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Project Description:
With environmental issues at the forefront of today’s news, the importance of sustainable technologies has dramatically risen. Largely used for wastewater treatment, anaerobic digesters are now promising technologies for the production of biogas while concurrently treating organic matter that would ultimately end up in landfills. Bioreactors fed with municipal solid waste offer tremendous advantages to the environment, including reduction of household, commercial, and institutional waste. While offering several benefits, however, anaerobic digestion technology often is rendered inefficient and unstable. Numerous parameters, such as pH, temperature, loading rate, and feedstock source contribute to the variability of the bioreactors, and a complete understanding of the effects of these parameters is necessary to increase the overall performance of anaerobic digesters, thus ultimately reducing waste.

Paige is presently focusing on the rate-limiting step of hydrolysis in the anaerobic digestion process. A more efficient breakdown of substrates will greatly enhance the efficiency of the overall process. Her current project is monitoring the effects of temperature, salinity, and particle size on the hydrolysis rate of different substrates. This preliminary data will set the stage for future anaerobic digestion practices in which the microbial communities may be closely monitored for signs of impending instability in the reactor. In addition, this data will serve as a baseline for potential pilot-scale reactors to be implemented on the Colorado State University campus.

Biography:
Paige first became interested in research while pursuing an Environmental Science undergraduate degree at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. During this time, she was able to serve as an intern and researcher at a local State Natural Area and gain first-hand experience in the field. After graduating in May 2009, she enrolled at Colorado State University in the Environmental Engineering program to continue her studies. She is currently in the second year of her master’s program. Her research interests include the study of anaerobic digestion and its process limitations.

Paige grew up in Nashville, TN and enjoys any outdoor activity. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, running, backpacking, rollerblading, travelling, and reading.