The feasibility of a bench-scale system for removal and recovery of phosphorus (P) as struvite from CO2-rich wastewater was tested. A continuous 12 L reactor system combining a fluidized seedbed and aeration for pH increase was developed and tested using synthetic feed. For a 100 mL min−1 influent rate, an aeration and recycle rate combination of 7 L min−1 and 700 mL min−1 was sufficient for increasing and maintaining the reactor pH from 6.7 to between 7.6 and 8.0. Significant P removal was achieved in 6 h runs without a seedbed (91–92%), while neither the struvite nor sand seedbeds improved P removal (91–96%). Struvite was recovered in all runs, with additional calcium (Ca) precipitation in the seedbed runs. Reactor operation was possible for an extended period of time, up to 46 h without any major adjustment during long-term run. The average P removal was 88%, and precipitate collected after 24 h was found to be mainly struvite, while the final precipitate had a Ca: total phosphorus molar ratio of 0.56 and also contained calcite. This study has demonstrated the technical feasibility of an aerated crystallization reactor system for chemical-free struvite removal and recovery from CO2-rich wastewater such as stored livestock manure.
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Research Article|
May 01 2013
Investigation of chemical-free nutrient removal and recovery from CO2-rich wastewater
Elsie M. Jordaan;
1Department of Biosystems Engineering, E2-376 EITC Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada
E-mail: umjordaa@cc.umanitoba.ca
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Babak Rezania;
Babak Rezania
1Department of Biosystems Engineering, E2-376 EITC Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada
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Nazim Çiçek
Nazim Çiçek
2Prongineer R&D Ltd, #211-2386 East Mall, Gerald McGavin Building, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Water Sci Technol (2013) 67 (10): 2195–2201.
Article history
Received:
November 05 2012
Accepted:
January 21 2013
Citation
Elsie M. Jordaan, Babak Rezania, Nazim Çiçek; Investigation of chemical-free nutrient removal and recovery from CO2-rich wastewater. Water Sci Technol 1 May 2013; 67 (10): 2195–2201. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2013.116
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Elsie M. Jordaan, Babak Rezania, Nazim Çiçek; Investigation of chemical-free nutrient removal and recovery from CO2-rich wastewater. Water Sci Technol 1 May 2013; 67 (10): 2195–2201. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2013.116
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