Organic Solid Wastes Ammonia Fermentation

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a novel approach for enhancing ammonia (NH3) recovery from organic solid wastes through continuous ammonia fermentation (AF). Unlike conventional anaerobic digestion, which typically produces low NH3 concentrations and requires energy-intensive recovery processes, this work focused on generating a high-concentration NH3 broth to improve the efficiency of downstream extraction. The research investigated the influence of substrate type (sludge cake and chicken manure) and concentration under varying hydraulic retention times (HRTs), while also examining microbial community shifts and amino acid degradation. The findings are significant, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of continuous AF with real waste substrates. Chicken manure achieved up to 11.6 g TAN-N/L NH3, reducing air-stripping energy consumption by threefold. This approach presents a sustainable and energy-efficient solution for NH3 production and recovery, with strong potential in renewable energy and nutrient resource management.