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Nutrient Recovery from Source-Separated Wastewaters by Integration of Blackwater Treatment with Urban Farming: Characterization of Process and Products

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Nutrient Recovery from Source-Separated Wastewaters by Integration of Blackwater Treatment with Urban Farming: Characterization of Process and Products Nutrient recovery from source-separated wastewaters by integration of blackwater treatment with urban farming: Characterization of process and products Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades Doktor-Ingenieur der Fakultät für Maschinenbau der Ruhr-Universität Bochum von Victor Takazi Katayama aus São Paulo, Brasilien Bochum 2018 Dissertation eingereicht am: 12.11.2018 Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 01.02.2019 Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Görge Deerberg Zweitgutachter: Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Londong ABSTRACT The reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is one of the most employed approaches for wastewater reclamation. In arid and semi-arid regions facing conditions of water stress, a large share of treated effluents is already used for irrigation of croplands. Although usually driven by the primary goal of recovering water, this wastewater reclamation approach has also been demonstrated to be an effective way to recycle nutrients. Urban farming opens up the possibility of applying this form of direct nutrient recovery to small-scale decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The on-site integration of food production and wastewater treatment shows particular promise in the context of the reclamation of source-separated domestic wastewater streams such as blackwater or urine, which are rich in nutrients and account for the majority of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium load in domestic wastewater. The overarching goal of this thesis is to provide insight into technical aspects that are crucial to determine the effectiveness of this decentralized nutrient recovery approach, and focuses on aspects related both to the processing of the wastewater as well as the agronomic use of the resulting product as a fertilizer. Technical and health risk related aspects regarding the integration of a hydroponic urban farm with an on-site MBR-based blackwater treatment system were assessed. Key factors were identified as critical for the successful implementation of the system studied here. Firstly, there is the discrepancy between the physicochemical characteristics of blackwater and the composition requirements of a nutrient solution adequate for use in hydroponic cultivation systems. Of highest relevance in this regard is blackwater’s nitrogen content profile, which is characterized by the predominance of ammoniacal nitrogen. This is diametrically opposite to what is considered ideal for hydroponic nutrient solutions, which contain primarily nitrate as nitrogen source. This mismatch is highly consequential for the design of the treatment process. Due to the low alkalinity-to-TAN ratio of blackwater, the full nitrification of its nitrogen load requires the dosing of an external alkalinity source, which itself might compromise the effluent’s quality in terms of its intended use as a nutrient solution. Another import aspect to be considered is the area requirements. The nutrient recovery of source-separated wastewaters by the direct use of treated effluents in urban farming is fundamentally limited by farming area requirements. In urban areas, where population density is high and available surface area is scarce, the scale-up of such a scheme would face enormous challenges. Finally, the impact of organic micropollutants on the objective and perceived quality of the produce cannot be understated. Such compounds were measured in substantial amounts in biologically treated blackwater, and were taken up in the edible parts. Even though the health risks associated to the micropollutant levels observed in the vegetables produced with BTP effluent are found to be low, it is likely that the presence of those contaminants would have a negative impact in the consumer perception of those products and limit their value if they were taken to market. Despite of those issues, conceptually the system investigated here represents a very rational solution for the supply of recycled fertilizer for urban farms. In a future where urban farming plays a larger role in the food security of cities, such system would not only supply fertilizer for food production, but, from the wastewater treatment perspective, also act as satellite systems that reduce the nutrient and COD loads to centralized wastewater treatment plants, allowing the existing plant footprints to be reallocated to other purposes, such as quaternary treatment for removal of micropollutants, for instance. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank Dennis Schlehuber, Annette Somborn-Schulz, the head of our department, Volkmar Keuter, and my supervisor, Prof. Görge Deerberg, for the support they gave me in the many times I hit the bumps and ruts on the road to the completion of my thesis, which more often than not felt like boulders and craters. Deep gratitude also goes to «Science without Borders», the scholarship program funded by the Brazilian Federal Government, via CAPES («Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior»), which made my stay in Germany possible. The Brazilian people can rest assured that this seed will come to fruition to the benefit of our country. On the Berlin front, my gratitude goes to Erwin Nolde, Holger Sack, Carsten Beneker and Nora Kaup, the keepers of Roof-Water Farm’s water recycling sanctuary – may the greywater flow and bring you good fortune in the future and beyond. I am deeply indebted to Janine Dinske and her troops, who kept our project’s greenhouse humming through hell and high water (quite literally). Without her work, no lettuce and cucumber would be there to be spoken of. Praise also goes to Christina Senge of the TU Berlin’s Environmental Process Engineering department for all the patience and care in supporting our numerous master’s students during their time in the lab. I would also like to thank the Prof. Dr. Thorsten Reemtsma, Dr. Monika Möder and Hilke Maas of the Center for Environmental Research – UFZ for their analysis of organic micropollutants in the effluent of our blackwater treatment plant and in the produce grown in our experimental greenhouse. Without your support, one of the key parts of my work would be all loose ends. Last but not least, my eternal gratitude to the loving Joanna “Moskito” Rabizo for helping me weather the stormy last year of my PhD, when push came to shove and it was either the thesis’ way or the highway. Victor Takazi Katayama February 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 2 Scope of the thesis ....................................................................................................... 3 3 Literature review .......................................................................................................... 4 3.1 Mineral nutrition of plants .............................................................................................. 4 3.2 Micropollutants ............................................................................................................... 12 4 Blackwater treatment system ..................................................................................... 18 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................... 18 4.2.1 Description of the blackwater treatment system ....................................................... 18 4.2.2 Blackwater characterization .................................................................................. 20 4.3 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................. 23 4.3.1 Characterization of raw blackwater .......................................................................... 23 4.3.2 Settling tank ................................................................................................................ 31 4.3.3 Analysis of the pH buffering capacity of settled blackwater ..................................... 33 4.3.4 MBR operation and effluent quality ...................................................................... 36 4.4 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 54 5 Use of blackwater treatment effluent in vegetable production system ................... 55 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 55 5.2 Material and Methods.................................................................................................... 56 5.3 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................. 57 5.3.1 Lettuce ........................................................................................................................ 58 5.3.2 Cucumber ................................................................................................................... 62 5.4 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 66 6 Micropollutants in BTP effluent and their uptake by crops .................................... 67 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 67 6.2 Material and methods ...................................................................................................
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