Patrick Wiley used to make a living treating wastewater. Now he’s trying to use wastewater to make a difference.
Wiley grew up in Maine and did wastewater treatment work for various cities in Maine before deciding to go back to school. He had started to become interested in energy-efficient wastewater treatment processes and pursued a master’s degree in wastewater utilization at Humboldt State. His research into finding more efficient ways to harvest algae for use in biofuel production led him to UC Merced to work with Professor Elliott Campbell.
Algae grow naturally in wastewater, and the carbon dioxide captured by the algae during photosynthesis can be harvested for use in biofuels. So while algae-based fuel still emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, those emissions are offset because that carbon dioxide was initially taken from the atmosphere by the algae.
He’s also working with a UC Berkeley group on collecting algae from the wastewater treatment process and using it to generate electrical power and for use in indoor cooking and heating. This could improve living conditions in rural areas, where people commonly breathe unhealthy air in their homes because of their use of indoor wood stoves.
