Adsorption and desorption of ammonium from treated wastewater by zeolite filled columns: An experimental study at the water resource recovery facility of Palermo University – Italy
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Water scarcity and mineral fertilizer depletion are becoming recognised environmental challenges worldwide. Treated wastewater (TWW) could be a potential resource for reusing water and nutrients, such as nitrogen (N), for fertilizers. This study explores the possibility of adopting columns filled with zeolite to recover ammonium (NH 4 + ) from real TWW. Specifically, this study aimed to evaluate zeolite's adsorption capacity with different particle sizes arranged in columns and various flow rates to determine the most efficient way of NH 4 + adsorption from a real wastewater treatment plant's effluent. The same zeolite with two different size diameters (0.5–1.0 mm and 2.0–5.0 mm) was tested using three different flow rates (1.2, 1.6 and 2.4 L h −1 ) to evaluate their NH 4 + adsorption capacity. After the adsorption test, a desorption trial assessed the zeolite's desorption ability. The results showed that the highest flow rate increased the adsorption capacity of both zeolites by about 29% more than the lowest flow rate. Moreover, the 0.5–1.0 mm zeolite adsorbed approximately 60 mg more NH 4 + than the 2.0–5.0 mm zeolite, highlighting the influence of particle size on adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the zeolite was characterised by a rapid NH 4 + release since 44–78% of the adsorbed NH 4 + was released in the first 30 min. The desorption test with the lowest flow rate achieved the highest amount of desorbed NH 4 + , up to 123–148% more than the higher flow rates. Results have shown that due to its adsorption capacity, zeolite can be used to recover NH 4 + from treated wastewater (TWW) and potentially recycle resources in the agriculture field, contributing to the circular economy. • Zeolite efficiently adsorbs NH 4 + from treated wastewater for reuse. • Smaller particles boost NH 4 + adsorption by increasing surface area. • Higher flow rates improve NH 4 + adsorption capacity up to 2078 mg. • Low flow rates enhance NH 4 + desorption efficiency by 123–148%. • Zeolite is an economical solution for nutrient recovery.
Institution: University of Palermo
Language: English
Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
OpenAlex ID: W4407085010