Abstract
Nitrates from agricultural wastewater are harmful to human health and
result in eutrophication. Several emerging electrochemical technologies
have been developed independently to enable efficient recovery and
recycling of nitrate waste; however, it remains unclear whether the
implementation of such combined technologies can be economically viable.
Herein, we perform a technoeconomic and global warming potential
analysis on several hypothetical nitrate capture and conversion (NCC)
systems for the recovery of nitrates from agricultural wastewater and
conversion of nitrate to ammonia. The energy efficient technologies
incorporated include: electrodialysis for nitrate separation,
electrocatalysis for ambient ammonia production, and agrophotovoltaics
as a clean energy source. Our technoeconomic analysis reveals that
despite advancements in nitrate separation and conversion, capital
investments for system installation cannot be recovered by the financial
benefit of on-site fertilizer production. Our analysis highlights the
necessity of government intervention to promote nitrate abatement
technologies to ensure environmental compliance and protect public
health.