Chapter 3 - Phosphorus recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants

Abstract

In the fertilizer industry, phosphate is indispensable. Unfortunately, its limited supply would not be enough to meet the world's growing need for fertilizer production. In addition, phosphate rock costs have increased, and applying sewage sludge directly to farmland has been hard owing to excessive levels of pollution (organic contaminants and heavy metals). In such a situation, phosphate recovery can successfully solve this problem. Thus phosphorus recovery in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has gotten a lot of hype. Municipal WWTPs are promising resources of phosphorous. Although they cannot keep up with the demand, they are a big help and plays a crucial role in the sustainable utilization of Phosphorus. Phosphorus has been recovered in WWTPs, from phosphorus-rich sewage sludge, sewage sludge ashes, and side streams using several methods. This chapter gives a depth knowledge of chemical precipitation, adsorption, wet chemical, and thermochemical process technology. Excess Phosphorus may be removed from wastewater effectively, affordably, and sustainably using enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). In this study, we comprehensively examine the microbial diversity, metabolic function, and processing control strategies in EBPR under various environmental circumstances. These are the most common methods for recovering phosphate from the liquid and solid sludge phase of municipal waste. The present chapter discusses the global phosphate scenario, different phosphorus recovery processes, and the application of Phosphorus derived products as fertilizers. The significance of P recovery and challenges faced during P recovery from municipal wastewater plants worldwide and the impact of phosphorous removal on the environment are discussed in this chapter for a better understanding of the readers. Furthermore, the economic aspect of Phosphorus recovery is presented in this chapter.