compounds to sulfide and methane.

Question 4

What type(s) of culture or model systems will be used to test the hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

We will use mixed culture microorganisms from sulfide gas treatment plants with high organosulfur values.

Question 5

What are the expected outcomes of the research?

Accepted Answer

We expect to present a labscale continuous organosulfur removal and degradation system that can be coupled to a gas treatment pilot system which is fed with sulfide and organosulfur compounds.

Question 6

What are the main challenges or risks associated with the project?

Accepted Answer

The main challenge is to set up mass balances over the systems because of difficulties (1) to differentiate between sorption, removal, degradation and bioconversion and (2) to measure the organosulfur compounds ex situ, due to their high volatility and affinity to be oxidized under air. The risk is that microorganisms can't degrade the organosulfur compounds, in that case we will pursue more chemical based degradation routes.

Question 7

Who are the key collaborators involved?

Accepted Answer

Paqell B.V. (https://www.paqell.com/)is an industry collaborator and Prof. Albert Guisasola from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (https://www.uab.cat/web/universitat-autonoma-de-barcelona-1345467950436.html)is an academic collaborator.

DC8

THE SUPERVISORS

THE CANDIDATE