Recovery of nitrogen and water from landfill leachate by a microbial electrolysis cell–forward osmosis system. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qin, Mohan; Molitor, Hannah; Brazil, Brian; Novak, John T.; He, Zhen
• Is Part Of: Bioresource technology. Volume 200(2016)
• Page Start: 485
• Page End: 492
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Landfill leachate -- Microbial electrolysis cells -- Forward osmosis -- Ammonium recovery -- Ammonium bicarbonate; Biomass -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Agricultural wastes -- Periodicals; Factory and trade waste -- Periodicals; Organic wastes -- Periodicals; Bioénergie -- Périodiques; Déchets agricoles -- Périodiques; Déchets industriels -- Périodiques; Déchets organiques -- Périodiques; Déchets (Combustible) -- Périodiques; 662.88
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.10.066
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-8524

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Ammonia can be successfully recovered from landfill leachate by MECs. Recovered ammonia can act as a draw solute in forward osmosis for water recovery. Aeration is important to drive ammonia off the catholyte. Organic degradation in leachate remains as a great challenge. Abstract: A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)–forward osmosis (FO) system was previously reported for recovering ammonium and water from synthetic solutions, and here it has been advanced with treating landfill leachate. In the MEC, 65.7 ± 9.1% of ammonium could be recovered in the presence of cathode aeration. Without aeration, the MEC could remove 54.1 ± 10.9% of ammonium from the leachate, but little ammonia was recovered. With 2 M NH4 HCO3 as the draw solution, the FO process achieved 51% water recovery from the MEC anode effluent in 3.5-h operation, higher than that from the raw leachate. The recovered ammonia was used as a draw solute in the FO for successful water recovery from the treated leachate. Despite the challenges with treating returning solution from the FO, this MEC–FO system has demonstrated the potential for resource recovery from wastes, and provide a new solution for sustainable leachate management.