Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors : Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects

Ilaria Righetto; Raed A. Al-Juboori; Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen; Ngoc Huynh; Anna Mikola

doi:10.3390/membranes12090837

Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors : Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects

Ilaria Righetto, Raed A. Al-Juboori^*, Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, Ngoc Huynh, Anna Mikola

^*Corresponding author for this work

Polytechnic University of Turin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Membrane contactor technology affords great opportunities for nitrogen recovery from waste streams. This study presents a performance comparison between lab- and pilot-scale membrane contactors using landfill leachate samples. Polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers in different dimensions were compared in terms of ammonia (NH₃) recovery on a lab scale using a synthetic ammonium solution. The effect of pre-treating the leachate with tannin coagulation on nitrogen recovery was also evaluated. An ammonia transfer on the lab and pilot scale was scrutinized using landfill leachate as a feed solution. It was found that PTFE fibers performed better than PP fibers. Among PTFE fibers, the most porous one (denoted as M1) had the highest NH₃ flux of 19.2 g/m².h. Tannin pre-treatment reduced fouling and increased NH₃, which in turn improved nitrogen recovery. The mass transfer coefficient of the lab-scale reactor was more than double that of the pilot reactor (1.80 × 10⁻⁷ m/s vs. 4.45 × 10⁻⁷ m/s). This was likely attributed to the difference in reactor design. An analysis of the membrane surface showed that the landfill leachate caused a combination of inorganic and organic fouling. Cleaning with UV and 0.01 M H₂O₂ was capable of removing the fouling completely and restoring the membrane characteristics.

Original language	English
Article number	837
Number of pages	17
Journal	Membranes
Volume	12
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090837
Publication status	Published - Sept 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

ammonia transfer rate
landfill leachate
membrane contactor
membrane fouling
nutrient recovery
tannins

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10.3390/membranes12090837Licence: CC BY

membranes-12-00837-v2Final published version, 6.16 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{3f75d9afb5a04ef889b4f5e8bbdbd6b4,

title = "Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors : Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects",

abstract = "Membrane contactor technology affords great opportunities for nitrogen recovery from waste streams. This study presents a performance comparison between lab- and pilot-scale membrane contactors using landfill leachate samples. Polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers in different dimensions were compared in terms of ammonia (NH3) recovery on a lab scale using a synthetic ammonium solution. The effect of pre-treating the leachate with tannin coagulation on nitrogen recovery was also evaluated. An ammonia transfer on the lab and pilot scale was scrutinized using landfill leachate as a feed solution. It was found that PTFE fibers performed better than PP fibers. Among PTFE fibers, the most porous one (denoted as M1) had the highest NH3 flux of 19.2 g/m2.h. Tannin pre-treatment reduced fouling and increased NH3, which in turn improved nitrogen recovery. The mass transfer coefficient of the lab-scale reactor was more than double that of the pilot reactor (1.80 × 10−7 m/s vs. 4.45 × 10−7 m/s). This was likely attributed to the difference in reactor design. An analysis of the membrane surface showed that the landfill leachate caused a combination of inorganic and organic fouling. Cleaning with UV and 0.01 M H2O2 was capable of removing the fouling completely and restoring the membrane characteristics.",

keywords = "ammonia transfer rate, landfill leachate, membrane contactor, membrane fouling, nutrient recovery, tannins",

author = "Ilaria Righetto and Al-Juboori, {Raed A.} and Kaljunen, {Juho Uzkurt} and Ngoc Huynh and Anna Mikola",

note = "Funding Information: This research received funding from Ministry of the Environment in Finland RAKI2 project VN/2250/2019 and from Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki r.y. (MVTT). Funding Information: This work was supported by Maa- ja Vesitekniikan tuki r.y. (MVTT). The authors are grateful to Aino Peltola for her assistance with the laboratory analyses. The authors are thankful to Antti Louhio{\textquoteright}s help with designing the lab reactors. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support from Onni Lehtikuja with conducting laboratory tests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors.",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

doi = "10.3390/membranes12090837",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

journal = "Membranes",

issn = "2077-0375",

publisher = "MDPI AG",

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AU - Righetto, Ilaria

AU - Al-Juboori, Raed A.

AU - Kaljunen, Juho Uzkurt

AU - Huynh, Ngoc

AU - Mikola, Anna

N1 - Funding Information: This research received funding from Ministry of the Environment in Finland RAKI2 project VN/2250/2019 and from Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki r.y. (MVTT). Funding Information: This work was supported by Maa- ja Vesitekniikan tuki r.y. (MVTT). The authors are grateful to Aino Peltola for her assistance with the laboratory analyses. The authors are thankful to Antti Louhio’s help with designing the lab reactors. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support from Onni Lehtikuja with conducting laboratory tests. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/9

Y1 - 2022/9

N2 - Membrane contactor technology affords great opportunities for nitrogen recovery from waste streams. This study presents a performance comparison between lab- and pilot-scale membrane contactors using landfill leachate samples. Polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers in different dimensions were compared in terms of ammonia (NH3) recovery on a lab scale using a synthetic ammonium solution. The effect of pre-treating the leachate with tannin coagulation on nitrogen recovery was also evaluated. An ammonia transfer on the lab and pilot scale was scrutinized using landfill leachate as a feed solution. It was found that PTFE fibers performed better than PP fibers. Among PTFE fibers, the most porous one (denoted as M1) had the highest NH3 flux of 19.2 g/m2.h. Tannin pre-treatment reduced fouling and increased NH3, which in turn improved nitrogen recovery. The mass transfer coefficient of the lab-scale reactor was more than double that of the pilot reactor (1.80 × 10−7 m/s vs. 4.45 × 10−7 m/s). This was likely attributed to the difference in reactor design. An analysis of the membrane surface showed that the landfill leachate caused a combination of inorganic and organic fouling. Cleaning with UV and 0.01 M H2O2 was capable of removing the fouling completely and restoring the membrane characteristics.

AB - Membrane contactor technology affords great opportunities for nitrogen recovery from waste streams. This study presents a performance comparison between lab- and pilot-scale membrane contactors using landfill leachate samples. Polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers in different dimensions were compared in terms of ammonia (NH3) recovery on a lab scale using a synthetic ammonium solution. The effect of pre-treating the leachate with tannin coagulation on nitrogen recovery was also evaluated. An ammonia transfer on the lab and pilot scale was scrutinized using landfill leachate as a feed solution. It was found that PTFE fibers performed better than PP fibers. Among PTFE fibers, the most porous one (denoted as M1) had the highest NH3 flux of 19.2 g/m2.h. Tannin pre-treatment reduced fouling and increased NH3, which in turn improved nitrogen recovery. The mass transfer coefficient of the lab-scale reactor was more than double that of the pilot reactor (1.80 × 10−7 m/s vs. 4.45 × 10−7 m/s). This was likely attributed to the difference in reactor design. An analysis of the membrane surface showed that the landfill leachate caused a combination of inorganic and organic fouling. Cleaning with UV and 0.01 M H2O2 was capable of removing the fouling completely and restoring the membrane characteristics.

KW - ammonia transfer rate

KW - landfill leachate

KW - membrane contactor

KW - membrane fouling

KW - nutrient recovery

KW - tannins

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138749580&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/membranes12090837

DO - 10.3390/membranes12090837

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85138749580

SN - 2077-0375

VL - 12

JO - Membranes

JF - Membranes

IS - 9

M1 - 837

ER -

Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors : Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects

Abstract

Keywords

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NPHarvest2: Typen ja fosforin talteenotto nestemäisistä jätteistä- demolaitoksen uudistaminen, lopputuotteen jatkokäsittely

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Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors : Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

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NPHarvest2: Typen ja fosforin talteenotto nestemäisistä jätteistä- demolaitoksen uudistaminen, lopputuotteen jatkokäsittely

Cite this