Patent ID: 8313657

Claim:
A method for reducing ammonia in water, comprising: providing one or more electrochemical cells to dissociate ammonia in the water, flowing a water stream between metallic electrodes in the one or more electrochemical cells, applying a direct current voltage to the electrodes, wherein the one or more electrochemical cells cause electrolysis of the water stream and dissociate and release ammonia gas from the water, and wherein the electrodes of an electrochemical cell are porous and separated only by a porous membrane, wherein ammonium and ammonia in the water stream pass through the porous membrane, and the one or more electrochemical cells further comprise insulating spacers that hold the electrodes in position and clamp the electrodes to the porous membrane, further comprising adding sparging gas at or below one or more of the electrodes to enhance removal of the ammonia from the water.