Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Precipitation Research Articles

Modulation of struvite composition in full-scale nutrient recovery system using source-separated urine.

Using urine collected from a public restroom at a highway rest stop in Northern California, a full-scale nutrient recovery system involving a two-part system consisting of urine distillation followed by the precipitation of struvite crystals was characterized. The study examined the effects of different operational parameters of the coupled ammonium distillation and struvite process (CADSP) on the composition of struvite crystals and the overall nutrient recovery rates. System inputs that were investigated included the feed:steam (F:S), alkalinity source, and urinary pH. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the composition of the struvite produced can be varied by adjusting the preceding distillation unit process. Low F:S distillation operations result in high ammonium distillation rates which coincided with increased formation of magnesium potassium phosphate (MPP) while higher F:S operations led to conditions favorable to magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation. Therefore, low energy distillation operations (high F:S) are more conducive to MAP formation and high phosphorus recovery rates while high energy operations (Iow F:S) are more conducive to MPP formation. Sodium-based alkalinity sources should also be avoided in instances of low ammonium concentrations in the struvite precipitation tank to minimize the co-precipitation of magnesium sodium phosphate (MSP) with MPP.

Investigation of N and P removal from aqueous solution by magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation

Investigation of N and P removal from aqueous solution by magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation

Mechanism of calcium hydroxide-reinforced magnesium-loaded clinoptilolite/phosphoric acid-modified biochar for NH3-N removal from rare earth element tailing wastewater

An efficient composite for NH3-N removal from REE wastewater was developed, removing NH3-N primarily by forming calcium magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitation along with volatilization, adsorption, and struvite precipitation.

Synchronous COD removal and nitrogen recovery from high concentrated pharmaceutical wastewater by an integrated chemo-biocatalytic reactor systems

Present report, an investigation of highly concentrated and low bio-degradable pharmaceutical wastewater (HCPWW) treatment; simultaneously ammoniacal nitrogen recovery for struvite fertilizer. The use of multiple solvents and many formulation processes in HCPWW, resulting highly refractory chemicals. Here, in this study focused on evaluation of chemo-biocatalysts for the removal of refractory organics, nitrogen recovery from HCPWW. The initial organics, and nitrogen content in HCPWW was 20,753 ± 4606 mg/L; BOD, 6550 ± 1500 mg/L and NH4+-N, 1057.9 ± 185.8 mg/L. Initially, the biodegradability (BOD5: COD ratio from 0.32 to 0.45) of HCPWW, which was improved by heterogeneous Fenton oxidation (HFO) processes, and porous carbon (PCC, 30 g/L), along with FeSO4.7H2O, 200 mg/L and H2O2 (30% v/v), 0.4 ml/L were used as a catalyst in a weakly acidic medium. For the biocatalytic processes, the microbial culture cultivated from sewage and incorporated into a Fluidized Immobilized Carbon Catalytic Oxidation reactor (FICCO), and dominant species are Pseudomonas Putida sp., Pseudomonas Kilionesis sp., and Pseudomonas Japonica sp., which is identified by using 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis. The COD and BOD5 removal efficiency of 65–93% and 70–82%, and follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with the rate constants of 1.0 × 10−4 L COD−1 h−1, 1.5 × 10−3 L COD−1 h−1 and 3.0 × 10−3 L COD−1 h−1 in the HFO–FICCO-CAACO catalytic processes. The optimized hydraulic retention time (HRT) of FICCO reactor was 24 h, and 1 h for the Chemo-Autotrophic Activated Carbon Oxidation (CAACO) reactor for maximum organics removal. MAP (Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate precipitation) process showed 90% of NH4+-N elimination and recovered it as a struvite fertilizer at an optimum molar ratio of 1:1.3:1.3 (NH4+-N: Na2HPO4.2H2O: MgO). FT-IR, UV–visible, and UV-fluorescence data confirm the effective elimination of organics. Hence, this integrated treatment system is appropriate for the management of pharmaceutical wastewater especially elimination of complex organic molecules and the recovery of nitrogen in the wastewater.

Is K-Struvite Precipitation a Plausible Nutrient Recovery Method from Potassium-Containing Wastes?—A Review

The definition of technologies capable of removing and recovering nutrients from polluting effluents is a key environmental challenge. Through these technologies, it would be possible to protect aquatic systems and prevent the consumption of natural resources for the production of commercial fertilizers. In this regard, the application of the precipitation processes of struvite-type compounds is an attractive approach. Indeed, these processes are potentially able to remove nutrients from many effluents and produce a precipitate reusable as a slow-release fertilizer. The scientific community has largely focused on the precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MgNH4PO4·6H2O, MAP), while the recovery of the analogous magnesium potassium phosphate (MgKPO4·6H2O, MPP) has received extensive attention in the last decade. Research on this topic is continuously progressing to improve the precipitation process in different aspects (working conditions, reaction units, interference elimination, etc.). Until now, there has been no paper that comprehensively reviewed the applicability of MPP precipitation for the removal and recovery of nutrients from aqueous waste. To fill this gap, the present paper aimed to provide an exhaustive analysis of the literature reports on MPP processes to help researchers understand the theoretical and applicative aspects, the main problems, and the need for further research. In this regard, the applications in the treatment of various aqueous wastes were considered. The theoretical concepts, the main process parameters, and the effects of inhibiting substances and impurities are presented. Moreover, the development of reactor configurations and their working conditions are evaluated. Finally, the potential use of MPP as a fertilizer and some economic evaluations are reported. On the basis of the conducted analysis, it emerged that the recovery of MPP was mainly affected by the pH, dose, and nature of reagents, as well as the presence of competitive ions. The optimal pH values were reported to be between 9 and 11. Reagent overdoses with respect to the theoretical values improved the process and the use of pure reagents guaranteed superior performance. The stirred-tank reactors and fluidized bed reactors were the most used units with high process yields. The applicability of MPP in agronomic practices appears to be a suitable option.

Impact of Magnesium Sources for Phosphate Recovery and/or Removal from Waste

As the population continues to rise, the demand for resources and environmentally friendly management of produced wastes has shown a significant increase in concern. To decrease the impact of these wastes on the environment, it is important to utilize the wastes in producing and/or recovering usable products to provide for the sustainable management of resources. One non-renewable and rapidly diminishing resource is phosphorus, which is used in several products, the most important being its use in manufacturing chemical fertilizer. With the increase in demand but reduction in availability of naturally occurring mineral phosphorus, it is important to investigate other sources of phosphorus. Phosphorus is most commonly recovered through struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) precipitation. The recovery of phosphorus from various wastewater has been well established and documented with recovery rates mostly above 90%. However, one of the major drawbacks of the recovery is the high cost of chemicals needed to precipitate the phosphorus. Since the external magnesium needed to achieve struvite precipitation accounts for around 75% of the total chemical cost, applicability of low-cost magnesium sources, such as bittern or seawater, can help reduce the operational cost significantly. This paper investigates the different magnesium sources that have been used for the recovery of phosphorus, highlighting the different approaches and operating conditions investigated, and their corresponding phosphorus recovery rates. An investigation of the economic aspects of the magnesium sources used for removal/recovery show that costs are dependent on the raw waste treated, the source of magnesium and the location of treatment. A review of published articles on the economics of phosphorus removal/recovery also indicates that there is a lack of studies on the economics of the treatment processes, and there is a need for a comprehensive study on life cycle assessment of such processes that go beyond the technical and economical aspects of treatment processes.

Biogas residue biochar integrated with phosphate from its ash for the effective recovery of nutrients from piggery biogas slurry

Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation generally requires an external phosphorus source to increase the recovery of NH4+-N from biogas slurry. However, P-rich piggery biogas residue has been ignored as a phosphorus source. In this study, biogas residue was carbonized into biogas residue biochar (BRC), followed by acid leaching to synthesize functionalized BRC and release PO43−-P from its ash as the phosphorus source. The effects of different acids on the leaching efficiency and morphological changes of P in BRC were investigated, and NH4+-N and PO43−-P in the biogas slurry were recovered with functionalized BRC and MAP precipitation. The results showed that oxalic acid-hydrochloric acid mixed acid could leach more than 96% of P in BRC, while weakening the inhibitory effect of Ca2+ on MAP precipitation. The BRC was mainly composed of inorganic P, and most nonapatite IP and apatite P (Ca3(PO4)2) were leached during acid leaching, with the latter more easily leached. Under optimal recovery conditions, the method had a significant recovery effect on NH4+-N (96.4%) and PO43−-P (99.3%) in biogas slurry. The recovery of NH4+-N and PO43−-P by functionalized BRC was mainly through chemical precipitation (forming NH4MgPO4·H2O precipitate) while bonding with -OH, C = O and C-H functional groups. The final recovery product was also a BRC-based slow-release N-P fertilizer rich in struvite. This study solved the disposal problems of P-rich biogas residue and N-rich biogas slurry while providing an innovative technology for the resource utilization of faecal sewage at pig farms.Graphical

Efficient Removal of Ammonia-Nitrogen from Deliming Effluent by using Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Precipitation Method

Ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) pollutant has received much attention in the leather industry. An efficient strategy for removal of NH 3 -N from tannery wastewater was proposed by using a magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation method to remove NH 3 -N from deliming effluent with the highest NH 3 -N concentration among all leather-making effluents. Results showed that approximately 80% of NH 3 -N was removed from deliming effluent when reacting at P/Mg/N mole ratio of 1.2:1.2:1.0 and pH 9.5 for 20 min. The NH 3 -N and total nitrogen concentrations of tannery wastewater (a composite wastewater of all leather-making effluents) sharply decreased by treating deliming effluent with MAP precipitation, which greatly improved the biological treatment efficiency of tannery wastewater. The residual concentration of NH 3 -N in the treated tannery wastewater was less than 2 mg/L. The total phosphorus concentration of tannery wastewater increased by less than 0.4 mg/L, indicating that secondary pollution of phosphorus did not occur after MAP precipitation treatment.

Synergistic adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of different antibiotics in seawater by a porous g-C3N4/calcined-LDH and its application in synthetic mariculture wastewater

In this work, a modified g-C3N4/MgZnAl-calcined layered double hydroxide composite (M-CN/cLDH) was successfully fabricated via a template method. The composite material is a hierarchical porous flower-like nanostructure self-assembled from stacked hybrid flakes. The 3D M-CN/cLDH architectures exhibit a synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis for eliminating typical tetracycline antibiotics in seawater, i.e., oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), and doxycycline (DXC). The synergistic removal rate of OTC in seawater of M-CN/cLDH is 2.73 times higher than that of g-C3N4 after 120 min of visible-light illumination, and M-CN/cLDH also performs better adsorption-photocatalytic degradation on OTC in the continuous flow reaction process. The superior adsorption capability of the M-CN/cLDH is attributed to the open porous structures of cLDH, and its excellent photocatalytic degradation activity is ascribed to the closely bonded heterojunctions between g-C3N4 (CN) and cLDH double layers. The mass spectra reveals the degradation pathways of OTC, and its byproducts are less toxic after degradation for 120 min. The exploration of the M-CN/cLDH in synthetic mariculture wastewater suggested a huge potential for its practical application. With the assistance of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation pretreatment, the material can effectively retain the high OTC removal rate in the synthetic mariculture wastewater circumstance.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Struvite from Wastewater: Implications of Chloride Ion and Initial pH

Electrochemical precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) compounds, specifically as struvite (NH4MgPO4.6H2O) from wastewater is gaining importance as one of the techno-economically feasible pathways of sustainable development [1]. However, systematic exploration of the optimal range of anode potential for maximizing phosphate recovery under varied parametric conditions of pH and ion concentrations, other than NH4 + and PO4 3- has not been attempted so far. Additionally, ion dissolution from sacrificial magnesium anode over stipulated potential range between pitting and secondary passivation needs to be investigated for maximum struvite production with minimal consumption of magnesium. In this study, we have characterized the role of initial pH (4 and 8) and chloride ion concentration (1 M) on phosphate recovery and magnesium dissolution by conducting batch electrochemical experiments with three different anode potentials covering the entire range of feasible potential window. Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) was performed at two different initial pHs to identify the aforementioned potential range. Subsequently, batch experiments at different anode potentials were conducted in an electrochemical cell consisting of pure magnesium sheet as sacrificial anode and stainless steel cathode. 77 mM solution of dihydrogen ammonium phosphate (NH4H2PO4) and 1M sodium chloride was used as electrolyte. Lower value of Pitting potential in presence of chloride ions with respect to that with baseline NH4H2PO4 solution was indicative of the favorable effect of chloride in rupturing the passive layer of magnesium hydroxide that normally forms on anode surface and hinders magnesium dissolution. Higher magnesium dissolution rate and phosphate recovery were recorded above and over respective pitting potentials for both pHs. Moreover, monotonic increasing profiles of precipitate masses with increasing anode potential unambiguously indicates higher dissolution of magnesium with as alternatively reflected in terms of elevated charge transfer as per Faraday’s law. In both cases of different initial pHs, final pH was recorded in alkaline range. Nevertheless, ammonia loss was observed to increase with anode potentials and increasing pH. Precipitates, formed at the surface of anode and in bulk solution, on characterization revealed the presence of several MAP and other magnesium phosphate precipitates including Struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O), Dittmarite (MgNH4PO4.H2O), Magnesium phosphate tribasic (Mg3(PO4)2) and Newberyite (MgHPO4.3H2O). Magnesium hydroxide was detected at higher pH. Simulation of saturation indices and product distribution using Visual Minteq 3.1 predicted optimal recovery of Struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) in the pH range 8-10. Reference: [1] Cid, C. A.; Jasper, J. T.; Hoffmann, M. R., Phosphate Recovery from Human Waste via the Formation of Hydroxyapatite during Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2018, 6 (3), 3135-3142.

Performance and microbial community dynamics in anaerobic continuously stirred tank reactor and sequencing batch reactor (CSTR-SBR) coupled with magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (MAP)-precipitation for treating swine wastewater

The impacts of magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (MAP) precipitation on the performance and microbial dynamics in an anaerobic continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) coupled with sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for swine wastewater treatment were investigated. In CSTR-SBR systems, an overall higher removal efficiency for COD, NH4+ and PO43-as 98.6%, 98.7% and 97.9% was achieved with MAP precipitation, compared to CSTR-SBR without MAP pretreatment (i.e., 97.5, 74.3% and 19.9% for COD, NH4+ and PO43-, respectively). With MAP precipitation, the high C/N ratio of 6.6 after anaerobic CSTR was observed. The increase in the richness and diversity of microbial communities in CSTR with MAP was conducive to nitrogen and phosphorus removal, as well as biogas production. The core community was affiliated with bacterial phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cloacimonetes, and Spirochaetae. The study provide a new insight into the potential application of MAP precipitation as pretreatment for dealing with nutrient recovery from high-strength swine wastewater.

Dependence of Phosphorus Recovery on Acid Type during Dissolution–Precipitation Treatment of Incineration Ash of Chicken Manure

In order to utilize chicken manure as a source of phosphorus, we used dissolution-precipitation treatment to recover phosphorus from the incineration ash of chicken manure (IACM), which was used as fuel to power a boiler. In order to recover useful phosphorus-containing solids from IACM, it was dissolved into aqueous solutions of either nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid to elute phosphorus together with various component elements, followed by the use of aqueous NH3 to form a precipitate containing phosphorus. In using nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, calcium phosphate species such as calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) and monetite (CaHPO4) were obtained following the precipitation treatment. By contrast, the use of sulfuric acid resulted in the precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) species such as struvite (MgNH4PO4∙6H2O) and dittmarite (MgNH4PO4∙H2O). Both the calcium phosphate and MAP species can be used as a slow-acting fertilizer containing phosphorus, while the MAP species could be simultaneously used as a slow-acting fertilizer containing nitrogen. It is noteworthy that the calcium phosphate species obtained in the present study was equivalent to phosphate rock, which is widely used as a raw material in phosphorous-based industries, and the natural sources of this material could be depleted in the near future. Though IACM has not been used effectively until now, this new resource shows promise as s viable alternative to the dwindling supply of the natural sources of phosphorus.

The effect of SiO2 on phosphate and ammonium recovery from fertilizer wastewater

Phosphate and ammonium recovery from wastewater could produce magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP). Several previous studies have found that precursor ions have an impact on MAP formation, such as the presence of calcium, sulfate, fluoride, and other ions. The wastewater from the petrochemical industry that mainly produces fertilizer contains a high concentration of ammonium, phosphate, and silica. This study aims to determine the effect of silica on MAP precipitation. The batch system used a jar test at an optimum speed of 158 rpm for 60 min. MgCl2 was used as a precipitation agent. Synthetic wastewater with a [Mg]/[NH4–N]/[PO4] and [SiO2] ratio was predicted using the PHREEQC model. The pH variations of the sample were 8, 8.5, and 9. SiO2 concentration varied in the range of 20–1000 mg/L. The parameters measured were pH, silica, phosphate, ammonium, and magnesium concentration, and MAP morphology. MAP precipitation has an impact on increasing the concentration of silica in wastewater. Recovery of phosphate and ammonium reduction reached 20% and 10%, respectively, with the concentration of silica of 1000 mg/L at pH 9 ± 0.2. The morphology of MAP as analyzed by SEM and XRD shows that silica has an impact on the purity of the MAP.

Ammonia and COD Removal From Landfill Leachate Using MAP Precipitation Method

<p>Most of the major cities in our country are opposed to the problem of water pollution due to the uncontrolled leachate resulting from the decomposition of solid wastes in irregular landfills. The waste waters that have high nitrogen content such as leachate cause various problems like eutrophication. In this study; the preliminary treatment of leachate which formed on the landfill site storing solid wastes of Samsun Metropolitan Municipality by MAP (Magnesium ammonium phosphate) precipitation was examined. For this purpose, optimization of the parameters that affecting the MAP precipitation was performed and the conditions for optimum removal efficiency were investigated. As a result of MAP precipitation, various mole ratios were tested with the aim of providing the best ammonia removal efficiency. The maximum ammonia removal was found to be 90.63% at pH 9.5 and at Mg:NH4:PO4 ratio of 4: 1: 2.2. At this conditions the ammonia concentration was decreased from 1792 mg/L to 168 mg/L. Experimental data were also evaluated and the regression equations of ammonia and COD removal were obtained using Minitab 16 statistical software.</p>

Ammonia removal during leach-bed acidification leads to optimized organic acid production from chicken manure

This work demonstrates the suitability of nitrogen removal during anaerobic acidification in batch configuration for a more efficient pre-treatment of chicken manure prior to anaerobic digestion. High loading rates corresponding to a total nitrogen input between 6.3 and 9.5 g L−1 allowed successful suppression of methanogenic archaea. To eliminate nitrogen, NH3-stripping and MAP (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) precipitation were compared. In spite of decreased cell quantities detected using qPCR, removal of nitrogen caused an increase in volatile fatty acid (VFA) formation from 13 to 19%. The highest nitrogen removal during acidification (up to 29%) was achieved with three consecutives MAP precipitation steps, however, conductivity values were affected too, reaching 53.3 and 53.1 mS cm−1 after the three consecutive MAP precipitations. Additionally, MAP-precipitation reduced the concentration of important trace elements and 16S-rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed an altered taxonomic pattern, in which especially the bacterial families Marinilabiliaceae, Bacteroidales UCG-001, M2PB4-65 termite group and Idiomarinaceae were impaired. However, in spite of these inhibitory effects, nitrogen removal proved able to prevent unwanted methanogenesis and to enhance the yield of VFAs, and this strategy thus holds great potential for the optimized production of biogas in a two-phase system.

Nutrient removal from digested swine wastewater by combining ammonia stripping with struvite precipitation.

Typical biological processing is often challenging for removing ammonia nitrogen and phosphate from swine wastewater due to inhibition of high ammonia on activity of microorganisms, exhaustion of time, and low efficiency. In this study, a physicochemical process by combining ammonia stripping with struvite precipitation has been tested to simultaneously remove ammonia nitrogen, phosphate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from digested swine wastewater (DSW) with high efficiency, low cost, and environmental friendliness. The pH, temperature, and magnesium content of DSW are the key factors for ammonia removal and phosphate recovery through combining stripping with struvite precipitation. MgO was used as the struvite precipitant for NH4+ and PO43- and as the pH adjusted for air stripping of residual ammonia under the condition of 40°C and 0.48m3h-1L-1 aeration rate for 3h. The results showed that the removal efficiency of ammonia, total phosphate, and COD from DSW significantly increased with increase of MgO dosage due to synergistic action of ammonia stripping and struvite precipitation. Considering the processing cost and national discharge standard for DSW, 0.75gL-1 MgO dosage was recommended using the combining technology for nutrient removal from DSW. In addition, 88.03% NH4+-N and 96.07% TP could be recovered from DSW by adsorption of phosphoric acid and precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP). The combined technology could effectively remove and recover the nutrients from DSW to achieve environmental protection and sustainable and renewable resource of DSW. An economic analysis showed that the combining technology for nutrient removal from DSW was feasible.

Ammonium Recovery from Biocatalytic Calcification Reactor Effluent by Struvite Precipitation

Chemical precipitation is a suitable method for the recovery and removal of ammonium in water and a fertilizer known as MAP (magnesium ammonium phosphate; MgNH4PO4.6H2O; struvite) is obtained. Additionally, the advantage of this method is that environmental conditions do not have any effect compared to biological methods. In this study, the recovery of ammonium (Cmean=348 mg NH4 +/L ± 38.1; n=25) occurred after the hydrolysis of urea in the biocatalytic calcification reactor (BCR) effluent and it precipitated as struvite. The effects of operating parameters, such as different phosphate and magnesium sources, Mg2+:NH4+:PO43- molar ratio, pH value, mixing speed-time, and fertilizer effect, were examined. The precipitates were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron micrograph. The optimum molar ratio of Mg2+:NH4+:PO43− was determined as 1.25:1:1. Studies using different pH ranges (7–10) and this molar ratio showed that the ammonium recovery of approximately 96% was reached at a pH value of 9.36. It was seen that the rapid mixing (200 rpm) of 30-s period and the slow mixing (30 rpm) of 2-min period were sufficient for MAP precipitation. Struvite that was obtained after precipitation was used as a fertilizer and it was observed to have a positive effect on plant growth.

Nitrogen Removal from Landfill Leachate by Chemical and Biological Treatment: Process Comparison

The efficiency of nitrogen removal from leachate by different chemical and biological methods was explored. The leachate was derived from Filborna landfill (NSR AB, Helsingborg, Sweden) and was characterized as an old leachate with pH = 8.0 and comparatively low concentrations of nitrogen and organic compounds (ca. 150 mg/l NH4-N and 500 mg/l COD). Three treatment processes were tested in lab-scale experiments; combined nitrification and denitrification in a sequencing-batch reactor (SBR), one-reactor nitritation-anammox process in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) in sequencing-batch configuration and nitrogen precipitation in the form of magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (MAP). State-of-the-art of these processes is described.
 The conventional combined nitrification/denitrification process allowed 99% removal of inorganic nitrogen with 23 mg NH4-N/(l·h) being the highest nitrification rate achieved. Aeration during nitrification step and addition of carbon source according to the stoichiometric ratio for denitrification was required, accounting for the operational costs. The nitritation-anammox process also allowed 99% removal of inorganic nitrogen with 3.7 g NH4- N/(m2·d) being the highest process rate achieved while running the reactor at 25°C and pH 8.0. The process is advantageous in comparison with the conventional biological removal process, as oxygen consumption is lower and addition of carbon source is not required. With MAP precipitation at the optimal Mg:N:P ratio (1.2:1:1) only 78% removal of inorganic nitrogen was achieved. The precipitation process led to a significant increase of phosphorous concentrations in the effluent, while external magnesium and phosphorous sources to be added resulted in high process costs. Detailed descriptions of the processes and obtainedresults are given in the article.
 Comparing the three processes, conclusions are drawn that it is possible to achieve effluent nitrogen requirements (15 mg N/l) by treatment of leachate with both tested biological processes, but not with MAP precipitation. One-reactor nitritation-anammox would require the lowest operational costs, while MAP precipitation – the highest.

Inorganic characteristics of cake layer in A/O MBR for anaerobically digested leachate from municipal solid waste incineration plant with MAP pretreatment

Inorganic characteristics of cake layer in an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) for anaerobically digested leachate from a municipal solid waste incineration plant with MAP (magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitation) pretreatment was reported. During 90days of operation, the A/O-MBR had formed a thick cake layer, causing severe fouling. BCR (European Community Bureau of Reference) results showed that Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Si were the dominant inorganic components (especially residual Si and Al) in the cake layer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis further presented that the cake layer contained complex inorganic substances with FeSiO3, CaAl2O3, Ca5(PO4)3OH, CaCO3, CaPO3OH, Mg2(PO4)OH, etc., while Si-Al crystal was the major inorganic component in the cake layer. Additionally, SEM-EDX showed a consistent distribution of inorganics along the front cross-section of the cake layer, indicating that the stable particles and metal ions led to the steady inorganic accumulation onto the membrane surface. However, it was revealed that high suction pressure aggravated the inorganic particle accumulation, especially for the Si-Al crystals, at the end of the cake layer.

Phosphate recovery from hydrothermally treated sewage sludge using struvite precipitation

New technologies are needed to recover phosphate from organic wastes, such as sewage sludge. Sewage sludge can be hydrothermally treated to make it safe but this process is expensive. Recovering a valuable by-product, such as phosphate, could improve the economics of hydrothermal treatment. Therefore, the technical and preliminary differential cost analysis of combining hydrothermal treatment with phosphate recovery (by precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite)) was investigated. The effects of pH, magnesium ion dose, and either wet oxidation or thermal hydrolysis hydrothermal treatment were examined. Phosphate recovery was more sensitive to pH than magnesium ion concentration, with diminishing rates of recovery at high levels of both. Also, more struvite was recovered following wet oxidation treatment than thermal hydrolysis. Preliminary differential cost analysis showed that wet oxidation combined with precipitation at an optimal pH and magnesium ion dose could generate revenue.