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Nutrient concentration of blackwater digestate with a pilot-scale low-temperature evaporator
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0009-0009-8751-180X
Nordvästra Skånes Vatten och Avlopp AB, Helsingborg, Sweden.
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0520-796X
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Architecture and Water.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9541-3542
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2026 (English)In: Journal of Water Process Engineering, E-ISSN 2214-7144, Vol. 83, article id 109660Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Human excreta contains most of the nutrients consumed in diets, making its recovery essential for sustainable sanitation. Separately collecting blackwater (faeces and urine) enables efficient nutrient and energy recovery. After anaerobic digestion, blackwater produces a nutrient-rich liquid that requires transportation and sanitation for use as fertiliser; concentrating this liquid reduces transport costs and environmental impact. This study investigates nutrient concentration in blackwater digestate using a pilot-scale evaporator designed to operate with waste heat as its primary energy source. Experiments were conducted under two pH conditions (6 and 2.8). The evaporator operated at 60 °C with enhanced heat transfer and gravity-based separation, achieving volume reduction factors of 87 (pH 6) and 85 (pH 2.8). pH strongly influenced nutrient solubility (phosphorus, magnesium, calcium) and equipment leaching. Pharmaceutical residues persisted in concentrates, indicating a need for additional treatment. Final concentrates contained NPK up to 6.7%, 1.5%, and 1.2%, respectively. The specific energy consumption (SEC) increased with concentration, ranging from 0.56 kWh to 1.1 kWh at 60 °C, approximately 1.4–2.8 times higher than the theoretical value. Equipment modifications for low pH and improved material selection could enhance efficiency and regulatory compliance. Future designs may also integrate heat recovery systems to reduce energy demand and improve sustainability.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2026. Vol. 83, article id 109660
Keywords [en]
Nutrient recovery, Circular economy, Source separating wastewater systems, Fertiliser, Waste heat
National Category
Other Environmental Engineering Environmental Sciences
Research subject
Urban Water Engineering; Automatic Control; Area of Future Importance - CREATERNITY
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-116382DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109660OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-116382DiVA, id: diva2:2037250
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2021-00726
Note

Full text license: CC BY

Available from: 2026-02-10 Created: 2026-02-10 Last updated: 2026-02-10

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Rusch Fehrmann, StephanieHerrmann, IngaHedström, AnnelieJohansson, AndreasKvarnström, Elisabeth

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