Ammonium and Phosphate Recovery in a Three Chambered Microbial Electrolysis Cell: Towards Obtaining Struvite from Livestock Manure

Ammonia and phosphate, which are present in large quantities waste streams such as livestock manure, key compounds fertilization activities. Their recovery will help close natural cycles take a step forward the framework of circular economy. In this work, lab-scale three-chambered microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) has been operated continuous mode for ammonia phosphate from digested pig slurry order to obtain nutrient concentrated solution potential source fertilizer (struvite). The maximum average removal efficiencies ammonium were 20% ± 4% 36% 10%, respectively. pH recovered was below 7, avoiding salt precipitation reactor. According Visual MINTEQ software modelling, an increase value 8 outside reactor would be enough recover most struvite (0.21 mmol L?1 d?1), while addition up 0.2 mM magnesium enhance production 5.6 17.7 mM. application MECs nutrients high strength wastewater is promising technology avoid through industrial processes or mineral extraction cycles.