Analysis of phosphorus recovery based on vivianite formation for practical applications

ABSTRACT Phosphorus (P) is considered a non-renewable resource. Owing to the increasing consumption of phosphorus in daily life, the “P crisis” is imminent. To address this crisis, it is urgent to find new phosphorus resources. This paper summarizes the research progress of P recovery based on vivianite formation from waste. Specifically, the advantages and disadvantages of optimizing the Fe source and pH in waste-activated sludge (WAS) and the co-fermentation of WAS and food waste are analyzed. Thereafter, the advantages and disadvantages of increasing the Fe dosage in full-scale wastewater treatment plants is discussed and an optimization scheme is proposed on this basis. By analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of comparative experimental results, two recovery methods are proposed to recover a large amount of P (≥ 83% total P) as high-purity vivianite (≥ 93%).