Post-treatment of high-rate activated sludge effluent via zeolite adsorption and recovery of ammonium-nitrogen as alternative fertilising products

Abstract

This study investigates the potential to connect nutrient flows between wastewater treatment and agriculture through a two-stage nitrogen (N) recovery system composed of high-rate activated sludge treatment in contact stabilisation mode (HRAS/CS) and column adsorption with zeolite. The HRAS/CS process removes organic matter and suspended solids in wastewater, leaving N behind in the effluent. The N was then successfully recovered with the zeolite column under different scenarios, generating N and K-rich by-products. The regeneration effluent from the zeolite column with KCl contained 60–845 mg NH4+-N/L and 1.6–14.3 g K/L, having potential for use as fertigation water. The N-saturated zeolite contained 1.5–8.4 mg N/g and 14.3–19.3 mg K/g of the product fresh weight and low contaminant content, making them potentially eligible as various fertilising products. Adsorption can thus concentrate N from HRAS/CS effluent and produce by-products with potential agricultural value while meeting chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen discharge standards.