A low-cost and sustainable solution for nitrate removal from secondary effluent: Macroporous ion exchange resin treatment

Macroporous ion exchange resin has excellent selectivity to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and partially soluble refractory organic compounds contained in the secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In this study, macroporous ion exchange resins were chosen as an alternative to single biochemical nitrogen removal processes. Various conditions were examined to optimize adsorption performance, and the adsorption mechanism was explored through isotherm fitting, thermodynamic parameter calculation, and kinetic analysis. The experiment demonstrated that the resin exhibited strong selectivity for nitrate (NO3-) and achieved an equilibrium adsorption amount of 9.8924 mg/g and an equilibrium adsorption time of 60 min at 25 °C. The resin denitrification pilot plant demonstrated stable operation for two months and achieved COD<20 mg/L, TN < 1.5 mg/L, and NH4+-N<0.5 mg/L. The removal rates of COD, TP, NH4+-N, NO3--N, and TN were 41.65%, 42.96%, 55.37%, 91.8%, and 90.81%, respectively. After the resin was regenerated, the removal rates of NO3--N, TN and the regeneration recovery rate were above 90%. Through cost analysis, the treatment cost of the pilot plant is only 0.104 $/m3. This study presents a practical, low-cost, and efficient treatment method for the deep treatment of secondary effluent from WWTP in practical engineering, providing new ideas and theoretical guidance.