Phosphorus removal by application of natural and semi-natural materials for possible recovery according to assumptions of circular economy and closed circuit of P

Magda Kasprzyk; Magdalena Gajewska

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.034

Phosphorus removal by application of natural and semi-natural materials for possible recovery according to assumptions of circular economy and closed circuit of P

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 10;650(Pt 1):249-256. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.034. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Authors

Magda Kasprzyk¹, Magdalena Gajewska²

Affiliations

¹ Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Narutowicza st. 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland. Electronic address: magkaspr@pg.edu.pl.
² Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Narutowicza st. 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.

PMID: 30199670
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.034

Abstract

In the last few years the idea of circular economy has become essential. Thus, designing methods of nutrients removal should be based on using materials that make it possible to recover those nutrients. Recently, methods applied in wastewater treatment plants cannot provide optimal results; moreover, the application of commercial coagulants like ferric chloride and polyaluminum chloride can cause difficulties in potential recovery of phosphorus from sludge. Sorption materials, both natural and modified, are appearing as successful for wastewater treatment, especially for treatment wetland effluent. To pursue circular economy principles, the capacity of waste materials needs to be tested with regard to nutrients removal. If in addition a possibility to recover them appears, it will be possible to close the circuit. The aim of the investigation, according to HELCOM and EU Water Framework Directive recommendations, was to explore the possibility of ensuring good and stable quality of effluent by the application of natural materials for phosphorous removal with possible minimum energy and material consumption. The objective was to determine the sorption capacity of two selected materials (waste material and chemically modified material) in steady conditions. The research focused also on the time of mixing, a period of sedimentation of absorbent materials, and the influence of used materials on the basic parameters of the solution: pH, temperature, total suspended solids, conductivity, turbidity, and color. M1 was a waste material after thermal treatment of carbonate-siliceous rock in temperature above 700 °C (Rockfos®). Material M2 was lanthanum-modified bentonite, a material of anthropogenic origin. Both selected materials have shown a high ability to reduce phosphates concentration in synthetic wastewater. Sorption capacity of materials M1 and M2 were 45.6 mg/g and 5.6 mg/g, respectively.

Keywords: Calcium oxide; Lanthanum-modified bentonite; Phosphorus removal; Sorption capacity; Wastewater treatment.