A Transdisciplinary Solution to P Recovery from Wastewater Based on the TRIZ Approach

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A Transdisciplinary Solution to P Recovery from Wastewater Based on the TRIZ Approach Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering 6-1-2021 Waste to phosphorus: A transdisciplinary solution to P recovery from wastewater based on the TRIZ approach Anna Jama-Rodzeńska Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Andrzej Białowiec Iowa State University and Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Jacek A. Koziel Iowa State University, [email protected] Józef Sowiński Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_pubs Part of the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, Environmental Health Commons, and the Sustainability Commons The complete bibliographic information for this item can be found at https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ abe_eng_pubs/1192. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Waste to phosphorus: A transdisciplinary solution to P recovery from wastewater based on the TRIZ approach Abstract Phosphorus (P) is a limited yet essential resource. P cannot be replaced, but it can be recovered from waste. We proposed the TRIZ approach (Teoria reszenija izobretatielskich zadacz - Rus., Theory of Inventive Problem Solving - Eng.) to identify a feasible solution. We aimed at minimizing the environmental impact and, by eliminating contradictions, proposed viable technical solutions. P recovery can be more sustainable based on circular economy and 4Rs (reduction, recovery, reuse, and recycling). The TRIZ approach identified sewage sludge (SS) as waste with a large potential for P recovery (up to 90%). Successful selection and application of SS management and P recovery require a transdisciplinary approach to overcome the various socio-economic, environmental, technical, and legal aspects. The review provides an understanding of principles that must be taken to improve understanding of the whole process of P recovery from wastewater while building on the last two decades of research. Keywords Phosphorus, Sustainability, Wastewater treatment, Sewage sludge, TRIZ, Circular economy Disciplines Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering | Environmental Engineering | Environmental Health | Sustainability Comments This article is published as Jama-Rodzeńska, Anna, Andrzej Białowiec, Jacek A. Koziel, and Józef Sowiński. "Waste to phosphorus: A transdisciplinary solution to P recovery from wastewater based on the TRIZ approach." Journal of Environmental Management 287 (2021): 112235. DOI: 10.1016/ j.jenvman.2021.112235. Posted with permission. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_pubs/1192 Journal of Environmental Management 287 (2021) 112235 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Environmental Management journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jenvman Review Waste to phosphorus: A transdisciplinary solution to P recovery from wastewater based on the TRIZ approach Anna Jama-Rodzenska´ a, Andrzej Białowiec b,c,*, Jacek A. Koziel c, Jozef´ Sowinski´ a a Institute of Agroecology and Plant Production, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 24a Grunwaldzki Square, 53-363, Wrocław, Poland b Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmonskiego´ Str., 51–630, Wrocław, Poland c Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 4350 Elings Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Phosphorus (P) is a limited yet essential resource. P cannot be replaced, but it can be recovered from waste. We Phosphorus proposed the TRIZ approach (Teoria reszenija izobretatielskich zadacz - Rus., Theory of Inventive Problem Sustainability Solving - Eng.) to identify a feasible solution. We aimed at minimizing the environmental impact and, by Wastewater treatment eliminating contradictions, proposed viable technical solutions. P recovery can be more sustainable based on Sewage sludge circular economy and 4Rs (reduction, recovery, reuse, and recycling). The TRIZ approach identified sewage TRIZ Circular economy sludge (SS) as waste with a large potential for P recovery (up to 90%). Successful selection and application of SS management and P recovery require a transdisciplinary approach to overcome the various socio-economic, environmental, technical, and legal aspects. The review provides an understanding of principles that must be taken to improve understanding of the whole process of P recovery from wastewater while building on the last two decades of research. 1. Introduction standards drive P’s increasing agricultural demand (Jankowska et al., 2012). The lack of access or P shortage can disrupt the entire world Sustainability is a broad concept comprising many aspects of human economy. An increase in the P price combined with increasing demand life. Sustainable consciousness about the environment has increased and and depletion may lead to increased food prices and the resulting has become global. The recent emphasis is on circular economy (CE), geopolitical disputes (Sengupta et al., 2015; Teah and Onuki, 2017). P’s reuse of materials with valuable properties (European Commission. sustainable recovery can be influenced by many factors summarized in Disposal and Recycling Routes for sewage sludge 2001; Guedes et al., Fig. 1, Table A1. 2017; Kirchmann et al., 2017; Magid et al., 2006) such as phosphorus Wastewater treatment is an abundant potential source of P recovery. (P), one of the essential yet limited resources (Egle et al., 2016). P in wastewater accounts for >70% of P imported in fertilizers in Decreasing natural P sources (phosphate rock deposits) is one of the selected countries in Europe. P recovery from SS could increase collat­ strategic global-scale pivotal issues that, in effect, could lead to a global erally with improved technology and removed SS application re­ crisis in food production. The inconsistent forecasting about the P strictions in European agriculture (Kacprzak et al., 2017). depletion timeline is due to the lack of comprehensive resource assess­ To date, P recovery was mainly presented in comparative studies ment (Childers et al., 2011; Cordell et al., 2011). separately treating the technological, economic, and environmental The problem with the P depletion timeline (according to U.S. aspects of P management (Amann et al., 2018; Cie´slik and Konieczka, Geological Survey) is the comprehensive estimate of phosphate reserves, 2017; Cordell et al., 2011; Cornel and Schaum, 2009; Egle et al, 2015, currently at 30–300 years (Cordell and White, 2011). It is estimated that 2016; Guedes et al., 2017; Hudziak et al., 2012; Kalmykova and Karl­ with a high P rate of agricultural usage, >50% of the resources will be feldt Fedje, 2013; Kasprzyk and Gajewska, 2019; Le Corre et al., 2009; Li ´ depleted by 2100 (Amann et al., 2018). et al., 2019; Morse et al., 1998; Poluszynska´ and Slęzak, 2015; Sengupta Population growth and diet changes resulting from rising living et al., 2015; Szaja 2013; Senthilkumar et al., 2014). The P recovery * Corresponding author. Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmonskiego´ Str., 51–630 Wrocław, Poland. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (A. Jama-Rodzenska),´ [email protected], [email protected] (A. Białowiec), [email protected] (J.A. Koziel), [email protected] (J. Sowinski).´ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112235 Received 31 July 2020; Received in revised form 12 February 2021; Accepted 18 February 2021 0301-4797/© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). A. Jama-Rodzenska´ et al. Journal of Environmental Management 287 (2021) 112235 Fig. 1. The super-system diagram of spheres of P management. reviews were published for individual disciplines (Bunce et al., 2018; P management based on system theory and the TRIZ method (‘Teoria Egle et al., 2015; Kalmykova and Karlfeldt Fedje, 2013; Le Corre et al., reszenija izobretatielskich zadacz’ – Rus.). The TRIZ analyzes all aspects 2009; Li et al., 2019; Mayer et al., 2016; Morse et al., 1998; Poluszynska´ affecting P management and develops a plan for refining potential so­ ´ and Slęzak, 2015; Senthilkumar et al., 2014) or as multidisciplinary lutions and permanent removal of root causes of P management prob­ reviews (Amann et al., 2018; Egle et al., 2016; Lu et al., 2018; Roy, lems (Triz journal 2020). Careful, holistic considerations of P recovery 2017) comparing and describing the economic/environmental impacts within the system of theory (as the characteristics of three functional of methods and technologies, without considering a holistic picture spheres: super-system, system, sub-system) have not been analyzed yet within last twenty years. None of the reviews were scoped wider and in the case of P recovery. analyzed a transdisciplinary and holistic approach
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