Recovery and Characterization of Struvite from Sediment and Sludge Resulting from the Process of Acid Whey Electrocoagulation

Abstract

The electrocoagulation process is similar to a typical chemical coagulation treatment but using electrical energy. Both processes are designed to destabilization of the colloids containing a residual water and differ in the mode of reagent addition: in conventional coagulation reagent is added as a salt and is generated from electrocoagulation of a metal. Wastewater from the dairy industry is characterized by a high organic load given in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and fats. These pollutants generated a significant impact on the environment, especially water resources. Electrocoagulation is a process that has been developing in recent years and is presented as an alternative treatment for wastewater from this industry, offering multiple advantages to traditional technologies. The acid whey is especially rich in phosphorus, 10-12 times higher than the average may be present in the aqueous waste milk, which makes it interesting as the recovery of value added products. Given the scarcity of this resource (phosphorus), recycling of this, present in the waste water, industrial waste in general and in the sludge resulting from the treatment processes, has become a real need and a challenge today. Recovery and Characterization of Struvite from Sediment and