Application of electrodialysis technology in nutrient recovery from wastewater: A review

As the global population growth intensifies the demand for fertilisers to ensure food security, the use of sustainable nutrient sources becomes increasingly important. This review critically examines the emerging role of electrodialysis (ED) in the sustainable recovery of essential nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium - from wastewater. ED emerges as a viable, energy-efficient alternative to conventional nutrient recovery methods. This review provides an in-depth exploration of ED's principles, technological evolution, and its comparative efficacy against established nutrient recovery processes like struvite crystallization and gas stripping. Focusing on diverse wastewater types such as municipal wastewater, urine, and digestate, this review outlines the various applications of ED, highlighting its adaptability and efficiency. Additionally, this review addresses the challenges in ED application, such as energy consumption and membrane fouling, and offers a comprehensive analysis and future directions to enhance its feasibility and performance. This review is of significant importance for promoting resource utilisation of wastewater and the development of sustainable agriculture, providing new perspectives and directions for future research and applications.