Nutrient recovery using biochar and biofilm from piggery wastewater

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19994
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 64030:Environmental materials and recycle technology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Riya Shohei 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (80725606)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 炭化物 / 活性汚泥 / メタン発酵 / アンモニア / リン酸 / 未利用資源 / 排水処理 / 廃棄物処理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study is to clarify fertilizer value of biofilm-immobilized biochar, which is obtained from the biochar-loaded nitrogenous wastewater treatment.Ammonium accumulation was observed in the biochar-sludge mixture in the biochar-loaded activated sludge treating artificial piggery wastewater. However, the ammonium recovery was only 4% of inflow. The low recovery may be due to the loss of nitrogen by nitrification and denitrification reaction.
We also evaluated the applicability of the biochar to anaerobic treatment with nutrient recovery by adsorption from the wastewater.Biochar produced from digestate of solid-state anaerobic digestion can adsorb both ammonium and phosphorus.Also, biochar-loaded solid state mono digestion of pig manure produced more methane than that without biochar.

Free Research Field

環境工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アンモニウムなどの窒素を含んだ排水は現在、微生物を用いて窒素ガスに変換することで処理されている。一方、アンモニウムは肥料として利用できるので、排水から回収できれば資源のリサイクルができる。本研究では、未利用の資源である稲わらや発酵残渣などからアンモニウムやリン酸などの吸着材（炭化物）を作製した。炭化物は、アンモニウムなどの吸着回収だけでなく、排水・廃棄物の生物処理を効率化できることが分かった。