Biological phosphorus removal, its role in phosphorus recycling

摘要

At present the main types of phosphorus removal from wastewater effluents are chemical precipitation using alum or lime and biological removal. These methods of removal do not recycle phosphorus as a truly sustainable product because it is removed along with various other waste products. The development of phosphorus removal by crystallisation ahs provided a way of removing phosphorus in a form that has potential to be a raw material for the phosphate industry such as struvite and hydroxyapatite. Through combining biological phosphorus removal and crystallisation a number of benefits in terms of process economics can be made.