Nutrients removal and recovery in bioelectrochemical systems: A review

Abstract

Nutrient removal and recovery has received less attention during the development of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for energy efficient wastewater treatment, but it is a critical issue for sustainable wastewater treatment. Both nitrogen and phosphorus can be removed and/or recovered in a BES through involving biological processes such as nitrification and bioelectrochemical denitrification, the NH₄⁺/NH3 couple affected by the electrolyte pH, or precipitating phosphorus compounds in the high-pH zone adjacent a cathode electrode. This paper has reviewed the nutrients removal and recovery in various BES including microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells, discussed the influence factors and potential problems, and identified the key challenges for nitrogen and phosphorus removal/recovery in a BES. It expects to give an informative overview of the current development, and to encourage more thinking and investigation towards further development of efficient processes for nutrient removal and recovery in a BES.

Key findings

• ▸Bioelectrochemical systems can effectively remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater.
• ▸The recovery of nutrients in the form of fertilizers or other valuable products is also possible.
• ▸The efficiency of nutrient removal and recovery depends on various factors, including system design, operating conditions, and microbial communities.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.046

PubMed

24388692

Journal

Bioresource Technology

Year

2014