How does ammonia stripping remove ammonia from wastewater?

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Aerial view of wastewater treatment basins with circular clarifiers; overlaid toilet graphic and arrow with text reading: “Where does it go?” — wastewater treatment All the sewers in your neighborhood end up here.

Ammonia stripping is a physicochemical process used in wastewater treatment to remove ammonia, which is toxic to fish and contributes to eutrophication in receiving waters.1

The process functions through the following steps:

Chemical Conversion: Chemicals are added to the wastewater to convert ammonium ions into ammonia gas.1
Gas Removal: The wastewater is cascaded down through a tower, which facilitates the release of the gas from the solution, allowing it to escape into the air.1

While this method is generally less expensive than biological nitrification-denitrification, its efficiency is significantly reduced during cold weather conditions.1