—Started shipping samples of adsorbent material to recover and recycle ammonia in industrial wastewater—
Researchers) PARAJULI Durga, Senior Researcher, TANABE Takayoshi, Invited Senior Researcher, TANAKA Hisashi, Group Leader, KAWAMOTO Tohru, Principal Researcher, Nanomaterials Research Institute
- Development of "Prussian Blue" based adsorbent that can selectively adsorb and easily desorb ammonium ions (NH4+)
- Development and demonstration of a continuous treatment system capable of removing NH4+ from wastewater, reducing its concentration to below the emission standard, and concentrating and recovering it to an industrially reusable concentration.
- Started shipping samples of the adsorbent developed, contributing to a nitrogen-recycling society through wastewater treatment.
Ammonia nitrogen circulation technology: a system that preferentially collects and concentrates ammonia in wastewater
AIST Researchers and FUSO Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "FUSO") have developed a technology to recover ammonium ions (NH4+) from industrial wastewater, reducing their concentration to a level suitable for discharge into sewage. Additionally, the recovered NH4 is concentrated to a level suitable for use as a resource.
Ammonia and other nitrogen compounds are valuable substances used in fertilizers and industries, but their discharge into the environment contributes to environmental pollution. Therefore, international efforts are being made to recover and reuse nitrogen compounds within the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia in industrial wastewater exists primarily as NH4+, highlighting the need for technology that can recover and recycle it so that NH4+ is not wasted.
By replacing iron in Prussian blue, a blue pigment, with zinc, we previously developed a material capable of selectively adsorbing NH4+, and desorbing it into a highly concentrated solution. Now, we have developed a continuous adsorption-desorption system and demonstrated its effectiveness in recovering NHNH4+ in actual zinc plating wastewater. We are preparing to ship samples of the adsorbent soon. The domestic wastewater treatment market is currently valued at approximately 3 trillion yen, and this technology is expected to play a significant role in this market.
In recent years, environmental pollution by ammonia (NH3) and other nitrogen compounds has become a growing issue. While nitrogen compounds are indispensable for both industrial and agricultural purposes, a significant portion is released into the environment due to the lower utilization efficiency. These compounds contribute to air pollution, such as PM2.5, and water pollution causing eutrophication and other factors, in turn impacting ecosystems. In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution encouraging a substantial reduction in nitrogen compounds emissions by 2030. In response, Japan formulated the Action Plan for Sustainable Nitrogen Management in September 2024, outlining policies for managing nitrogen compounds emission. As part of this effort, Nitrogen recycling technology, which enables the recovery and reuses discarded nitrogen compounds, is expected to be a promising approach.
With its annual production of 200million tons, ammonia is one of the most widely produced basic chemical, and a vital material for fertilizers and industrial raw materials. Ammonia in water exists mostly as ammonium ions (NH4+), and the industrial activities utilizing ammonia and/or its compounds produce wastewater containing large amount of NH4+. The ammonia-nitrogen cycle, which enables the recovery and concentration of NH4+ into a valuable resource, is an important technology in terms of both environmental protection and effective utilization of resources.