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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408897

Research Project: Water and Nutrient Management for Sustainable Production of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: Sustainable nutrient water recovery by a hybrid electrodialysis (ED) - forward osmosis (FO) process for agricultural application

Author
item TRAN, QUANG - Oregon State University
item GARCIA-JARAMILLO, MANUEL - Oregon State University
item SCHINDLER, JASON - Oregon State University
item ENESS, AMANDA - Oregon State University
item Bryla, David
item PATEL, HARSHIL - Oregon State University
item NAVAB-DANESHMAND, TALA - Oregon State University
item JIN, XUE - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2024
Publication Date: 2/1/2024
Citation: Tran, Q., Garcia-Jaramillo, M., Schindler, J., Eness, A., Bryla, D.R., Patel, H., Navab-Daneshmand, T., Jin, X. 2024. Sustainable nutrient water recovery by a hybrid electrodialysis (ED) - forward osmosis (FO) process for agricultural application. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 12(2). Article 112091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.112091.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.112091

Interpretive Summary: Water shortages have been on the rise in recent years and are becoming a critical problem in many regions of the country, especially in areas where more frequent droughts are expected. As water shortages can have far-reaching effects on food security, an increasing number of regions view irrigation with reclaimed water as an opportunity to secure and enhance agricultural production. In cooperation with faculty and students at Oregon State University, an ARS scientist in Corvallis, OR evaluated the feasibility of using a unique hybrid electrodialysis-forward osmosis (ED-FO) process to simultaneously recover clean water and nutrients from actual anaerobic effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. By applying an electrical current to electrodes, nutrient ions were pulled into a concentrate compartment, producing a nutrient-rich solution almost free of heavy metals and organic and microbial contaminants, which was then used to safely produce hydroponically grown leafy vegetables. Based on an economic analysis, the ED-FO process is promising for scalable implementation commercially and offers a sustainable approach to pollution reduction, water conservation, and eco-friendly waste management practices.

Technical Abstract: With increasing water shortages, irrigation with reclaimed water is becoming necessary for securing agricultural production in many regions. This study investigated the feasibility of using a hybrid electrodialysis-forward osmosis (ED-FO) process, designed for simultaneous recovery of nutrients and clean water from actual anaerobic effluent, as a means for safe production of food crops. The final product water from the process was tested and evaluated for hydroponic production of lettuce and kale. The process recovered 84%, 85%, 97%, and 96% of the ammonium, potassium, ortho-phosphate, and nitrate, respectively, from the anaerobic effluent and exhibited the capability to reclaim 74% of the clean water from the ion-stripped diluate through the FO process. It also retained 76-98% of heavy metals and 83% of TOC in the residual waste stream, consistent with non-target analysis, which indicated organic compounds were reduced by 88% after the ED-FO process. Both ED and FO demonstrated low-fouling potential, and plants grown in nutrient water recovered from the process had more growth than those grown with DI water. According to our economic analysis, the hybrid ED-FO is promising for scalable implementation and highly attractive in terms of resource recovery, waste footprint reduction, and water quality enhancement.