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Śniatała B, Al-Hazmi HE, Sobotka D, Zhai J, Mąkinia J. Advancing sustainable wastewater management: A comprehensive review of nutrient recovery products and their applications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173446. [PMID: 38788940 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173446] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater serves as a vital resource for sustainable fertilizer production, particularly in the recovery of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This comprehensive study explores the recovery chain, from technology to final product reuse. Biomass growth is the most cost-effective method, valorizing up to 95 % of nutrients, although facing safety concerns. Various techniques enable the recovery of 100 % P and up to 99 % N, but challenges arise during the final product crystallization due to the high solubility of ammonium salts. Among these techniques, chemical precipitation and ammonia stripping/ absorption have achieved full commercialization, with estimated recovery costs of 6.0-10.0 EUR kgP-1 and 4.4-4.8 £ kgN-1, respectively. Multiple technologies integrating biomass thermo-chemical processing and P and/or N have also reached technology readiness level TRL = 9. However, due to maturing regulatory of waste-derived products, not all of their products are commercially available. The non-homogenous nature of wastewater introduces impurities into nutrient recovery products. While calcium and iron impurities may impact product bioavailability, some full-scale P recovery technologies deliver products containing this admixture. Recovered mineral nutrient forms have shown up to 60 % higher yield biomass growth compared to synthetic fertilizers. Life cycle assessment studies confirm the positive environmental outcomes of nutrient recycling from wastewater to agricultural applications. Integration of novel technologies may increase wastewater treatment costs by a few percent, but this can be offset through renewable energy utilization and the sale of recovered products. Moreover, simultaneous nutrient recovery and energy production via bio-electrochemical processes contributes to carbon neutrality achieving. Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential to offset both energy and chemicals inputs, increase their cos-efficiency and optimize technologies and understand the nutrient release patterns of wastewater-derived products on various crops. Addressing non-technological factors, such as legal and financial support, infrastructure redesign, and market-readiness, is crucial for successfully implementation and securing the global food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogna Śniatała
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Hussein E Al-Hazmi
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dominika Sobotka
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jun Zhai
- Institute for Smart City of Chongqing University in Liyang, Chongqing University, Jiangsu 213300, China
| | - Jacek Mąkinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, Gdańsk, Poland.
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Lan Y, Li X, Du R, Fan X, Cao S, Peng Y. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) formation in acetate-driven partial denitrification process: Enhancing sludge granulation and phosphorus removal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166659. [PMID: 37652380 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Partial denitrification/anammox (PD/A) processes have emerged as a promising technology for efficient nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, these processes fail to remove phosphorus (P), a key pollutant that contributes to water eutrophication. To address this issue, the potential of inducing hydroxyapatite (HAP) precipitation in PD processes to achieve simultaneous P removal was investigated for the first time. Specifically, three SBRs (R1-R3) for PD were operated with adding varying concentrations of external Ca (30, 60, and 120 mg/L, respectively). Results demonstrated significant P reduction in all three SBRs, particularly in R3 with high Ca, which achieved an 80 % removal efficiency. Notably, sludge granulation was observed during operation, with the granule size in R3 with high Ca reaching 906.1 μm during the stable period, exceeding those in R2 (788.7 μm) and R1 (707.1 μm). This led to good settle ability of the PD sludge, as demonstrated by the lowest SVI5 (20 mL/g MLSS). Moreover, the decrease in the MLVSS/MLSS ratio suggested that the inorganic content accumulated, as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy in the interior of the granules. Elemental composition analysis suggested that PD granules contained high P and Ca, while the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed the formation of HAP. Overall, this study demonstrated that PD-HAP coupled granular sludge process has potential as a robust and efficient method for nitrite production, as well as effective P removal and recovery, thereby advancing the application of anammox processes in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lan
- College of Architecture and Civil engineering, Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering (FACTE), Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China; Chongqing Research Institute of Beijing University of Technology, Chongqing 401121, PR China
| | - Xing Li
- College of Architecture and Civil engineering, Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering (FACTE), Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Rui Du
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Fan
- College of Architecture and Civil engineering, Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering (FACTE), Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Shenbin Cao
- College of Architecture and Civil engineering, Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering (FACTE), Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China; Chongqing Research Institute of Beijing University of Technology, Chongqing 401121, PR China.
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
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Mielcarek A, Jóźwiak T, Rodziewicz J, Bryszewski K, Janczukowicz W, Kalisz B, Tavares JMR. Recovery of phosphorus and other minerals from greenhouse wastewater generated during soilless tomato cultivation by means of alkalizing agents. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 892:164757. [PMID: 37308006 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The research was aimed at determining the possibility of recovering part of nutrients by precipitation from greenhouse wastewater (GW) from soilless tomato cultivation. Analyses included such elements as: P, S, N, Cl, Ca, Mg, K, Mo, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, and B. Three alkalizing agents were tested in a pH range of 6.5-12.0: Ca(OH)2, KOH, and NH4OH, which simultaneously enrich greenhouse wastewater in calcium, potassium, and nitrogen. It was determined what dose of the alkalizing agent should be used, how the composition of the treated GW will change, how much and what kind of sludge will be formed, what will be the stability and technical possibility of sediment separation, and whether the type of alkalizing agent affects the course of the process. Precipitation triggered by the alkalizing agents proved to be an effective method for the recovery of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and boron, while it turned out ineffective in the case of the other elements tested, including nitrogen and potassium. Phosphorus recovery depended mainly on GW pH and forms of phosphate ions corresponding to this pH, and not on the alkalizing agent type. The pH value adjustment to pH = 9 for KOH and NH4OH and to pH = 9.5 for Ca(OH)2 ensured <99 % phosphorus recovery, which corresponded to P concentration in GW below 1 mgP/L and to the applied Ca(OH)2, KOH, and NH4OH doses of 0.20 g/L, 0.28 g/L, and 0.08 g/L, respectively. The highest P contents in the sludge were determined at pH = 7 and reached 18.0 %, 16.8 %, and 16.3 % in the experimental series with Ca(OH)2, KOH, and NH4OH, respectively. The sludge volume index increase along with pH increase up to pH = 10.5 for KOH and to pH = 11 for Ca(OH)2 and NH4OH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Mielcarek
- Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 117a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Jóźwiak
- Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 117a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Joanna Rodziewicz
- Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 117a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Kamil Bryszewski
- Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 117a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Janczukowicz
- Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 117a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Barbara Kalisz
- Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, pl. Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Jorge Manuel Rodrigues Tavares
- Department of Technologies and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Apartado 6155, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal; Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D'Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal.
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Deng L, Dhar BR. Phosphorus recovery from wastewater via calcium phosphate precipitation: A critical review of methods, progress, and insights. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 330:138685. [PMID: 37060960 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is one of the important elements for human, animal, and plant life. Due to the development of the circular economy in recent years, the recovery of P from wastewater has received more attention. Recovery of P from domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewater in the form of calcium phosphate (CaP) by precipitation/crystallization process presents a low-cost and effective method. Recovered CaP could be used as P fertilizer and for other industrial applications. This review summarizes the effects of supersaturation, pH, seed materials, calcium (Ca) source, and wastewater composition, on the precipitation/crystallization process. The recovery efficiency and value proposition of recovered CaP were assessed. This in-depth analysis of the literature reports identified the process parameters that are worth further optimization. The review also provides perspectives on future research needs on expanding the application field of recovered CaP and finding other more economical and environmentally friendly Ca sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyu Deng
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resources, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Bipro Ranjan Dhar
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
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Sniatala B, Kurniawan TA, Sobotka D, Makinia J, Othman MHD. Macro-nutrients recovery from liquid waste as a sustainable resource for production of recovered mineral fertilizer: Uncovering alternative options to sustain global food security cost-effectively. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:159283. [PMID: 36208738 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Global food security, which has emerged as one of the sustainability challenges, impacts every country. As food cannot be generated without involving nutrients, research has intensified recently to recover unused nutrients from waste streams. As a finite resource, phosphorus (P) is largely wasted. This work critically reviews the technical applicability of various water technologies to recover macro-nutrients such as P, N, and K from wastewater. Struvite precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, and membrane filtration are applied for nutrient recovery. Technological strengths and drawbacks in their applications are evaluated and compared. Their operational conditions such as pH, dose required, initial nutrient concentration, and treatment performance are presented. Cost-effectiveness of the technologies for P or N recovery is also elaborated. It is evident from a literature survey of 310 published studies (1985-2022) that no single technique can effectively and universally recover target macro-nutrients from liquid waste. Struvite precipitation is commonly used to recover over 95 % of P from sludge digestate with its concentration ranging from 200 to 4000 mg/L. The recovered precipitate can be reused as a fertilizer due to its high content of P and N. Phosphate removal of higher than 80 % can be achieved by struvite precipitation when the molar ratio of Mg2+/PO43- ranges between 1.1 and 1.3. The applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to collect data on critical parameters control optimization, improve treatment effectiveness, and facilitate water utilities to upscale water treatment plants. Such infrastructure in the plants could enable the recovered materials to be reused to sustain food security. As nutrient recovery is crucial in wastewater treatment, water treatment plant operators need to consider (1) the costs of nutrient recovery techniques; (2) their applicability; (3) their benefits and implications. It is essential to note that the treatment cost of P and/or N-laden wastewater depends on the process applied and local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogna Sniatala
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia.
| | - Dominika Sobotka
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jacek Makinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
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High-efficiency adsorption of phosphate by Fe-Zr-La tri-metal oxide composite from aqueous media: Performance and mechanism. ADV POWDER TECHNOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apt.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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