Insight into biological phosphate recovery from sewage

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2016-10, Vol.218, p.874-881
• Main Authors: Ye, Yuanyao, Ngo, Huu Hao, Guo, Wenshan, Liu, Yiwen, Zhang, Xinbo, Guo, Jianbo, Ni, Bing-jie, Chang, Soon Woong, Nguyen, Dinh Duc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anaerobic digester supernatant; Biological process; Fertilizers; Phosphate recovery; Phosphates; Recycling - methods; Sewage; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage sludge
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.07.003

[Display omitted] •Different processes for biological phosphate recovery from sewage were reviewed.•Biological process enables high phosphate enrichment with over 90% of P removed.•Phosphate recovery from the sludge phase is more complicated and costly. The world’s increasing population means that more food production is required. A more sustainable supply of fertilizers mainly consisting of phosphate is needed. Due to the rising consumption of scarce resources and limited natural supply of phosphate, the recovery of phosphate and their re-use has potentially high market value. Sewage has high potential to recover a large amount of phosphate in a circular economy approach. This paper focuses on utilization of biological process integrated with various subsequent processes to concentrate and recycle phosphate which are derived from liquid and sludge phases. The phosphate accumulation and recovery are discussed in terms of mechanism and governing parameters, recovery efficiency, application at plant-scale and economy.