Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Emerging Technologies for Separation and Recycle of Phosphorous from Sewage Sludge for Hydroponic Farming System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Biorefinery for Water and Wastewater Treatment

  • 369 Accesses

Abstract

Consistent usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on the soil has made it uncultivable. This not only render soil infertile but also causes chemical contamination of water table. Thus, there is a need for alternate solutions which can either replace conventional cultivation or reuse the nutrients recovered from the contaminated water. Hydroponic system or soilless farming is the solution for the former while recycling the contaminated water for the later. Hydroponic system uses an innovative method of growing crops without soil. In this system, the plant roots grow in liquid nutrient solution and controlled environment. On the other hand, nutrient recovery from chemically contaminated water and wastewater, has also been receiving increasing attention in current years. Nutrient recovery is a sustainable and recyclable approach of recovering beneficial nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from waste water streams that would otherwise pose a harmful threat to infrastructure and the environment. Further, it causes problems such as eutrophication in waterbodies and build-up of struvite (a phosphate mineral) in mechanical systems. By utilizing nutrient recovery, wastewater plants can mitigate these challenges together with improvement in water quality by meeting stringent phosphorus discharge limits and transforming it into environmental friendly fertilizer and reusable feedstock. This chapter aims to present an outline of technologies and routes for nutrient recovery from sewage sludge and methods to enhance their sustainability. The chapter first introduces various current routes for nutrient recovery from sewage sludge. This would be continued by an outline on commercial nutrient recovery, projects, technologies and evolving techniques around the world with the key factors for a successful recovery technology. The focus would be on reducing the gap between demand and supply of beneficial nutrients as well as transition from ‘removal and treat’ to ‘recovery and reuse’.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adam C (2008) Sustainable and safe re-use of municipal sewage sludge for nutrient recovery—SUSAN

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexandros N, Bruinsma J (2012) World Agriculture towards 2030–2050: the 2012 Version. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/esa/Global_persepctives/world_ag_2030_50_2012_rev.pdf. Accessed 8 Sept 2021

  • Anastasios GK, Democritus, Ilias Z, Aivasidis A (2009) Comparison between UCT type and DPAO biomass phosphorus removal efficiency under aerobic and anoxic conditions. Water Sci Technol 60(10):2695–2703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antolin MC, Pascual I, Garcia C, Polo A, Sanchez-Dia z M (2005) Growth, yield and solute content of barley in soils treated with sewage sludge under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Field Crop Res 34:224–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bindu (2018) Hydroponics: soil-less farming, a sustainable agriculture system. J Emerg Technol Innov Res (JETIR) 5(6)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabeza R, Steingrobe B, Römer W, Claassen N (2011) Effectiveness of recycled P products as P fertilizers, as evaluated in pot experiments. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 91(2):173–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cieślik B, Konieczka P (2017) A review of phosphorus recovery methods at various steps of wastewater treatment and sewage sludge management. The concept of “no solid waste generation” and analytical methods. J Clean Prod 142:1728–1740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordell D, Drangert JO, White S (2009) The story of phosphorus: global food security and food for thought. Glob Environ Chang 19:292–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cornel P, Schaum C (2009) Phosphorus recovery from wastewater: needs, technologies and costs. Water Sci Technol 59(6):1069–1076

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DEFRA (2008) Consultation on options for controls on phosphates in domestic laundry

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Montero R, De Florio L, González-Viar M, Herrero M, Tejero I (2016) Performance evaluation of a novel anaerobic-anoxic sludge blanket reactor for biological nutrient removal treating municipal wastewater. Bio Resour Technol 209:195–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domingues DS, Takahashi HW, Camara CAP, Nixdorf SL (2012) Automated system developed to control pH and concentration of nutrient solution evaluated in hydroponic lettuce production. Comput Electron Agric 84:53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edixhoven JD, Gupta J, Savenije HHG (2014) Recent revisions of phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique. Earth Syst Dyn 5:491–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehsan BE, Fatemeh AZ, Alireza B, Gordon M (2018a) The modified Bardenpho process. Eng Life Sci 18(7):434–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehsan B, Esfahani F, Asadi Z, Alireza B (2018b) Handbook of environmental materials management, the modified Bardenpho process, pp 1–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Lehr VI (2019) Biochar effects on phosphorus availability in agricultural soils: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep 9:9338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HELCOM (2018) Overview of nutrient recycling in the Baltic Sea Countries. Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Overview-of-nutrient-recycling-in-the-Baltic-Seacountries.pdf. Accessed 3 Jan 2021

  • Hiroya K, Masashi H, Kenichi A, Tomonori K, Noriatsu O, Akiyoshi O (2013) Phosphate recovery as concentrated solution from treated wastewater by a PAO-enriched biofilm reactor. Water Res 47(6):2025–2032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horrigan L, Lawrence RS, Walker P (2002) How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 110:445–456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes AJ (2017) hydroponic growing offers advantages, but won’t replace the soil

    Google Scholar 

  • Jama-Rodzeńska A, Białowiec A, Koziel JA, Sowiński J (2021) Waste to phosphorus: a transdisciplinary solution to P recovery from wastewater based on the TRIZ approach. J Environ Manage 281:112235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshua TB, Edmond N, Irina DO, Andrew M, David G (2018) A review of phosphorus removal technologies and their applicability to small-scale domestic wastewater treatment systems. Front Environ Sci

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahiluoto H, Kuisma M, Havukainen J, Luoranen M, Karttunen P, Lehtonen E, Horttanainen M (2011) Potential of agrifood wastes in mitigation of climate change and eutrophication—two case regions. Biomass Bioenergy 35:1983–1994

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar V, Chopra AK (2016b) Effects of sugarcane pressmudon agronomical characteristics of hybrid cultivar of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) under field conditions. Int J Recycl Org Waste Agric 5:149

    Google Scholar 

  • Laura R, Sini R, Tommi F, Mari H (2019) RAVITA Technology—new innovation for combined phosphorus and nitrogen recovery. Water Sci Technol 78(12):2511–2517

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Kumar S, Kwag J-H, Ra C (2013) Magnesium ammonium phosphate formation, recovery and its application as valuable resources: a review. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 88(2):181–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mao Y, Graham DW, Tamaki H, Zhang T (2015) Dominant and novel clades of Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis in 18 globally distributed full-scale wastewater treatment plants. Sci Rep 5:11857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menezes-Blackburn D, Giles C, Darch T, George TS, Blackwell M, Stutter M, Shand C, Lumsdon D, Cooper P, Wendler R et al (2018) Opportunities for mobilizing recalcitrant phosphorus from agricultural soils: a review. Plant Soil 427:5–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf and Eddy (2003) Wastewater engineering: treatment and reuse, 4th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mielcarek A, Rodziewicz J, Janczukowicz W, Thornton A (2015) The feasibility of citric acid as external carbon source for biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). Biochem Eng J 93:102–107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neha D, Vaibhav N (2020) Hydroponic—the future of farming. Int J Environ Agric Biotechnol 5(4)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nerenberg R (2016) The membrane-biofilm reactor (MBfR) as a counter-diffusional biofilm process. Curr Opin Biotechnol 38:131–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ng WJ, Ong SL, Gomez MJ, Hu JY, Fan XJ (2000) Study on a sequencing batch membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol 41:227–234

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen NT, Mcinturf SA, Mendozacózatl DG (2016) Hydroponics: a versatile system to study nutrient allocation and plant responses to nutrient availability and exposure to toxic elements. J vis Exp 10:3791–54317

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen CJ, Ferrin DM, Stanghellini ME (2006) Efficacy of biosurfactants in the management of Phytophthora capsici on pepper in recirculating hydroponic systems. Can J Plant Path 28(3):450–460

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okemwa E (2015) Effectiveness of aquaponic and hydroponic gardening to traditional gardening. Int J Sci Res Innov Technol 2:2313–3759

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozacar M, Şengil İA (2003) Enhancing phosphate removal from wastewater by using polyelectrolytes and clay injection. J Hazard Mater 100(1–3):131–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petzet S, Cornel P (2013) Phosphorus recovery from wastewater. In: Hester RE, Harrison RM (eds) Waste as a resource. Royal Society of Chemistry

    Google Scholar 

  • Pronk M, de Kreuk MK, de Bruin B, Kamminga P, Kleerebezem R, van Loosdrecht MCM (2015) Full scale performance of the aerobic granular sludge process for sewage treatment. Water Res 84:207–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reuna S (2015) Post-precipitation of phosphorus and re-circulation of precipitation chemical (in Finnish) (ProGradu). University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, p 78

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuna S, Väisänen A (2018) Optimizing the H3PO4 leaching conditions of post-precipitated sewage sludge using response surface methodology. J Environ Manag 226:70–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rouphael Y, Colla G (2005) Growth, yield, fruit quality and nutrient uptake of hydroponically cultivated zucchini squash as affected by irrigation systems and growing seasons. Sci Hortic 105(2):177–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy T, Singh RD, Biswas DR, Patra AK (2013) Effect of sewage sludge and inorganic fertilizers on productivity and micronutrients accumulation by palak (Beta vulgaris) and their availability in a Typic Haplustept. J Indian Soc Soil Sci 61(3):207–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Saha S (2015) Remediation of heavy metals toxicity to crops in sewage-sludge contaminated soils. Published PhD thesis, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarah WS (2017) Hydroponics-vs-soil reasons why hydroponics is better than soil

    Google Scholar 

  • Seerat Jan et al (2020) Hydroponics—a review. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 9(8). ISSN: 2319-7706

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta S, Nawaz T, Beaudry J (2015) Nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from wastewater. Curr Pollut Rep 1:155–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shafquat NM, Pierzynski GM (2011) Bioavailable phosphorus in animal waste amended soils: using actual crop uptake and P mass balance approach. Environ Sci Technol 45:8217–8224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha A, Dunn B (2013) Hydroponics. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh RP, Agrawal M (2010) Variations in heavy metal accumulation, growth and yield of rice plants grown at different sewage sludge amendment rates. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 73(4):632–641

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun L, Wang Z, Wei X, Li P, Zhang H, Li M et al (2015) Enhanced biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal using sequencing batch membrane-aerated biofilm reactor. Chem Eng Sci 135:559–565

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tchobanoglous G, Abu-Orf M, Bowden G, Pfrang W (2014) Wastewater engineering: treatment and resource recovery. McGraw-Hill Education, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Treftz C, Omaye ST (2016) Hydroponics: Potential for augmenting sustainable food production in nonarable regions. Nutr Food Sci 46:672–684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaiopoulou E, Aivasidis A (2008) A modified UCT method for biological nutrient removal: configuration and performance. Chemosphere 72(7):1062–1068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang PF, Zhang SH, Wang C, Hou J, Guo PC, Lin Z (2008) Study of heavy metal in sewage sludge and in Chinese cabbage grown in soil amended with sewage sludge. Afr J Biotech 7(9):1329–1334

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams PT (2005) Waste treatment and disposal. Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2009) Introduction to phosphorus removal study guide

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan Z, Pratt S, Batstone DJ (2012) Phosphorus recovery from wastewater through microbial processes. Curr Opin Biotechnol 23(6):878–883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bangalore, India

    Rashmi S. Shenoy, Prathibha Narayanan & Savithri Bhat

Authors
  1. Rashmi S. Shenoy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Prathibha Narayanan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Savithri Bhat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rashmi S. Shenoy .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology Lab, Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India

    Maulin P. Shah

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Shenoy, R.S., Narayanan, P., Bhat, S. (2023). Emerging Technologies for Separation and Recycle of Phosphorous from Sewage Sludge for Hydroponic Farming System. In: Shah, M.P. (eds) Biorefinery for Water and Wastewater Treatment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20822-5_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation