title: Recent advances in nutrient removal and recovery in biological and bioelectrochemical systems.
abstract: Nitrogen and phosphorous are key pollutants in wastewater to be removed and recovered for sustainable development. Traditionally, nitrogen removal is practiced through energy intensive biological nitrification and denitrification entailing a major cost in wastewater treatment. Recent innovations in nitrogen removal aim at reducing energy requirements and recovering ammonium nitrogen. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are promising for recovering ammonium nitrogen from nitrogen rich waste streams (urine, digester liquor, swine liquor, and landfill leachate) profitably. Phosphorus is removed from the wastewater in the form of polyphosphate granules by polyphosphate accumulating organisms. Alternatively, phosphorous is removed/recovered as Fe-P or struvite through chemical precipitation (iron or magnesium dosing). In this article, recent advances in nutrients removal from wastewater coupled to recovery are presented by applying a waste biorefinery concept. Potential capabilities of BES in recovering nitrogen and phosphorous are reviewed to spur future investigations towards development of nutrient recovery biotechnologies.
authors.affiliation: Biofouling and Biofilm Processes, WSCD, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam 603102, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: yvn@igcar.gov.in.
authors.forename: Y V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Nancharaiah
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering and Environmental Sciences (BEES), CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad 500 007, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venkata Mohan
authors.affiliation: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands; Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: P N L
authors.initials: PNL
authors.lastname: Lens
mesh_terms: D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D019149:Bioreactors; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D006801:Humans; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D011122:Polyphosphates; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Microbial fuel cells; Nitrogen removal; Phosphorus removal; Waste biorefinery; Wastewater