Phosphorus and nitrogen recovery from wastewater by ceramsite: Adsorption mechanism, plant cultivation and sustainability analysis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150288
• Publication Date: 2021-09-11T05:46:28Z
• Authors: Qing Shao; Ying Zhang; Zhe Liu; Lizhi Long; Zizheng Liu; Yiqun Chen; Xin-Ming Hu; Mingming Lu; Li-Zhi Huang
• Keywords: Sewage; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Complex Mixtures; Wastewater; Waste Disposal, Fluid; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 12. Responsible consumption; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; Adsorption; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Recovery of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in wastewater would help to minimize eutrophication and their reuse would lead to a more sustainable society. Sewage sludge and fly ash were used to fabricate ceramsite in the laboratory. After modified with alkali or lanthanum it was shown in benchtop experiments to effectively recover N and P from real wastewater treatment plant effluent. The N&P-adsorbed ceramsite was then applied as an eco-friendly, slow-release fertilizer to promote the germination, growth and blooming of Impatiens commelinoides, realizing the recycling of N and P from wastewater. Emergy analysis shows that such recycling is more sustainable than the current two approaches (i.e., landfill and incineration) for sludge disposal. This work thus demonstrates a sustainable solution combining the reuse of solid waste, effective wastewater purification and recovery of N and P nutrients. Applying the technologies demonstrated would help to minimize the environmental impact of wastewater and solid waste.