Effectiveness of ecotechnologies in agriculture for the recovery and reuse of carbon and nutrients in the Baltic and boreo-temperate regions: a systematic map

Piniewski, Mikołaj; Księżniak, Marta; Osuch, Paweł; Haddaway, Neal R.; Ek, Filippa; Andersson, Karolin; Tattari, Sirkka

doi:10.1186/s13750-019-0183-1

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…All searches were restricted to articles published after 2013. This was partly done to be able to build on the mapping work previously done within the same project [17,18], partly to limit the amount of work to a manageable level, but also to only include studies that reflect the current level of knowledge. The following search strings were used in bibliographic databases:…”

Section: Searching For Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These additional searches could be easily conducted with more resources. Moreover, we have limited our search to last 6 years, partly to be able to build on the mapping work previously done within the same project [17,18]. Future work could capture research published before 2013 for a more extensive evidence base.…”

Section: Review Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two of these are struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping. These two technologies for P and N recovery were identified in systematic maps of technologies for recovering nutrients and carbon from domestic wastewater [16,17] and agricultural waste streams [18], where struvite precipitation was one of the most represented technologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effectiveness of struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping for recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digestate: a systematic review

et al. 2020

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Background A regular supply of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to agriculture is needed for global food security, and increased recycling of nutrients back to agriculture from organic waste streams is necessary for increased rural–urban sustainability. Anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge and agricultural wastes is widely applied to stabilize the substrate and capture some of its energetic value via biogas production. Anaerobic digestate is a concentrated source of nutrients to which nutrient recovery technologies can be applied. By combining anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery technologies on the digestate, both energy and nutrient recovery can be achieved. Two promising technologies that could increase nutrient recycling from different types of wastewater are struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping. This review examined the effectiveness of these ecotechnologies for the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from anaerobic digestate with the aim of reducing the impact of waste on the environment. Methods We searched for academic and grey literature published after 2013. Searches were performed in 5 bibliographic databases in English, in the search engine Google Scholar in English, Swedish, Finnish and Polish, and across a range of organisational websites in English, Swedish, Finnish and Polish. Eligibility screening was conducted at two levels: ‘title and abstract’ and ‘full text’. Included eligible studies were subject to a critical appraisal that assessed external and internal study validity. We extracted information on study characteristics, intervention, comparators, effect modifiers, and measured outcomes. Data synthesis included narrative synthesis of each study of sufficient validity. We performed quantitative synthesis on a subset of studies. Review findings The review included 30 studies on struvite precipitation and 8 studies on ammonia stripping. Both pH and Mg:PO4 ratio were found to have a clear influence on the effectiveness of struvite precipitation process (and thus nutrient removal rates). The response to pH was found to be non-linear, resembling a bell curve with a maximum around pH 9.5. Mg:PO4 ratio was found to have a positive effect on removal up to a ratio as high as 4:1. However, it should be noted that high removal efficiencies were sometimes achieved at a ratio as low as 1:1 as well. Although the effects of pH and Mg:PO4 ratio were clear, the model developed could not accurately predict removal based on these two parameters alone. Studies on ammonia stripping were relatively heterogeneous. Due to the small size of the evidence base, and the heterogeneity between studies, no conclusions are presented regarding the influence of different process parameters on the outcome of ammonia stripping. Conclusions In conclusion, when performed under the right conditions (i.e. pH around 9.5 and Mg:PO4 ratio of at least 1:1), available evidence suggests that struvite precipitation is an effective technology for the recovery of nutrients from the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate. The evidence base is limited for ammonia stripping. We provided suggestions of which data to report in future studies.

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Section: Searching For Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effectiveness of struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping for recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digestate: a systematic review

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“…No industrial or agricultural wastewater systems were considered. C and nutrient recycling from agricultural sources have been addressed in a related map [21].…”

Section: Definitions Of the Question Components Population(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parallel to this review, ecotechnologies for carbon and nutrient recycling from agricultural waste streams were collated in a related systematic map that was conducted within the same BONUS RETURN project (and similar review team) [21]. This map used the same search sources, but different search strings.…”

Section: Other Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

What evidence exists on ecotechnologies for recycling carbon and nutrients from domestic wastewater? A systematic map

et al. 2020

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Background Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, and many other water bodies, is partly the result of point-source emissions of nutrients and carbon from wastewater. At the same time, nitrogen and phosphorus planetary boundaries have been breached. There is a need for more efficient resource management, including the recovery and reuse of nutrients and carbon in waste. The aim of this paper is to collate evidence on ecotechnologies intended for use in the wastewater sector globally to facilitate the recovery or reuse of carbon and/or nutrients. Methods Searches were performed on literature published between 2013 and 2017 and in 5 bibliographic databases, 1 search engine, and 38 specialist websites. Database searches were performed in English. Searches in specialist websites were also performed in Finnish, Polish and Swedish. There was no geographical limitation. Screening was conducted at title and abstract level, and on full texts. Apart from bibliographical information, we extracted information on ecotechnology type, intervention, details of the recovery or reuse, the type of wastewater stream to which the ecotechnology is applied, the study location, type and design. Prior to screening and coding, we conducted consistency checks amongst reviewers. We generated a searchable database of coded studies. Findings were synthesised narratively and visualised in a geographical information system (i.e. an evidence atlas). We identified a series of knowledge gaps and clusters that warrant further research. Results The search resulted in 4024 records, out of which 413 articles were retained after the screening process. In addition, 35 pre-screened studies from the specialist website searches were added. Together, these 448 articles contained 474 individual studies of 28 types of ecotechnologies. A combination of ecotechnologies (16.7%), followed by microalgae cultivation (14.1%) were the most frequent ecotechnologies in the evidence base. Ecotechnologies for recovery composed 72.6% of the evidence base. The most common wastewater streams for recovery were mixed wastewater and sludge (73.8%). There was a relative lack of studies on recovery from source-separated wastewater. The most common type of recovery was energy (27.3%), followed by simultaneous recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus (22.1%). Reuse of recovered substances was described in 22.8% of the studies. The most common type of reuse was of nitrogen and phosphorus (57.4%), followed by joint reuse of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (35.2%). Reuse ecotechnologies were mostly focused on the use of wastewater for irrigation or reuse of biosolids, and not on the nutrients that had been extracted through e.g. precipitation of struvite. In 22 studies both recovery and reuse were described. In total, 60 different study countries were reported in the evidence base, and the most common study location was China. Conclusions We found substantial evidence for the recovery and reuse of nutrients and carbon from wastewater sources. The relative abundance of studies where substances are recovered compared to studies where they are reused, suggests a knowledge gap on reuse of recovered nutrients and carbon. The majority of studies on reuse were on irrigation with treated wastewater or reuse of biosolids, and not on reuse of extracted nutrients such as struvite.

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Integrating Anaerobic Digestion With Struvite Production for Enhanced Nutrient Recovery, Pathogen Reduction, and Circularity in Manure Management

Nagarajan,

Goyette,

Raghavan

et al. 2024

J of Sust Agri & Env

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IntroductionAnaerobic digestion (AD) is essential for manure management, generating biogas and nutrient‐rich digestate for organic fertilizer. However, improper digestate use can pose environmental risks. Recovering struvite, a magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) compound, from digestate provides a sustainable, controlled‐release fertilizer, supporting a circular economy in agriculture.Materials and MethodsThe study employed a two‐stage (liquid–solid) AD process using poultry, dairy, and swine manures, along with wasted corn silage. Digestates were sampled for physicochemical and biogas quality analyses, with feedstocks categorized into D1 and D2, and a composite (D3) formed for struvite characterization. Microbial populations were enumerated on selective media, and struvite mineral content was analysed via argon plasma emission spectrometry.ResultsThe digesters processing feedstock mixtures D1 and D2 achieved specific methane yields of 1.26 L/g CODs fed and 1.49 L/g CODs fed, with cumulative biogas production of 374 and 369 L, respectively, over four 77‐day cycles. The two‐stage AD process significantly reduced antibiotic‐resistant, Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus spp. Total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) recovery rates were high at 98%–99%, with a consistent struvite crystal mass of 0.67 g/10 mL, indicating the efficiency of this integrated process. The agronomic value of struvite was determined, indicating its potential utility as a fertilizer, and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed diverse crystal structures, warranting further investigation into their implications for usage and storage.ConclusionThe results suggests that the two‐stage AD process efficiently transforms organic waste into high‐quality biogas, reduces antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, and facilitates nutrient recovery through struvite precipitation. This approach supports co‐digestion of multi‐substrates and promotes circular economy principles, with potassium or sodium phosphate enhancing struvite recovery for sustainable agriculture.

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Effectiveness of ecotechnologies in agriculture for the recovery and reuse of carbon and nutrients in the Baltic and boreo-temperate regions: a systematic map

Cited by 16 publications

References 25 publications

Effectiveness of struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping for recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digestate: a systematic review

Effectiveness of struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping for recovery of phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digestate: a systematic review

What evidence exists on ecotechnologies for recycling carbon and nutrients from domestic wastewater? A systematic map

Integrating Anaerobic Digestion With Struvite Production for Enhanced Nutrient Recovery, Pathogen Reduction, and Circularity in Manure Management

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