Effect of sodium alginate on phosphorus recovery by vivianite precipitation

Abstract

There are good prospects for phosphorus recovery from excess sludge by vivianite crystallization while a large number of extracellular polymeric substances in sludge will have impact on vivianite precipitation. In this study, as a representative of extracellular polymeric substance, the effect of sodium alginate (SA) on phosphorus recovery by vivianite precipitation under different initial SA concentrations (0-800 mg/L), pH values (6.5-9.0) and Fe/P molar ratios (1:1-2.4:1) was investigated using synthetic wastewater. The results showed that SA in low concentrations (≤400 mg/L) had little inhibitory effect on the phosphorus recovery rate. However, when the concentration of SA was larger than 400 mg/L, the phosphorus recovery rate decreased significantly with increasing SA concentrations. The inhibition rate of 800 mg/L SA was about 3 times as large as that of 400 mg/L SA. It was worth noting that the inhibitory effect of SA on vivianite precipitation decreased with increasing initial pH and Fe/P molar ratios. Additionally, SA has no obvious influence on the composition of products, but the morphology of harvested crystals was transformed from branches to plates or rods in uneven sizes.

Keywords: Excess sludge; Phosphorus recovery; Sodium alginate; Vivianite.