Dimapur: Nagaland University researchers have developed a nature-inspired technology to recover valuable resources like nutrients, biofuels, biogas, and clean water from wastewater.
According to a varsity release on Monday the research was led by Prof. Prabhakar Sharma, head of the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University.
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The study synthesises innovations like algae-based systems, microbial fuel cells, and constructed wetlands that facilitate circular economy integration.
The researchers have published their findings in the reputed, peer-reviewed journal Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2024.100587).
They have advanced the concept of bio-based soft technologies, a class of nature-inspired, energy-efficient systems that utilise plants, algae, microbes, and ecological interactions, to simultaneously treat wastewater and recover valuable resources.
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Adoption of these soft technologies can reduce environmental pollution and improve water quality, enable sustainable agriculture via nutrient recovery, and advance India’s circular economy and climate resilience goals.
This research created a roadmap for future applied research, pilot implementations, and technology integration with national sanitation and water reuse programs of the Nation.
The release said the resource recovery from wastewater in bio-based production processes offers significant economic and environmental benefits while industries can improve sustainability and profitability by considering established separation technologies and focusing on high-value compounds like biofuel, biogas, nutrients, energy, and water.
Bio-based soft technologies for resource recovery from wastewater are operated through natural processes such as microbial action, plant uptake, and ecological interactions to break down pollutants and extract nutrients.
The transition from concept to implementation, supported by advancements in process systems engineering, requires careful techno-economic evaluation and process optimisation.