Water Science & Technology Vol 65 No 12 pp 2091–2097 © IWA Publishing 2012 doi:10.2166/wst.2012.121

Phosphorus recovery as struvite from eutropic waters by XDA-7 resin

Huanwen Li, Zhiping Ye, Ying Lin and Fengying Wang

Phosphorus releases into aquatic environment and its subsequent contribution to eutrophication have resulted in a widespread global pollution issue. However, phosphorus is a non-renewable source. The potential supplies of phosphorus are decreasing worldwide. Therefore, removal and recovery of phosphorus from the eutropic waters is important, emergent and necessary. In this research, experiments for recovering phosphate from eutropic waters by anion exchange combined with struvite precipitation were conducted. The results indicated that the prepared XDA-7 resin was an effective adsorbent for phosphate. The adsorption isotherm of XDA-7 resin was found to be a modified Freundlich type. The maximum phosphate adsorption (20.9 mg/g) occurred in the pH range of 6.0–8.0. Phosphate adsorbed on the XDA-7 resin was effectively desorbed with 8% NaCl solution, and the resin was able to be regenerated with 3% NaClO and 4% NaOH solutions. Phosphate desorbed from the resin was recovered as magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). The obtained struvite was analyzed by acid dissolution method, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The struvite precipitate was found to be 75.8% in purity, a high-value fertilizer.

Keywords: eutropic water; ion exchange; magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite); phosphate recovery; XDA-7 resin

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