Integrated electrodialysis - Forward osmosis process for sustainable water reuse: A case study in southern highbush blueberry
["Tran, Quang","Retano, Andrea","Bryla, David R","Garcia-Jaramillo, Manuel","Jin, Xue"]
2025-06-01
期刊论文
(3)
The study explored the long-term efficiency of an integrated electrodialysis-forward osmosis (EDFO) treatment technology for nutrient recovery and its application in irrigating and fertilizing high-value crops. Results showed a stable energy profile with consistent electrical conductivity (EC) trends in both municipal and dairy digestates, highlighting the system's capacity to maintain ionic stability, essential for long-term operation. Fouling resistance was indicated by gradual and minimal declines in current density, reflecting stable performance after three cycles and reducing the need for chemical cleaning. A greenhouse trial assessed the impact of using treated and untreated wastewater for irrigation on plant growth and nutrient dynamics in southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrid). The plants were grown in a soilless potting media and irrigated with a modified Hoagland nutrient solution (control), untreated municipal or dairy digestate, or recovered nutrient water from municipal or dairy digestate treated by the EDFO process. Leaf area and shoot biomass were similar among the treatments, confirming that wastewater irrigation did not adversely affect blueberry growth. Furthermore, pH levels in the potting media were near or within the optimal range for blueberry cultivation (4.5-5.5), while EC exceeded salinity thresholds for the crop (> 2 dS m(-1)) but did not visibly damage the plants, suggesting that salt levels were manageable with periodic freshwater flushing. Mass-spectrometry-based, non-targeted analysis detected significant reductions in organic pollutants across treatment cycles. In particular, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in untreated digestate were reduced by over 90 % post-treatment, affirming the system's efficacy in removing emerging contaminants that could pose risks in agriculture and consumers. Given the favorable nutrient recovery and contaminant removal, the EDFO system offers a sustainable solution for wastewater reuse, enabling nutrient cycling in agricultural systems and reducing freshwater dependence.
来源平台:JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING