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Hedayati Marzbali M, Hakeem IG, Ngo T, Balu R, Jena MK, Vuppaladadiyam A, Sharma A, Choudhury NR, Batstone DJ, Shah K. A critical review on emerging industrial applications of chars from thermal treatment of biosolids. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 369:122341. [PMID: 39236613 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Thermochemical treatment is rapidly emerging as an alternative method for the management of stabilised sewage sludges (biosolids) to effectively reduce waste volume, degrade contaminants, and generate valuable products, particularly biochar and hydrochar. Biosolids-derived char has a relatively high concentration of heavy metals compared with agricultural chars but is still applied to land due to its beneficial properties and ability to retain metals. However, non-agricultural applications can provide additional economic and environmental benefits, promote sustainability and support a circular economy. This review identifies extensive non-agricultural opportunity for biosolids biochar, including adsorption, catalysis, energy storage systems, biological process enhancement, and as additives for rubber compounding and construction. Biosolids chars have received limited attention vs agricultural char, and we draw on both areas of literature, as well as evaluating differences between agricultural and biosolids chars. A key opportunity for biosolids biochar in comparison with other materials and agricultural chars is its sustainable and low-cost nature, relatively high metals content, improving catalyst properties, and ability to modify in various stages to tune it to specific applications. The specific opportunities for hydrochar have only received limited attention. Research needs to include better understanding of the benefits and limitations for specific applications, as well as adjacent drivers, including society, regulation, and market and economics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Hedayati Marzbali
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.
| | - Ibrahim Gbolahan Hakeem
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Tien Ngo
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Rajkamal Balu
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste into Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy (TREMS), RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Manoj Kumar Jena
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Arun Vuppaladadiyam
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India
| | - Namita Roy Choudhury
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste into Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy (TREMS), RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Damien J Batstone
- ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Kalpit Shah
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia; ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource, College of STEM, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.
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Cai X, Zhou H, Lou Y, Lu B, Zhang D, Wang J, Xing D. Microbiome and antibiotic resistome in bioelectrochemical toilets for onsite treatment of fecal sludge. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 260:121956. [PMID: 38906081 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Effective management of fecal sludge (FS) is essential for preventing environmental and public health risks. Developing safe and efficient FS treatment technology is crucial for reducing the health risks of onsite sanitation systems. In this study, bioelectrochemical toilets (BETs) were developed to treat FS onsite. Compared with the open-circuit BETs (OC-BETs), BETs exhibited higher removal efficiencies for total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Specifically, the enhancements in removal efficiencies were 18.82 ± 1.73 %, 7.28 ± 0.32 %, and 11.41 ± 0.05 % for urine, and 19.28 ± 4.08 %, 21.65 ± 1.23 %, and 24.68 ± 0.95 % for feces, respectively. Microbiome analysis indicated that the dominant populations were affiliated with electroactive bacteria (Desulfuromonas and Pseudomonas) in the electrode biofilm of BETs. The species co-occurrence network showed that the electrode biofilm microbiome in BETs had more complex correlations than that in OC-BETs, suggesting that a weak electrical current enhanced the microbiome stability. The relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in BETs and OC-BETs reduced by 59.85 ± 1.32 % and 53.01 ± 2.81 % compared with the initial FS, respectively. These findings indicate that BETs are an alternative system for enhancing onsite treatment of fecal sludge and provide a theoretical foundation for the implementation of BETs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Huihui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yu Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Baiyun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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Li Z, Li X. Treatment techniques and resource recovery of source-separated urine: a bibliometric analysis and literature review. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2024; 90:238-255. [PMID: 39007317 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2024.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Human urine, which is high in nutrients, acts as a resource as well as a contaminant. Indiscriminate urine discharge causes environmental pollution and wastes resources. To elucidate the research status and developmental trajectory of source-separated urine (SSU) treatment and recovery, this study was based on the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database and used the bibliometric software VOSviewer and CiteSpace to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth bibliometric analysis of the related literature in this field. The findings revealed a general upward trend in SSU treatment and recovery from 2000 to 2023. The compendium of 894 scholarly articles predominantly focused on the disciplines of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, and Water Resources. China and the USA emerged as the foremost contributors. Keyword co-occurrence mapping, clustering, and burst analysis have shown that the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from urine is currently the main focus, with future prospects leaning toward the retrieval of biochemicals and chemical energy. This study systematically categorizes and compares the developmental status, current advancements, and research progress in this field. The findings of this study provide a valuable reference for understanding developmental pathways in this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghong Li
- Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 10012, China; School Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Xiaoguang Li
- Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 10012, China E-mail:
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Diasi M, Singh R, Mahapatra AD, L R, Patel H, Ganatra H, Datta B. Ammonium release in synthetic and human urine by a urease immobilized nanoconstruct. RSC Adv 2024; 14:6972-6984. [PMID: 38414993 PMCID: PMC10898436 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra07606g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
In this work, we have studied the ability of urease immobilized on glutaraldehyde crosslinked chitosan coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Urease/GA/CS/MIONPs), for the hitherto unreported comparative hydrolysis of urea in synthetic (SUr) and real human urine (HUr). The prepared Urease/GA/CS/MIONPs were characterized by a combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission-scanning-electron-microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The nanoconstructs display the highest ammonium ion liberation post-urea hydrolysis in 1/20 or 1/24-fold dilutions of SUr and HUr, respectively. The optimum activity of immobilized urease is observed at pH 7, and the nanoconstructs facilitate efficient urea-hydrolysis till at least 45 °C. Kinetic analysis of the immobilized urease shows km and vmax of 14.81 mM, 12.36 mM, and 18.55 μM min-1 and 10.10 μM min-1, towards SUr and HUr, respectively. The magnetization of the immobilized urease is suitable for reuse across multiple cycles of urea hydrolysis in SUr and HUr. The robust performance of Urease/GA/CS/MIONPs in SUr and HUr is promising for generating ammonium as a useable source of nitrogen from human urine, and underscores the suitability of SUr as a urine mimic for such interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manab Diasi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
| | - Rinki Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
| | - Amarjyoti Das Mahapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
| | - Renuka L
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
| | - Hitarth Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
| | - Hasit Ganatra
- Blasto Research Private Limited Ahmedabad Gujarat India
| | - Bhaskar Datta
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
- Department of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gandhinagar 382355 Gujarat India
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Koulouri ME, Templeton MR, Fowler GD. Enhancing the nitrogen and phosphorus content of faecal-derived biochar via adsorption and precipitation from human urine. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 352:119981. [PMID: 38198837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Urine diversion in toilets is a promising strategy to maximise nutrient recovery and produce low-cost urine-derived fertilisers. There are various methods for nutrient recovery from urine, including precipitation and adsorption onto porous media, such as biochars. This study uses faecal-derived biochars to produce and, for the first time, comprehensively characterise enriched biochar fertilisers with the addition of fully hydrolysed undiluted human urine. The evolution of urea hydrolysis and nutrient content during urine storage was initially investigated over a 6-month storage period and NH4+ adsorption mechanisms studied under varying biochar doses and NH4-N concentrations. The process was further optimised by adding MgO to induce precipitation reactions, enabling the combined recovery of NH4+ and P. For NH4+ adsorption, experimental data exhibited a good fit to both the Freundlich (R2 = 0.989) and Langmuir (R2 = 0.974) isotherm models and the rate of the reaction was well described by a pseudo 2nd order kinetics model (R2 = 0.988). The NH4+ uptake was rapid during the initial 2 h of the reaction and the adsorption process reached completion after 24 h. The NH4-N adsorption capacity of the faecal-derived biochar was 19.8 mg/g and the main adsorption mechanism identified was ion exchange (K+ ↔ NH4+), as confirmed by XRD and ICP-OES. The effect of different biochar doses (0, 25, 50, 100 g/L) and MgO addition scenarios (Mg:P = 0, 1.5, 4) on N and P recovery showed that the combination of MgO (Mg:P = 1.5) with the lower biochar dose (25 g/L) produced the most NP-rich fertiliser product which was easily separated from the urine. Faecal-derived biochar had a limited adsorption capacity for P, with precipitation being the main mechanism for P recovery. When MgO was added to urine, >98% of total P was recovered via precipitation of struvite/struvite-K and substituted hydroxyapatite, as identified via SEM-EDX. Faecal-derived biochar was a successful carrier to recover the P-containing precipitates and facilitate liquid-solid separation after treatment. The findings of this study provide proof-of concept for the systemic management of source separated human excreta and pave the way for the production of marketable waste-derived fertilisers from on-site sanitation systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Koulouri
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Michael R Templeton
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Geoffrey D Fowler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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Sheikh M, Harami HR, Rezakazemi M, Cortina JL, Aminabhavi TM, Valderrama C. Towards a sustainable transformation of municipal wastewater treatment plants into biofactories using advanced NH 3-N recovery technologies: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166077. [PMID: 37544447 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3), as a prevalent pollutant in municipal wastewater discharges, can impair aquatic life and have a negatively impact on the environment. Proper wastewater treatment and management practices are essential to protect ecosystems and keep human populations healthy. Therefore, using highly effective NH3-N recovery technologies at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is widely acknowledged as a necessity. In order to improve the overall efficiency of NH3 removal/recovery processes, innovative technologies have been generally applied to reduce its concentration when discharged into natural water bodies. This study reviews the current status of the main issues affecting NH3 recovery from municipal/domestic wastewater discharges. The current study investigated the ability to recover valuable resources, e.g., nutrients, regenerated water, and energy in the form of biogas through advanced and innovative methods in tertiary treatment to achieve higher efficiency towards sustainable wastewater and resource recovery facilities (W&RRFs). In addition, the concept of paradigm shifts from WWTP to a large/full scale W&RRF has been studied with several examples of conversion to innovative bio-factories producing materials. On the other hand, the carbon footprint and the high-energy consumption of the WWTPs were also considered to assess the sustainability of these facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Sheikh
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/ Eduard Maristany 10-14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hossein Riasat Harami
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, AL, USA
| | - Mashallah Rezakazemi
- Faculty of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran
| | - Jose Luis Cortina
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/ Eduard Maristany 10-14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Water Technology Center (CETaqua), Carretera d'Esplugues, 75, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Tejraj M Aminabhavi
- Center for Energy and Environment, School of Advanced Sciences, KLE Technological University, Hubballi, Karnataka 580 031, India; School of Engineering, UPES, Bidholi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248 007, India
| | - Cesar Valderrama
- Chemical Engineering Department, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTECH, C/ Eduard Maristany 10-14, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center for Multiscale Science and Engineering, Campus Diagonal-Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain.
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Bucholtz P, Steele M, Tripathi V, Graham C, Crane L, Boyer TH. Solar distillation of human urine to recover non-potable water and metal phosphate mineral. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 88:486-501. [PMID: 37522447 PMCID: wst_2023_218 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Human urine is a readily available nutrient source that can complement commercial fertilizer production, which relies on finite mineral resources and global supply chains. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a simplified solar distillation process for urine to recover phosphorus (P) and nitrogen for agricultural use and water for non-potable purposes. Synthetic fresh, synthetic hydrolyzed, real fresh, and real hydrolyzed urine were exposed to direct sunlight for 6 h in a simple distillation apparatus, which produced distillation bottoms and distillate. Metal phosphate precipitation in the distillation bottoms was evaluated to recover P. The non-potable water was recovered as distillate. Hydrolyzed urine recovered more metal phosphate solid in the distillation bottoms and had a higher conductivity in the distillate than fresh urine. Hydrolyzed urine also achieved greater distillate volume recovery than fresh urine. Hydrolyzed urine had a greater presence of UV-absorbing organics in the distillate than fresh urine and therefore produced a lower-quality product water. There was no significant correlation between the daily high air temperature and the volume of distillate recovered. This study provides a comprehensive data set on simplified solar distillation of human urine considering the fate of nutrients and water for different types of urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pippin Bucholtz
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA E-mail:
| | - McKenzie Steele
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Vedika Tripathi
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Cole Graham
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Lucas Crane
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Treavor H Boyer
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
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Courtney C, Randall DG. Concentrating stabilized human urine using eutectic freeze crystallization for liquid fertilizer production. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 233:119760. [PMID: 36848853 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Resource recovery from source-separated urine can be used to produce fertilizers and provide a more sustainable alternative to mineral fertilizers. Reverse osmosis can be used to remove up to 70% of the water in urine that has been stabilized with Ca(OH)2 and pre-treated with air bubbling. However, further water removal is limited because of membrane scaling and equipment operating pressure limitations. A novel hybrid eutectic freeze crystallization (EFC) and RO system was investigated as a method to concentrate human urine, whilst simultaneously crystallizing salt and ice under EFC conditions. A thermodynamic model was used to predict the type of salts that would crystallize, their associated eutectic temperatures, and how much additional water removal was required (using freeze crystallization) to reach eutectic conditions. This innovative work showed that at eutectic conditions, Na2SO4∙10H2O crystallizes simultaneously with ice in both real and synthetic urine, thus providing a new method to concentrate human urine for liquid fertilizer production. A theoretical mass balance of a hybrid RO-EFC process, including ice washing and recycle streams, showed that 77% of the urea and 96% of the potassium could be recovered with a 95% water removal. The final liquid fertilizer would have a composition of 11.5% N and 3.5% K, and 3.5 kg of Na2SO4∙10H2O could be recovered from 1000 kg of urine. Over 98% of the phosphorus would be recovered as calcium phosphate during the urine stabilization step. A hybrid RO-EFC process would require 60 kWh m-3 of energy, which is substantially less than other concentration methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Courtney
- Civil Engineering Department & Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town, 7700 Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dyllon G Randall
- Civil Engineering Department & Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town, 7700 Cape Town, South Africa.
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Yuan X, Feng Y, Han C, Jiang Z, Li Y, Liu J. A novel approach for enhancing nitrogen and hydrogen recovery from urine in microbial electrochemical gas-permeable membrane system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 867:161446. [PMID: 36621490 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Source-separated urine is a readily accessible nutrients dense waste stream that can be used to recover nitrogen and hydrogen. In the research, the microbial electrochemical gas-permeable membrane system (MEGS) is creatively introduced for urine treatment in removing organics, recovering the total ammonia nitrogen and high-value product of hydrogen (H2) as well as ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4). MEGS can simultaneously realize the functions of H2 recovery, in-situ efficient alkali production at the cathode, and the efficient absorption capacity of the gas-permeable membrane (GPM). Under the action of the urease enzyme, urea is hydrolyzed into large amounts of carbonic acid and ammonium, causing the pH (7.87 ± 0.13) and conductivity (5.44 ± 0.21 mS cm-1) of the anode to increase extremely rapidly. A large amount of NH4+ was transported to the cathode chamber under the strengthening effect of the electric field, enriched, and then absorbed to produce the high-quality (NH4)2SO4 to be recovered. The findings reveal that MEGS can achieve 100 % of urea removal, 88.52 ± 0.40 % of COD removal, 94.22 ± 2.57 % of nitrogen recovery, 0.58 ± 0.03 m3 m-3 d-1 of hydrogen yield, and 3.78 kg m-3 of (NH4)2SO4 production with 78.03 ± 3.51 % of coulombic efficiency during a 30-h cycle. A benefit of $18.29 can be achieved with the recovery of (NH4)2SO4 and H2 from 1 m3 of urine. The study presents a promising idea for the efficient nutrient-energy recovery and utilization of urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Yuan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yujie Feng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Chunjiang Han
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhewen Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yunfei Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Environment and Ecology, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
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10
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Gajera ZR, Mungray AA, Rene ER, Mungray AK. Hydrothermal carbonization of cow dung with human urine as a solvent for hydrochar: An experimental and kinetic study. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 327:116854. [PMID: 36455439 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient physicochemical and biochemical process for converting biomass to products with added value. The objective and novelty of this work is to produce and investigate the qualities of hydrochar fuel (as a solid fuel) from cow manure using human urine as a solvent in order to find a suitable replacement for conventional fuel (i.e., coal). HTC based studies were conducted in batch, at three different reaction temperatures (180 °C, 200 °C, and 220 °C) and two different reaction periods (2 and 4 h). For kinetic analysis and reaction mechanism of the combustion behavior of the produced hydrochar, the model free kinetic methods and the z-master plot were used. From the model free kinetics methods, it was observed that the resultant optimum average activation energy and pre-exponential factor for the produced hydrochar at 180 °C and 2 h reaction period (HTC_180_2) were ∼120 kJ/mol and ∼5.59 × 1025 sec-1, respectively. In addition, the little variation between ΔEα and ΔHα (∼10 kJ/mol) suggests that the combustion of produced hydrochar (HTC_180_2) occurred with minimal energy use. Furthermore, the hydrochar exhibited its highest heating value at 200 °C for 4 h (HTC_200_4) which was 1.44 times higher than the raw dung (13.4 MJ/kg) due to the HTC process. The produced hydrochar demonstrated a significant improvement compared to the conventional solvent, i.e. water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zavin R Gajera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S.V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India
| | - Alka A Mungray
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S.V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India
| | - Eldon R Rene
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2611AX, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Arvind Kumar Mungray
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S.V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India.
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Wu H, Foster X, Kazemian H, Vaneeckhaute C. N, P, K recovery from hydrolysed urine by Na-chabazite adsorption integrated with ammonia stripping and (K-)struvite precipitation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159277. [PMID: 36216069 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the recovery of K+ along with NH4+-N and PO43--P from hydrolyzed urine by technical integration. The K adsorption capacities of biochar, clinoptilolite, artificial zeolite and chabazite were firstly compared. Due to the high K recovery efficiency and additional P recovery capacity, Na-chabazite was selected as the adsorbent in this study. Its kinetics and isotherm analysis indicated that the high molarity of NH4+-N seriously hindered the K adsorption onto Na-chabazite in synthetic hydrolyzed urine (SHU). However, this competition between NH4+ and K+ got diminished when their molarity is the same, i.e. in the SHU after ammonia stripping (ASSHU). Based on this key finding, Na-chabazite adsorption was integrated with ammonia stripping and struvite precipitation under different configurations. Simultaneous ammonia stripping was inadequate to diminish the competitive effect of NH4+ on K+ adsorption. Depending on the demand for fertilizer, two sequential configurations were recommended, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haotian Wu
- BioEngine, Research Team on Green Process Engineering and Biorefineries, Chemical Engineering Department, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; CentrEau, Centre de recherche sur l'eau, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Xavier Foster
- BioEngine, Research Team on Green Process Engineering and Biorefineries, Chemical Engineering Department, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; CentrEau, Centre de recherche sur l'eau, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Hossein Kazemian
- Northern Analytical Lab Services, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada; Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Céline Vaneeckhaute
- BioEngine, Research Team on Green Process Engineering and Biorefineries, Chemical Engineering Department, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; CentrEau, Centre de recherche sur l'eau, Université Laval, 1065, avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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12
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Zhang W, Chu H, Yang L, You X, Yu Z, Zhang Y, Zhou X. Technologies for pollutant removal and resource recovery from blackwater: a review. FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2023; 17:83. [PMID: 36776490 PMCID: PMC9898867 DOI: 10.1007/s11783-023-1683-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Blackwater (BW), consisting of feces, urine, flushing water and toilet paper, makes up an important portion of domestic wastewater. The improper disposal of BW may lead to environmental pollution and disease transmission, threatening the sustainable development of the world. Rich in nutrients and organic matter, BW could be treated for resource recovery and reuse through various approaches. Aimed at providing guidance for the future development of BW treatment and resource recovery, this paper presented a literature review of BWs produced in different countries and types of toilets, including their physiochemical characteristics, and current treatment and resource recovery strategies. The degradation and utilization of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) within BW are underlined. The performance of different systems was classified and summarized. Among all the treating systems, biological and ecological systems have been long and widely applied for BW treatment, showing their universality and operability in nutrients and energy recovery, but they are either slow or ineffective in removal of some refractory pollutants. Novel processes, especially advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), are becoming increasingly extensively studied in BW treatment because of their high efficiency, especially for the removal of micropollutants and pathogens. This review could serve as an instructive guidance for the design and optimization of BW treatment technologies, aiming to help in the fulfilment of sustainable human excreta management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Huaqiang Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Libin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Xiaogang You
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Zhenjiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Yalei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Xuefei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
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Martínez-Castrejón M, López-Díaz JA, Solorza-Feria O, Talavera-Mendoza O, Rodríguez-Herrera AL, Alcaraz-Morales O, Hernández-Flores G. Environmental, Economic, and Social Aspects of Human Urine Valorization through Microbial Fuel Cells from the Circular Economy Perspective. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:2239. [PMID: 36557539 PMCID: PMC9785870 DOI: 10.3390/mi13122239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Population growth increases the challenge of meeting basic human needs, such as water, a limited resource. Consumption habits and water pollution have compromised natural resources to unsustainable levels. Sustainable effluent treatment practices, such as decentralized systems focused on energy, nutrients, and water recovery, have attracted the attention of the scientific community. Human urine (HU) is a physiological liquid waste whose main component is water (~95%). HU has a significant amount of nutrients, such as N, P, K, and organic matter, which are usually lacking in fecal coliforms. Therefore, the possibility exists of recovering nutrients and energy from HU using sustainable and non-sustainable technologies. Treating HU in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) is a novel alternative to obtaining byproducts from this effluent more sustainably than in electrochemical systems. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are an interesting example, contributing to HU revalorization from unwanted waste into a valuable resource of nutrients, energy, and water. Even when urine-operated MFCs have not generated attractive potential outputs or produced considerable amounts of bioelectricity, this review emphasizes HU advantages as nutrients or water sources. The aim of this review was to analyze the current development of BES for HU treatment based on the water circular economy, discussing challenges and perspectives researchers might encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Martínez-Castrejón
- Centro de Ciencias de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Privada de Laurel No. 13, Col. El Roble, Acapulco C.P. 39640, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Jazmin A. López-Díaz
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Ex hacienda San Juan Bautista s/n, Taxco el Viejo C.P. 40323, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Omar Solorza-Feria
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Department of Chemistry, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación C.P. 07360, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico
| | - Oscar Talavera-Mendoza
- Escuela Superior de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Ex hacienda San Juan Bautista s/n, Taxco el Viejo C.P. 40323, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - América L. Rodríguez-Herrera
- Centro de Ciencias de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Privada de Laurel No. 13, Col. El Roble, Acapulco C.P. 39640, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Osbelia Alcaraz-Morales
- Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Av. Juárez No. 38 Interior. C.U. Zona Norte, Chilpancingo C.P. 39000, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Giovanni Hernández-Flores
- CONACYT-Escuela Superior de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Ex Hacienda San Juan Bautista s/n, Taxco el Viejo C.P. 40323, Guerrero, Mexico
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Gau C, Sato S, Zhang D, Ishibashi Y, Kobayashi J. Recovering nutrients and rejecting trace organic compounds in human urine by a forward osmosis-membrane distillation (FO-MD) hybrid system. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 86:1904-1914. [PMID: 36315084 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2022.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urine is a major source of reclaimed water and fertilizer. Urine treatment involves two key processes: the recovery of nutrients and the rejection of trace organic compounds (TOrCs). In this study, we investigated the rejection of TOrCs and the recovery of nutrients in human urine using a seawater-driven forward osmosis and membrane distillation (FO-MD) hybrid system. Three 24 h experiments were conducted at draw solution temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C. The average rejection rates of cations, anions, and dissolved organic carbon were more than 93.7% and 79.5% in the FO-MD system and FO side, respectively. Ten types of TOrCs were detected in the feed solution, whereas none were detected in the product water, indicating that the TOrCs were completely rejected. The precipitates, i.e., the recovered nutrients in the FO side, were extremely close to magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite, MgNH4PO4·6H2O), according to their electron microscopic images, elemental composition, and X-ray diffraction spectra, and it was estimated that approximately 85% of the nutrients in the feed solution were recovered. The rejection and recovery efficiencies were unaffected by the draw solution temperature. These results indicate the potential for the sustainable use of FO-MD-based treatments for human urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Gau
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-Ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan E-mail:
| | - Satoshi Sato
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-Ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan E-mail:
| | - Daizhou Zhang
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-Ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan E-mail:
| | - Yasuhiro Ishibashi
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-Ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan E-mail:
| | - Jun Kobayashi
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-Ku, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan E-mail:
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Deemter D, Oller I, Amat AM, Malato S. Advances in membrane separation of urban wastewater effluents for (pre)concentration of microcontaminants and nutrient recovery: A mini review. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL ADVANCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceja.2022.100298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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16
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Baby MG, Ahammed MM. Nutrient removal and recovery from wastewater by microbial fuel cell-based systems - A review. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 86:29-55. [PMID: 35838281 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2022.196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a green innovative technology that can be employed for nutrient removal/recovery as well as for energy production from wastewater. This paper summarizes the recent advances in the use of MFCs for nutrient removal/recovery. Different configurations of MFCs used for nutrient removal are first described. Different types of nutrient removal/recovery mechanisms such as precipitation, biological uptake by microalgae, nitrification, denitrification and ammonia stripping occurring in MFCs are discussed. Recovery of nutrients as struvite or cattiite by precipitation, as microalgal biomass and as ammonium salts are common. This review shows that while higher nutrient removal/recovery is possible with MFCs and their modifications compared to other techniques as indicated by many laboratory studies, field-scale studies and optimization of operational parameters are needed to develop efficient MFCs for nutrient removal and recovery and electricity generation from different types of wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merin Grace Baby
- Civil Engineering Department, S V National Institute of Technology, Surat 395007, India E-mail:
| | - M Mansoor Ahammed
- Civil Engineering Department, S V National Institute of Technology, Surat 395007, India E-mail:
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17
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Masrura SU, Jones-Lepp TL, Kajitvichyanukul P, Ok YS, Tsang DCW, Khan E. Unintentional release of antibiotics associated with nutrients recovery from source-separated human urine by biochar. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 299:134426. [PMID: 35351480 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The use of biochar to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater especially source-separated human urine is attractive from both economic and environmental standpoints. The widespread use of pharmaceuticals has raised concerns as they are not fully metabolized and ended up in human urine. The objective of this study is to examine adsorption of antibiotics (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and tetracycline) and nutrients (ammonium and phosphate) in source-separated human urine by biochar and subsequent desorption. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted using biochar prepared from oak wood (OW) and paper mill sludge (PMS) to elucidate the effects of adsorption time, pH, and adsorbent dose. The desorption of adsorbed nutrients and antibiotics was also investigated. While the nutrient adsorption was more favorable by the PMS biochar, antibiotic adsorption was more prolific by the OW biochar. Hydrogen bonding and π-π interaction were identified as potential adsorption mechanisms. Experimental results agree with the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order models (except the OW biochar for the kinetics). The findings suggest that biochar can adsorb both nutrients (43.30-266.67 mg g-1) and antibiotics (246.70-389.0 μg g-1) simultaneously. Lower solution pH (<5) was better for antibiotic adsorption, while higher solution pH (≥5) favored nutrient recovery. Also, desorption of the antibiotics (maximum of 92.6% for trimethoprim) was observed and might arise in the environment with the applications of biochar for nutrient recovery from human urine and subsequently for soil quality improvement. The findings serve as a foundation for future research on adsorption-based methods for separating nutrients and antibiotics in aqueous solutions, particularly urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayeda Ummeh Masrura
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
| | - Tammy L Jones-Lepp
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
| | - Puangrat Kajitvichyanukul
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand.
| | - Yong Sik Ok
- Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Daniel C W Tsang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Eakalak Khan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
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18
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Recent advances in osmotic microbial fuel cell technology: A review. J INDIAN CHEM SOC 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jics.2022.100552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Deemter D, Salmerón I, Oller I, Amat AM, Malato S. Valorization of UWWTP effluents for ammonium recovery and MC elimination by advanced AOPs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 823:153693. [PMID: 35134415 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to generate ready-to-use revalorized irrigation water for fertilization from urban wastewater treatment plant (UWWTP) effluents. The focus was on controlled retention of NH4+ and microcontaminants (MC), using nanofiltration. Retentates generated were treated by solar photo-Fenton at circumneutral pH using Ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) iron complexing agent. Solar photo-Fenton degradation efficacy was compared with electrooxidation processes as anodic oxidation, solar-assisted anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton and solar photoelectro Fenton. Finally, phytotoxicity and acute toxicity tests were performed to demonstrate the potentially safe reuse of treated wastewater for crop irrigation. Nanofiltration was able to produce a ready-to-use permeate stream containing recovered NH4+. (valuable nutrient). Solar photo-Fenton treatment at circumneutral pH would only be of interest for rapid degradation of contaminants at less than 1 mg/L in nanofiltration retentates. Other alternative tertiary treatments, such as electrooxidation processes, are a promising alternative when a high concentration of MC requires longer process times. Anodic oxidation was demonstrated to be able to eliminate >80% of microcontaminants and solar-assisted anodic oxidation significantly reduced the electricity consumption. Electro-Fenton processes were the least efficient of the processes tested. Phytotoxicity results showed that irrigation with the permeates reduced germination, root development was mainly promoted and shoot development was positive only at low retention rate (concentration factor = 2). Acute and chronic Daphnia magna toxicity studies demonstrated that the permeate volumes should be diluted at least 50% before direct reuse for crop irrigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Deemter
- Plataforma Solar de Almería-CIEMAT, Carretera de Senés Km 4, Tabernas, Almería, Spain
| | - Irene Salmerón
- Plataforma Solar de Almería-CIEMAT, Carretera de Senés Km 4, Tabernas, Almería, Spain
| | - Isabel Oller
- Plataforma Solar de Almería-CIEMAT, Carretera de Senés Km 4, Tabernas, Almería, Spain
| | - Ana M Amat
- Grupo Procesos de Oxidación Avanzada, Campus de Alcoy, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
| | - Sixto Malato
- Plataforma Solar de Almería-CIEMAT, Carretera de Senés Km 4, Tabernas, Almería, Spain.
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Recovery of Nutrients from Residual Streams Using Ion-Exchange Membranes: Current State, Bottlenecks, Fundamentals and Innovations. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12050497. [PMID: 35629823 PMCID: PMC9145069 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12050497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The review describes the place of membrane methods in solving the problem of the recovery and re-use of biogenic elements (nutrients), primarily trivalent nitrogen NIII and pentavalent phosphorus PV, to provide the sustainable development of mankind. Methods for the recovery of NH4+ − NH3 and phosphates from natural sources and waste products of humans and animals, as well as industrial streams, are classified. Particular attention is paid to the possibilities of using membrane processes for the transition to a circular economy in the field of nutrients. The possibilities of different methods, already developed or under development, are evaluated, primarily those that use ion-exchange membranes. Electromembrane methods take a special place including capacitive deionization and electrodialysis applied for recovery, separation, concentration, and reagent-free pH shift of solutions. This review is distinguished by the fact that it summarizes not only the successes, but also the “bottlenecks” of ion-exchange membrane-based processes. Modern views on the mechanisms of NH4+ − NH3 and phosphate transport in ion-exchange membranes in the presence and in the absence of an electric field are discussed. The innovations to enhance the performance of electromembrane separation processes for phosphate and ammonium recovery are considered.
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21
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Sedneva TA, Ivanenko VI, Belikov ML. Special Features of Electro-Membrane Recovery of Acids and Alkalis from the Water-Soluble Wastes of Nuclear Power Plants. RUSS J ELECTROCHEM+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1023193522010116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ye Y, Ngo HH, Guo W, Chang SW, Nguyen DD, Varjani S, Liu Q, Bui XT, Hoang NB. Bio-membrane integrated systems for nitrogen recovery from wastewater in circular bioeconomy. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 289:133175. [PMID: 34875297 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater contains a significant amount of recoverable nitrogen. Hence, the recovery of nitrogen from wastewater can provide an option for generating some revenue by applying the captured nitrogen to producing bio-products, in order to minimize dangerous or environmental pollution consequences. The circular bio-economy can achieve greater environmental and economic sustainability through game-changing technological developments that will improve municipal wastewater management, where simultaneous nitrogen and energy recovery are required. Over the last decade, substantial efforts were undertaken concerning the recovery of nitrogen from wastewater. For example, bio-membrane integrated system (BMIS) which integrates biological process and membrane technology, has attracted considerable attention for recovering nitrogen from wastewater. In this review, current research on nitrogen recovery using the BMIS are compiled whilst the technologies are compared regarding their energy requirement, efficiencies, advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, the bio-products achieved in the nitrogen recovery system processes are summarized in this paper, and the directions for future research are suggested. Future research should consider the quality of recovered nitrogenous products, long-term performance of BMIS and economic feasibility of large-scale reactors. Nitrogen recovery should be addressed under the framework of a circular bio-economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyao Ye
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Huu Hao Ngo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia; NTT Institute of Hi-Technology, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
| | - Wenshan Guo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Soon Woong Chang
- Department of Environmental Energy Engineering, Kyonggi University, 442-760, Republic of Korea
| | - Dinh Duc Nguyen
- Department of Environmental Energy Engineering, Kyonggi University, 442-760, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382 010, India
| | - Qiang Liu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai, 200444, PR China.
| | - Xuan Thanh Bui
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Waste Treatment Technology & Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM), Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Ngoc Bich Hoang
- NTT Institute of Hi-Technology, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
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Shyam S, Arun J, Gopinath KP, Ribhu G, Ashish M, Ajay S. Biomass as source for hydrochar and biochar production to recover phosphates from wastewater: A review on challenges, commercialization, and future perspectives. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131490. [PMID: 34293561 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Excessive phosphate run-off with total phosphorus concentration greater than 20 μg P L-1 triggers the growth of harmful algal species in waterbodies and potentially leads to eutrophication. This has severe negative implications on aquatic environment and impacts human health. The annual economic impact of harmful algal blooms is reported to be as high as $25 million for public health and commercial fishery sector, $29 million for recreation/tourism sector and $2 million for monitoring and management. Adsorption is widely considered as an effective and economic strategy to achieve extremely low concentration of phosphorus. The char produced by valorizing various waste biomasses have been gaining attention in phosphorus remediation owing to their availability, their ability to regenerate and reuse. This review paper exclusively focuses on utilizing hydrochar and biochar synthesized from waste biomass, respectively, through hydrothermal carbonization and slow pyrolysis to mitigate phosphorus concentration and potential strategies for handling the spent char. The key mechanisms involved in phosphate adsorption are electrostatic interaction, ion exchange and complexation. The maximum adsorption capacity of hydrochar and biochar ranges from 14-386 mg g-1 and 3-887 mg g-1, respectively. Hydrochar and biochar are cost-effective alternative to commercial activated carbon and spent char can be used for multiple adsorption cycles. Furthermore, extensive research studies on optimizing the feedstock, reaction and activation conditions coupled with technoeconomic analysis and life cycle assessment could pave way for commercialization of char-based adsorption technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprasad Shyam
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Jayaseelan Arun
- Centre for Waste Management - International Research Centre, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 119, India
| | | | - Gautam Ribhu
- Clean Combustion Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manandhar Ashish
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Shah Ajay
- Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, United States.
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Monetti J, Ledezma P, Freguia S. Optimised operational parameters for improved nutrient recovery from hydrolysed urine by bio-electroconcentration. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Larsen TA, Riechmann ME, Udert KM. State of the art of urine treatment technologies: A critical review. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 13:100114. [PMID: 34693239 PMCID: PMC8517923 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 15 years, urine treatment technologies have developed from lab studies of a few pioneers to an interesting innovation, attracting attention from a growing number of process engineers. In this broad review, we present literature from more than a decade on biological, physical-chemical and electrochemical urine treatment processes. Like in the first review on urine treatment from 2006, we categorize the technologies according to the following objectives: stabilization, volume reduction, targeted N-recovery, targeted P-recovery, nutrient removal, sanitization, and handling of organic micropollutants. We add energy recovery as a new objective, because extensive work has been done on electrochemical energy harvesting, especially with bio-electrochemical systems. Our review reveals that biological processes are a good choice for urine stabilization. They have the advantage of little demand for chemicals and energy. Due to instabilities, however, they are not suited for bathroom applications and they cannot provide the desired volume reduction on their own. A number of physical-chemical treatment technologies are applicable at bathroom scale and can provide the necessary volume reduction, but only with a steady supply of chemicals and often with high demand for energy and maintenance. Electrochemical processes is a recent, but rapidly growing field, which could give rise to exciting technologies at bathroom scale, although energy production might only be interesting for niche applications. The review includes a qualitative assessment of all unit processes. A quantitative comparison of treatment performance was not the goal of the study and could anyway only be done for complete treatment trains. An important next step in urine technology research and development will be the combination of unit processes to set up and test robust treatment trains. We hope that the present review will help guide these efforts to accelerate the development towards a mature technology with pilot scale and eventually full-scale implementations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove A. Larsen
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Michel E. Riechmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Kai M. Udert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Patel A, Arkatkar A, Singh S, Rabbani A, Solorza Medina JD, Ong ES, Habashy MM, Jadhav DA, Rene ER, Mungray AA, Mungray AK. Physico-chemical and biological treatment strategies for converting municipal wastewater and its residue to resources. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 282:130881. [PMID: 34087557 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
An increase in urbanization and industrialization has not only contributed to an improvement in the lifestyle of people, but it has also contributed to a surge in the generation of wastewater. To date, conventional physico-chemical and biological treatment methods are widely used for the treatment of wastewater. However, the efficient operation of these systems require substantial operation and maintenance costs, and the application of novel technologies for the treatment and disposal of sludge/residues. This review paper focuses on the application of different treatment options such as chemical, catalyst-based, thermochemical and biological processes for wastewater or sludge treatment and membrane-based technologies (i.e. pressure-driven and non-pressure driven) for the separation of the recovered products from wastewater and its residues. As evident from the literature, a wide variety of treatment and resource recovery options are possible, both from wastewater and its residues; however, the lack of planning and selecting the most appropriate design (treatment train) to scale up from pilot to the field scale has limited its practical application. The economic feasibility of the selected technologies was critically analyzed and the future research prospects of resource recovery from wastewater have been outlined in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asfak Patel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S. V. National Institute of Technology Surat, Ichchhanath Surat-Dumas Road, Keval Chowk, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India
| | - Ambika Arkatkar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S. V. National Institute of Technology Surat, Ichchhanath Surat-Dumas Road, Keval Chowk, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India
| | - Srishti Singh
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Alija Rabbani
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Juan David Solorza Medina
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ee Shen Ong
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Mahmoud M Habashy
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Dipak A Jadhav
- Department of Agricultural Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Aurangabad 431010, Maharashtra, India
| | - Eldon R Rene
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitation and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601DA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Alka A Mungray
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S. V. National Institute of Technology Surat, Ichchhanath Surat-Dumas Road, Keval Chowk, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India
| | - Arvind Kumar Mungray
- Department of Chemical Engineering, S. V. National Institute of Technology Surat, Ichchhanath Surat-Dumas Road, Keval Chowk, Surat, 395007, Gujarat, India.
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Yu C, Yin W, Yu Z, Chen J, Huang R, Zhou X. Membrane technologies in toilet urine treatment for toilet urine resource utilization: a review. RSC Adv 2021; 11:35525-35535. [PMID: 35493188 PMCID: PMC9043190 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra05816a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane technologies have broad potential in methods for separating, collecting, storing, and utilizing urine collected from toilets. Recovering urine from toilets for resource utilization instead of treating it in a sewage treatment plant not only reduces extra energy consumption for the degradation of N and P but also saves energy in chemical fertilizer production, which will contribute to carbon emission reduction of 12.19-17.82 kg kgN -1 in terms of N alone. Due to its high efficiency in terms of volume reduction, water recycling, nutrient recovery, and pollutant removal, membrane technology is a promising technology for resource utilization from urine collected from toilets. In this review, we divide membrane technologies for resource utilization from urine collected from toilets into four categories based on the driving force: external pressure-driven membrane technology, vapor pressure-driven membrane technology, chemical potential-driven membrane technology, and electric field-driven membrane technology. These technologies influence factors such as: recovery targets and mechanisms, reaction condition optimization, and process efficiency, and these are all discussed in this review. Finally, a toilet with source-separation is suggested. In the future, membrane technology research should focus on the practical application of source-separation toilets, membrane fouling prevention, and energy consumption evaluation. This review may provide theoretical support for the resource utilization of urine collected from toilets that is based on membrane technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China +86-21-6598-2693
| | - Wenjun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China +86-21-6598-2693
| | - Zhenjiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China +86-21-6598-2693
| | - Jiabin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China +86-21-6598-2693
| | - Rui Huang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Hangzhou 310053 China
| | - Xuefei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China +86-21-6598-2693
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China
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Liu H, Shan J, Chen Z, Lichtfouse E. Efficient recovery of phosphate from simulated urine by Mg/Fe bimetallic oxide modified biochar as a potential resource. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 784:147546. [PMID: 34088060 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The massive use of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture is costly and induces water pollution, calling for more sustainable phosphate sources in the context of the circular economy. Here we prepared a new adsorbent based on waste straw biochar modified with the Mg/Fe bimetallic oxide, namely the Mg/Fe biochar, to recover phosphate from the simulated urine as an possible phosphate fertilizer. About 90% phosphate was recovered from the simulated urine with a wide pH range of 3.0-9.0 and a maximum adsorption capacity of 206.2 mg/g, using 1 g/L of Mg/Fe modified biochar. A pseudo second-order kinetics and Sips model were proposed to fit the experimental data well, suggesting that the adsorption was controlled by physical and chemical processes, which is driven by electrostatic attraction, intra-particle diffusion, ion exchange and surface ligand exchange. Overall, the Mg/Fe biochar is renewable and can recover more than 70% of phosphate in the simulated urine after 5 cycles of reuse, which appears as a safe and efficient adsorbent to recycle phosphate from urine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Liu
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 516 Jungong Road, 200093 Shanghai, China.
| | - Jinhua Shan
- School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 516 Jungong Road, 200093 Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongbing Chen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eric Lichtfouse
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Coll France, CEREGE, 13100 Aix en Provence, France
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Titorova V, Mareev S, Gorobchenko A, Gil V, Nikonenko V, Sabbatovskii K, Pismenskaya N. Effect of current-induced coion transfer on the shape of chronopotentiograms of cation-exchange membranes. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.119036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Regmi U, Boyer TH. Ammonium and potassium removal from undiluted and diluted hydrolyzed urine using natural zeolites. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 268:128849. [PMID: 33176915 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is limited research comparing nutrient removal in concentrated and dilute waste streams. Accordingly, the goal of this research was to study the effect of dilution on ammonium and potassium removal from real hydrolyzed urine using natural zeolites. The performance of two natural zeolites, clinoptilolite and chabazite, was studied and compared using batch equilibrium experiments at four dilution levels defined as urine volume divided by total solution volume (expressed as a percent): 100%, 10%, 1% and 0.1%. The adsorption behavior of other exchangeable ions, namely sodium, calcium, and magnesium, in clinoptilolite and chabazite was studied to improve the understanding of ion exchange stoichiometry. Ammonium and potassium removals were highest in undiluted urine samples treated with clinoptilolite or chabazite. This is a key finding as it illustrates the benefit of collecting undiluted urine via source separation. High removal of ammonium and potassium by clinoptilolite and chabazite was also achieved in 10% urine solutions, which are representative of water-efficient flush systems and show that nutrient recovery is possible for diluted urine as well. Chabazite showed higher ammonium and much higher potassium removal than clinoptilolite. Finally, the results showed that clinoptilolite and chabazite demonstrated stoichiometric exchange between ammonium and potassium in urine solutions with mobile cations in the zeolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urusha Regmi
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ, 85287-3005, USA
| | - Treavor H Boyer
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ, 85287-3005, USA.
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31
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Saetta D, Zheng C, Leyva C, Boyer TH. Impact of acetic acid addition on nitrogen speciation and bacterial communities during urine collection and storage. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:141010. [PMID: 32738689 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The rate of urea hydrolysis in nonwater urinals is influenced by the volume of urination events and the frequency of urinal use. Inhibition of urea hydrolysis with acetic acid addition has been demonstrated at the laboratory scale but it was not able to fully represent the conditions of a real restroom with real urine collection. The goal of this study was to understand the effects of acid addition for control of urea hydrolysis on nutrient concentrations and bacterial communities in human urine during collection and storage. Three control logics were used to determine the schedule of acid addition: (i) acid addition after every urination event, (ii) acid addition during periods of high building occupancy, and (iii) acid addition during periods of low building occupancy. Wifi logins were used to approximate building occupancy and to create the control logics used in the study. All three control logics were able to inhibit urea hydrolysis. The bacterial communities were identified to determine the impact of acid addition on the community structure. The collection of urine by nonwater urinals alone did not reduce the presence of enteric bacteria commonly found when collecting urine with urine-diverting toilets. Acid addition reduced the community diversity and created conditions for higher relative abundances of the order Enterobacteriales. Finally, results from stored acidified urine showed that urea hydrolysis inhibition is reversible and is influenced by the amount of acid added at the urinal. The amount of acid added can influence the rate of hydrolysis in the storage tanks and can be used to select for urea- or ammonia-nitrogen for nutrient recovery. This study is the first of its kind to inhibit urea hydrolysis in nonwater urinals in a real restroom with real urine, and is the first to identify the bacterial communities in urine collected solely with nonwater urinals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Saetta
- Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, P.O. Box 875701, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA.
| | - Chenwei Zheng
- Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, P.O. Box 875701, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Carlos Leyva
- Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, P.O. Box 875701, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; ASU Future H(2)O, Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 877205, Tempe, AZ 85287-7205, USA
| | - Treavor H Boyer
- Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, P.O. Box 875701, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873005, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
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Water Splitting and Transport of Ions in Electromembrane System with Bilayer Ion-Exchange Membrane. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:membranes10110346. [PMID: 33207651 PMCID: PMC7697576 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10110346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Bilayer ion-exchange membranes are mainly used for separating single and multiply charged ions. It is well known that in membranes in which the layers have different charges of the ionogenic groups of the matrix, the limiting current decreases, and the water splitting reaction accelerates in comparison with monolayer (isotropic) ion-exchange membranes. We study samples of bilayer ion-exchange membranes with very thin cation-exchange layers deposited on an anion-exchange membrane-substrate in this work. It was revealed that in bilayer membranes, the limiting current’s value is determined by the properties of a thin surface film (modifying layer). A linear regularity of the dependence of the non-equilibrium effective rate constant of the water-splitting reaction on the resistance of the bipolar region, which is valid for both bilayer and bipolar membranes, has been revealed. It is shown that the introduction of the catalyst significantly reduces the water-splitting voltage, but reduces the selectivity of the membrane. It is possible to regulate the fluxes of salt ions and water splitting products (hydrogen and hydroxyl ions) by changing the current density. Such an ability makes it possible to conduct a controlled process of desalting electrolytes with simultaneous pH adjustment.
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