The prospect of various applied methods for nutrient recovery in cattle wastewater: The case of precipitation, biological, and integrated method

The rapid rise in demand for meat products has resulted in a significant accumulation of cattle wastewater. The nutrient levels in this wastewater necessitate thorough recovery processes prior to discharge due to their potential environmental harm at high concentrations. Various technologies for nutrient recovery from cattle wastewater have been developed, which include both physicochemical and biological methods. Among the physicochemical techniques, precipitation processes such as struvite and PO4 synthesis are favored for their high effectiveness in recovering nutrients and producing beneficial byproducts. However, the success of physicochemical processes in recovering nutrients from cattle wastewater is heavily influenced by a range of operational factors. Conversely, biological methods for nutrient recovery have garnered significant interest due to their eco-friendly and sustainable features. Additionally, the ability to produce various valuable byproducts from the biomass obtained is another notable benefit. Nevertheless, integrating multiple processes could enhance the efficiency of nutrient removal from cattle wastewater. This review examines the commonly used technologies for nutrient recovery from cattle wastewater, including their principles of operation, influencing factors, and combined methodologies. The discussion on prior technological advancements is complemented by an analysis of future prospects and challenges associated with nutrient recovery methods for cattle wastewater along with the reports on life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis. Thus, the comprehensive discussion of this manuscript can give a good insight not only for the scientists, industries, but also governments in exploring, adopting, and regulating, respectively, the nutrient recovery of cattle wastewater.