Initial performance and scalability assessment of a pilot-scale reverse osmosis system for nutrient recovery from source-separated urine
Dyllon Garth Randall
Human urine is a nutrient-rich resource containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, yet it continues to be treated as waste. Reverse osmosis (RO) offers a scalable, energy-efficient method for concentrating these nutrients into a liquid fertilizer. However, its practical application is often hindered by membrane scaling, particularly calcium carbonate (CaCO3) formation when treating urine stabilized with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). While laboratory-scale studies have demonstrated various ca