Abstract
At a progressive rate, small wastewater treatment plants in rural areas need to be equipped with an additional phosphorus removal stage in order to achieve a good chemical status in the receiving natural water bodies. A conventional regeneration method for ferric (hydr)oxides such as phosphate specific adsorbents, which can be applied to remove and recover phosphorus in fixed bed filters, was investigated and improved. It was shown that a loss of up to 85% of the initial capacity can be observed when regeneration with 1 M NaOH is implemented. The losses are caused by surface blocking with different calcium-containing compounds as revealed by an EDX analysis. These blocking compounds could be removed completely with an additional acidic regeneration step at pH = 2.5. During the alkaline desorption that followed, complete phosphorus removal and a full recovery of the adsorption capacity were achieved for goethite-rich Bayoxide® E 33 HC (E33HC) and akaganéite-rich GEH® 104 (GEH). The regeneration procedure was repeated up to eight times without any signs of further decline in the phosphate adsorption capacity or any changes in the specific surface area or pore size distribution of the adsorbent. In contrast to GEH and E33HC, ferric hydroxide- and calcite-rich FerroSorp® Plus (FSP) was partly dissolved during acid treatment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
