Fertilizer productionfrom wastewater is possible
According to environmental engineering researchers atDrexel University, water drained from massive sewage sludge ponds has the potential to play a role in more sustainable agriculture, suggests a new study looking at The process of removing ammonia from wastewater and converting it into fertilizers indicates that this method is not only technically feasible, but can also help reduce the environmental footprint and energy consumed to produce fertilizers, and may also provide a revenue stream for treatment facilities. Water.
Sustainable Nitrogen Source
The production of nitrogenrequired in fertilizers is an energy-intensive process, as it represents approximately 2% of global “carbon dioxide” emissions. In the past several years, researchers have discovered alternatives to the conventional Haber-Bosch nitrogen production process, which has been the primary method of ammonia production for more than a century. One promising possibility recently raised by researchers isextracting nitrogenfrom ammonia waste that is pulled from the water during treatment.
This innovative method means that we will reusenitrogen found in wastewater instead of expending energy and generating Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) to extract nitrogen from the atmosphere, which means creating a more sustainable agricultural practice other than Being a source of income for water stations.
A better way to clean
Water Treatment Municipal facilities in various countries have faced the challenge of meeting the quality standards of water discharged into waterways imposed by various laws. Ammonia is increasingly seen as a concern for aquatic environments, where high levels can lead to excessive growth of plants in streams and rivers. Which may expose manyfish speciesto danger, and ammonia removal options usually take time and space and can consume a lot of energy.
One option being explored by many facilities in North America and Europe is a process called “Air-Stripping” or Air-Stripping, in which ammonia is removed by raising the temperature and pH of the water enough to convert the chemical into gas, which can then be collected in concentrated form as ammonium sulphate. However, deciding whether to start investing in adopting the “air stripping” method still requires a complex study – called a life cycle analysis – to investigate its technological and economic feasibility.
Exploring new technology
A team of researchers regularly conducts a number of analyses. To assess the full environmental and economic impact of different optionsfor recycling and reusing waste or by-products as sustainable solutions. Their analysis of the wastewater scenario suggests a complementary relationship that could lead to a more sustainable path for both farmers and water management plants. In addition to producing ammonia sulfate as a marketable product, there is a significant benefit to reducing the ammonia load in the wastewater stream at water treatment plants. Sanitation, which provides an additional justification for adopting “air stripping” technology.
The research team used data from thewater treatment facilityin Philadelphia, USA, and several other facilities across North America and Europe, where the team conducted life cycle assessments and economic feasibility studies, including: the cost of installation and maintenance Air stripping system, taking into account the ammonia concentration and the flow rate of the wastewater, in addition to the energy sources used to drive the collection and transformation process, and ending with the cost of production and transportation and the market price of fertilizer chemicals.
Promising results
The results of the life cycle analysis show that the “air stripping” technology emitsGreenhouse Gases (GHGs)about 5 to 10 times less compared to the Haber-Bosch nitrogen production process, and it also uses about less energy (5 to 15) times, and from an economic perspective, the total cost of producing chemical fertilizers from wastewater is low enough that the producer can sell them at a price 12 times lower than chemicals produced by a company that relies on the Haber-Bosch method.
In addition, the study indicates that water treatment facilities will be able to save energy if they use the technology of stripping ammonia from the air, as removing ammonia will shorten the time and treatment required to treat water, and will also help slow chemical deposition on infrastructure. For the treatment plant.
While the team acknowledges that the “air stripping” technique would produce fertilizer in smaller quantities than the industrial Haber-Bosch process, the ability to collect and reuse any amount of resources would undoubtedly help improve the sustainability of Agriculture.
In conclusion, this exciting research indicates that the “air stripping” technology to recover “ammonium sulfate” from wastewater could represent a small part – but an important step – towards recovering and reusing the huge amount of nitrogen that we use to maintain global agriculture, This would represent significant progress in finding alternatives to the production of chemicals with lower levels of harmful effects on the environment and human health. This research also indicates that water plants can also consider investing in technologies that would also “capture phosphorus” and recycle it. For agricultural use.
