Systems, methods, and apparatus for increased wastewater effluent and biosolids quality

1. A method of continuously producing fertilizer or compost comprising:

a) providing a microbial solution comprising at least one microbial species loaded onto or within an inorganic porous medium;

b) providing a reaction vessel comprising an influent stream, an effluent stream, an aqueous phase, and a biosolids phase, wherein the biosolids phase comprises at least one nutrient source for the at least one microbial species;

c) adding the microbial solution comprising the at least one microbial species loaded onto or within the inorganic porous medium to the reaction vessel;

d) continuously separating the effluent stream into a treated aqueous phase and a treated biosolids phase; and

e) dewatering the treated biosolids phase to produce the fertilizer or compost; wherein the inorganic porous medium is physically modified to permit sorption of nitrogen and/or phosphorous from the aqueous phase to (i) increase a nutrient concentration of the fertilizer or compost and (ii) decrease the amount of nitrogen and/or phosphorous in the aqueous phase, and wherein physically modifying the inorganic porous medium comprises roughening a surface of the inorganic porous medium or increasing porosity of the inorganic porous medium.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic porous medium comprises silica, zeolite, aluminosilicate, silicate, diatomaceous earth, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microbial species is aerobic.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microbial species is anaerobic.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a flocculation agent to the effluent stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the reaction vessel in a stationary phase such that a number of the at least one microbial species produced is equal to a number of microbial species consumed and an overall population of the at least one microbial species remains unchanged.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising returning at least a portion of the biosolids phase to the reaction vessel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a yield of treated biosolids phase is less than about 40%, wherein the yield is measured as a unit mass of waste produced per unit mass of organic loading.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nutrient source comprises biomass or dead cells.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbial solution is loaded within the inorganic porous medium to produce a substance that is dry-to-the-touch.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the reaction vessel in an endogenous decay phase such that an overall population of the at least one microbial species is reduced.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein physically modifying the inorganic porous medium comprises using a coagulation or flocculation agent to induce formation of aggregates or agglomerates.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the reaction vessel for a solids retention time of greater than twenty days.

14. A method of continuously producing fertilizer or compost comprising:

a) providing a microbial solution comprising at least one microbial species loaded onto or within an inorganic porous medium;

b) providing a reaction vessel comprising an influent stream, an effluent stream, an aqueous phase, and a biosolids phase, wherein the biosolids phase comprises at least one nutrient source for the at least one microbial species;

c) adding the microbial solution comprising the at least one microbial species loaded onto or within the inorganic porous medium to the reaction vessel;

d) continuously separating the effluent stream into a treated aqueous phase and a treated biosolids phase; and

e) dewatering the treated biosolids phase to produce the fertilizer or compost, wherein the inorganic porous medium is chemically modified by adding a chelating agent and/or a salt to the inorganic porous medium to lead to precipitation of compounds that preferentially bind ammonia and phosphorous.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the salt comprises a magnesium salt.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one microbial species is aerobic.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one microbial species is anaerobic.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adding a flocculation agent to the effluent stream.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating the reaction vessel in a stationary phase such that a number of the at least one microbial species produced is equal to a number of microbial species consumed and an overall population of the at least one microbial species remains unchanged.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating the reaction vessel in an endogenous decay phase such that an overall population of the at least one microbial species is reduced.