Economics of Food and Agricultural Wastewater Treatment and Utilization

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Maaß ◽  
Philipp Grundmann

Reusing wastewater in agriculture has attracted increasing attention as a strategy to support the transition towards the circular economy in the water and agriculture sector. As a consequence, there is great interest in solutions for governing the transactions and interdependences between the associated value chains. This paper explores the institutions and governance structures for coordinating transactions and interdependences between actors in linked value chains of wastewater treatment and crop production. It aims to analyze how transactions and interdependences shape the governance structures for reusing wastewater at the local level. A transaction costs analysis based on data from semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire is applied to the agricultural wastewater reuse scheme of the Wastewater Association Braunschweig (Germany). The results show that different governance structures are needed to match with the different properties and requirements of the transactions and activities between linked value chains of wastewater treatment and crop production. Interdependences resulting from transactions between wastewater providers and farmers increase the need for hybrid and hierarchical elements in the governance structures for wastewater reuse. The authors conclude that aligning governance structures with transactions and interdependences is key to efficiently governing transactions and interdependences between linked value chains in a circular economy.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (S1) ◽  
pp. 115-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Joy ◽  
Claude Weil ◽  
Anna Crolla ◽  
Shelly Bonte-Gelok

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermine RZ Tadros ◽  
Samia Kh Hamdona ◽  
Mary G Ghobrial ◽  
Mona F El-Naggar ◽  
Omayma H Abd El-Hamid

The treatment of wastewater is a must due to the decrease of clean water and the increase in the consumption of fresh water for domestic uses. This study discusses the physical, chemical, and biological treatments of water from different types of Mariout Lake drains. It also aims at a designation of appropriate wastewater treatment process for sewage water (El-Qalah drain), agriculture water (El-Umoum drain), and raw drinking water before treatment (Nubareya canal) so as to adopt an appropriate procedure to be applied as the drains discharge their wastewaters in Mariout Lake affecting its water quality as well as its fish productivity. Obtaining secure effluents for discharge in natural water bodies (El-Mex bay), or using treated effluents in agriculture or industrial purposes, is a target too, open for estimation. Alum, aeration beside two natural medicinal plants, piper nigrum (Black Pepper) and dry ginger (Zingiber officinalis), and the eukaryotic microorganism yeast, were used for treatment, in addition to the freshwater submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum.The results of the physicochemical parameters revealed that the best material for treatment in El-Qalaa sewage drain was by Alum + Aeration + Ginger + Ceratophylum demersum.The most preferable material for both the raw drinking water of Nubareya canal and El-Umoum agricultural wastewater was Alum + Aeration + Yeast + Ceratophylum demersum.Regarding the four trace metals' (Zn, Pb, Fe, and Cu) concentration treatments, the best treatment in all cases was found to be Alum + Aeration + Yeast + Ceratophylum demersum, except for Zn in El-Qalaa sewage water which had to be treated by Alum + Aeration + Ginger + Ceratophylum demersum.


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans G. Peterson

Constructed wetlands are emerging as a serious challenge to conventional wastewater treatment because of lower construction and operating costs, less requirement for trained personnel, more flexibility, and lower susceptibility to variations in waste loading rates. Water quality improvements can be achieved by removal of plant nutrients, such as N and P, organics (natural and manmade) as well as inorganic contaminants. Wetland treatment is now advocated by regulatory agencies and has been determined as the technology of choice by municipalities and industries required to meet stringent discharge regulations. These same regulations have not usually been imposed on the agricultural community, but deteriorating water sources will likely change this regulatory anomaly. Use of this technology in treating agricultural wastewater is still in its infancy with few, although rapidly expanding, applications. This paper aims to highlight different aspects of wetland treatment by exploring its use for the treatment of agricultural run-off as well as wastewater from the agri-food industry. It is concluded that natural wetlands will be quite limited in absorbing agricultural wastewater while constructed wetlands can be designed for optimum pollutant removal. Key words: Constructed wetlands, wastewater treatment, agriculture, food processing, nutrient removal, nitrogen, phosphorus, organics


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