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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Continuous Ammonia Recovery from Wastewaters Using an Integrated Capacitive Flow Electrode Membrane Stripping System
Changyong Zhang1, Jinxing Ma1, Jingke Song1,2,3
1UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of New South Wales , Sydney , New South Wales 2052 , Australia.
A novel CapAmm system efficiently recovers ammonia from wastewater using flow-electrode capacitive deionization and a gas permeable membrane. This technology offers a cost-effective solution for nutrient recovery and water reclamation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Ammonia recovery from wastewater is crucial for nutrient management and water reclamation.
- Previous work established a flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) unit with hollow fiber membranes for ammonia recovery.
- Further development is needed to assess performance with diverse wastewater strengths and membrane configurations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an integrated CapAmm system with a flat sheet gas permeable membrane for ammonia recovery.
- To comprehensively assess ammonia removal and recovery efficiencies from both dilute and concentrated wastewaters.
- To determine the energy consumption and operational stability of the CapAmm system.
Main Methods:
- An FCDI system integrated with a flat sheet gas permeable membrane (CapAmm) was designed and constructed.
- The system was tested using synthetic wastewaters of varying ammonia concentrations (dilute and concentrated).
- Ammonia removal/recovery efficiencies, energy consumption, and operational stability were measured over continuous operation.
Main Results:
- The integrated CapAmm cell achieved high ammonia removal (up to ~90%) and recovery (up to ~80%) efficiencies.
- Energy consumption was 20.4 kWh kg-1 N for domestic wastewater and 7.8 kWh kg-1 N for synthetic urine.
- Stable performance was maintained over two days of continuous operation, concentrating ammonia ~80 times.
Conclusions:
- The integrated CapAmm system demonstrates excellent performance for ammonia recovery from diverse wastewaters.
- The energy consumption is comparable to conventional methods, indicating cost-effectiveness.
- This technology offers a sustainable approach for wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, and water reclamation.
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