Abstract
Nutrient recovery from secondary resources, such as wastewater, has received increasing attention in recent years. Nutrient cycle sustainability and recycling approaches are important measures under development and considerations. This paper aims to present an overview of routes and technologies for nutrient recovery from sewage sludge and measures for improving their sustainability. First, current routes for nutrient recovery from sewage sludge are briefly reviewed. Next, an overview of commercial nutrient recovery technologies, projects, and emerging techniques around the world with the key factors for a successful phosphorus recovery technology is presented. Finally, a proposal for improving the sustainability of these practices is presented. It is concluded that the gap between demand and supply can be a major driver for the shift from ‘removal and treat’ to ‘recovery and reuse’. Moreover, there is not, and will never be, a one-size-fits-all solution. Future strategies and roadmaps need to be adapted to the local economy and geographical context more than ever.
Highlights
Rapid population growth, climate change, urbanization, and depletion of natural resources are obliging the global society to prepare for a stressful position for some natural resources
Phosphate rocks, which are the main source of P, are non-renewable and in the risk of depletion due to the expected population growth
Quality phosphate rocks are available in only a few countries, and the European Commission added phosphate rocks to the list of 20 Critical Raw Materials back in 2014 [8] for which supply security is at risk, and economic importance is high
Summary
Climate change, urbanization, and depletion of natural resources are obliging the global society to prepare for a stressful position for some natural resources. Phosphorus recovery from wastewater is one effective strategy to compensate for the increasing demand and to slow down the depletion rate of phosphate rocks [9]. Among waste sources, such as animal feeding, crop farming, industrial pre-treatment facilities, septic systems, stormwater and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), nutrient recovery (NR) from wastewater and sewage sludge has been the most practiced approach and has received significant attention over the last decades due to practical considerations and available infrastructure at WWTPs. sewage sludge produced in a wastewater treatment process carries nutrients and hazardous organic and inorganic pollutants, and this must be considered before any application. A proposal for improving the sustainability of these practices is presented
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