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Electrochemical Nutrient Recovery for the Food–Energy–Water Nexus at Municipal Wastewater Facilities: Multivariate Analyses of Seasonal Sampling and Reactor Performance

delete2026-05-04
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OA
AI
S
Sana Heydarian
L
Lawrence O. Ajayi
S
Syed Asad Abbas
K
Kody D Wolfe
R
Rida Benhaddou
J
Jason Trembly
D
Damilola A. Daramola *
DOI:10.1021/acsestengg.6c00096delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Digester-equipped municipal wastewater facilities generate recycle streams with high nutrient loads that increase energy consumption and can cause environmental pollution. The reduction of these loads through electrochemical nutrient recovery (ENR) could enhance the food–energy–water nexus by producing fertilizer (struvite). This study investigated the recovery process through a 1 year sampling of recycle streams and the implementation of nutrient recovery. Time series analyses showed that P (as orthophosphate) concentration was time-variant in digester effluent streams, while N (as ammonia) concentration was time-variant in only the aerobic system. Furthermore, these two nutrient concentrations did not correlate in any of the recycle streams. Subsequent multivariate screening analyses identified anode type, NH4+ concentration, cathodic potential, P concentration, and temperature as most significant for ENR. Finally, the optimum conditions of cathodic potential, anode area-to-volume ratio, and temperature applied to a real recycle stream resulted in 95% P recovery with 0.03 kWh/kg P. This energy consumption is significantly lower than process energy for conventional P fertilizers (1.1 kWh/kg P) and chemical recovery processes at scale (1.7–12.9 kWh/kg P). Overall, this study recommended specific process controls for nutrient recovery, expanded the variables evaluated for ENR, and demonstrated the ability to significantly impact energy demand associated with P-based fertilizers.
Keywords:
Electrodes
Phosphorus
Thermodynamic properties
Wastewater
centrate streams
water resource recovery facilities
time series analyses
sacrificial anode and fertilizers

Journal

ACS ES&T Engineering cover
ACS ES&T Engineering
IF:
6.7
Papers:
1.2K
Citations:
4.6K

Organization

O
Ohio University
Scholars:
3.3K
Papers: 2.6K
Citations: 6.0K
N
Northeastern University
Scholars:
2.3W
Papers: 1.5W
Citations: 3.0W
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