Resource Recovery from Synthetic Nitrified Urine in the Hydroponic Cultivation of Lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> Var. <i>capitata</i> L.)
Anna Jurga,
Kamil Janiak,
Anna Wizimirska,
Piotr Chochura,
Stanisław Miodoński,
Mateusz Muszyński-Huhajło,
Krzysztof Ratkiewicz,
Bartosz Zięba,
Marta Czaplicka-Pędzich,
Tomasz Pilawka,
Daria Podstawczyk
Affiliations
Anna Jurga
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Kamil Janiak
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Anna Wizimirska
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Piotr Chochura
Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, St. C. K. Norwida 27, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Stanisław Miodoński
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Mateusz Muszyński-Huhajło
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Krzysztof Ratkiewicz
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Bartosz Zięba
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Marta Czaplicka-Pędzich
Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, St. C. K. Norwida 27, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Tomasz Pilawka
Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, St. C. K. Norwida 27, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland
Daria Podstawczyk
Department of Process Engineering and Technology of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Norwida 4/6, 50-373 Wroclaw, Poland
The application of hydroponic cultivation fertilized with biologically nitrified synthetic urine can produce nitrate-rich fertilizer for lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata L.). The mounting water crisis and depletion of natural resources makes nitrogen recovery from human urine a practical option. Nitrified urine can be used in indoor vertical hydroponic cultivation and is characterized by a high degree of element recovery. Because of its high ammonium content, hydrolyzed fresh urine may be toxic. A nitrification sequencing batch reactor with suspended activated sludge biomass ensured urine stabilization and biological conversion into nitrate-rich fertilizer. The diluted nitrate-rich fertilizer was then supplied for soilless cultivation. The results show that diluted nitrified urine is an excellent source of bioavailable nitrogen and phosphorus and, with proper enrichment with microelements, could replace commercial fertilizers in hydroponic systems. The yield and quality parameters of lettuce cultivated with enriched urine were comparable to those obtained with a commercial fertilizer. The mass balance calculation showed that industry-scale lettuce production can be based on urine fertilizer collected from a few hundred people for a single unit.
