Effect of magnesium dose on amount of pharmaceuticals in struvite recovered from urine

Water Sci Technol. 2015;72(7):1102-10. doi: 10.2166/wst.2015.313.

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) recovery was carried out through struvite precipitation from urines. Human urine, however, contains not only high nutrients for plants, such as P and nitrogen, but also pharmaceuticals and hormones. In this work, effects of magnesium (Mg) dose (in terms of Mg:P ratio) on P recovery efficiency and pharmaceutical amounts contained in struvite were investigated. Batch-scale experiments of synthetic and human urines revealed that struvite precipitation formed more X-shaped crystals with an increased molar ratio of Mg:P, while the amount of pharmaceuticals (tetracycline, demeclocycline, and oxytetracycline) in struvite decreased with an increased molar ratio of Mg:P. The lowest pharmaceutical amounts in struvite were found at the Mg:P ratio of 2:1 from both samples. Moreover, the maximum P recovery efficiency, quantity and purity of struvite were found in the range of 1.21 to 2:1. It indicated that the molar ratio of Mg:P has a significant impact on struvite precipitation in terms of pharmaceutical amounts in struvite; morphology, quantity and purity of struvite; and P recovery.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Magnesium Compounds / isolation & purification*
  • Magnesium Compounds / urine
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / isolation & purification*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / urine
  • Phosphates / isolation & purification*
  • Phosphates / urine
  • Phosphorus / isolation & purification*
  • Phosphorus / urine
  • Struvite
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Magnesium Compounds
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Phosphates
  • Phosphorus
  • Struvite
  • Nitrogen