Recovering nutrients and unblocking the cake layer of an electrochemical anaerobic membrane bioreactor

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 9111 - 11
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yuhan, Wang, Yongbin, Chen, Zhibin, Hu, Chengzhi, Qu, Jiuhui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.10.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/146; 147/135; 147/3; 45/23; 639/638/11/872; 639/638/169; Alkalinity; Ammonium; Ammonium Compounds - chemistry; Ammonium Compounds - metabolism; Anaerobic processes; Anaerobic treatment; Anaerobiosis; Antifouling substances; Bioreactors; Carbon; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon footprint; Carbon sources; Chemical reactions; Development strategies; Electrochemical Techniques - instrumentation; Electrochemical Techniques - methods; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Electron transfer; Fouling; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen evolution; Internal energy; Magnesium; Magnesium - chemistry; Magnesium - metabolism; Membrane processes; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Metal plates; Methane; multidisciplinary; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - chemistry; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nutrients; Nutrients - metabolism; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - chemistry; Phosphorus - metabolism; Physicochemical properties; Pollutant removal; Purity; Resource recovery; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sewage - microbiology; Sludge; Struvite; Sustainable development; Waste Disposal, Fluid - instrumentation; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewater - chemistry; Wastewater treatment; Water pollution; Water Purification - instrumentation; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53341-y

The sustainable development strategy shifts water treatment from pollution removal to resource recovery. Here, an electrochemical resource-recovery anaerobic membrane bioreactor (eRAnMBR) that employed a magnesium plate and conductive membrane as dual anodes is presented and shows excellent performance in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus recovery, as well as 95% membrane anti-fouling. The Mg 2+ released alters the physicochemical properties of sludge, unblocking the cake layer, and recovers ammonium and phosphate, yielding 60.64% purity and 0.08 g d −1 struvite deposited onto cathode to be separated from sludge. The enhanced direct interspecies electron transfer, along with hydrogen evolution and alkalinity increase due to the electrochemical reactions, significantly increase methane yield and purity (93.97%) of the eRAnMBR. This increased internal energy can cover the additional electricity and electrode consumption. This integrated eRAnMBR reactor boasts the benefits of short process, low maintenance, and low carbon footprint, introducing a concept for the next generation of wastewater treatment. Recovering resources from wastewater sources is an important sustainable development strategy. Here, authors build an electrochemical resource-recovery anaerobic membrane bioreactor for the simultaneous full recovery of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, while demonstrating membrane fouling mitigation.