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Systematic Evaluation of Emerging Wastewater Nutrient Removal and Recovery Technologies to Inform Practice and Advance Resource Efficiency

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    Systematic Evaluation of Emerging Wastewater Nutrient Removal and Recovery Technologies to Inform Practice and Advance Resource Efficiency
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    • Anna Kogler
      Anna Kogler
      Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
      Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), Stanford, California 94305, United States
      More by Anna Kogler
    • McKenna Farmer
      McKenna Farmer
      Northwestern University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
      More by McKenna Farmer
    • Julia A. Simon
      Julia A. Simon
      Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
      Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
      More by Julia A. Simon
    • Sebastien Tilmans
      Sebastien Tilmans
      Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), Stanford, California 94305, United States
      Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
      More by Sebastien Tilmans
    • George F. Wells
      George F. Wells
      Northwestern University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
      More by George F. Wells
      Orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9100-1628
    • William A. Tarpeh*
      William A. Tarpeh
      Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), Stanford, California 94305, United States
      Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
      *Email: [email protected]. Address: 443 Via Ortega, Room 387, Stanford CA, 94305. Telephone: 650-497-1324.
      More by William A. Tarpeh
      Orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-2950-526X
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    ACS ES&T Engineering

    Cite this: ACS EST Engg. 2021, 1, 4, 662–684
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    https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.0c00253
    Published March 15, 2021
    Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society
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    Abstract

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    Advancing nutrient recovery from idea to implementation requires reporting practices that facilitate comparison among diverse nutrient removal and recovery (NRR) technologies and enhance the translation of academic research to practice. We reviewed 157 technologies that treat nitrogen- and/or phosphorus-laden wastewater across several underlying mechanisms, stages of development, and scales of operation. We outline a systematic reporting and analysis framework to characterize NRR technologies using quantitative performance metrics (i.e., removal and recovery efficiency, removal and recovery rate, energy consumption, cost, greenhouse gas emissions, effluent concentration) and qualitative attributes (e.g., technology readiness level). Comparing peer-reviewed literature with practitioner needs reveals limited reporting of energy consumption and cost, indicating misalignment between research and practice. By synthesizing literature and practitioner input on anticipated benefits, barriers to adoption, and knowledge gaps, we identify opportunities for expanding benefits achieved by NRR technologies and aligning research with critical barriers. We propose a research agenda addressing the most reported gaps (e.g., underlying process mechanisms, scale-up) and emphasizing rigorous investigations of systems-level impacts and product-market fit. Results from this study will facilitate interdisciplinary research on NRR technologies, guide technology development by academics and practitioners, and accelerate implementation for resource-efficient nutrient management fit for 21st century challenges.

    Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society

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    Supporting Information

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    The Supporting Information is available free of charge at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestengg.0c00253.

    • Summaries of previous nutrient removal and recovery reviews; definitions of key terms used in this review; details on our literature review and analysis methodology and associated limitations; descriptions of nutrient removal and recovery process groups; more detailed information on reporting practices and available data for standard metrics; practitioner survey results; definitions of value propositions, knowledge gaps, and barriers; figures detailing reported knowledge gaps and barriers; and figures relating market size to reporting of recovered products (PDF)

    • Table S3-1, nutrient removal and recovery processes reviewed (XLSX)

    • Table S4-3, scope of studies reporting energy consumption, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions (XLSX)

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    Cited By

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    ACS ES&T Engineering

    Cite this: ACS EST Engg. 2021, 1, 4, 662–684
    Click to copy citationCitation copied!
    https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.0c00253
    Published March 15, 2021
    Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society
    Request reuse permissions

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