Eutrophication and the predicted limited future availability of rock phosphate has triggered the increased development of phosphorus (P) recovery technologies, however, for remote regions, recovery solutions are still limited. Here, we report on a novel pilot-scale technology (FILTRAFLO^TM-P reactor) to recover phosphate (PO₄^3-) from wastewater effluent through a filtration/adsorption process in a rural setting. This unit employs enhanced gravitational filtration through adsorption media (here, a novel KOH deacetylated crab carapace based chitosan-calcite material (CCM)) with continuous self-backwashing. Trials were designed to assess how the FILTRAFLO^TM-P unit would operate under 'real' conditions (both at low and high PO₄^3- levels), and to ascertain the effectiveness of the adsorbent to recover phosphate from final effluent. High removal was achieved at low phosphate concentrations, bringing the residual effluent PO₄^3- level below 1 mg/L (EU limit for sensitive water bodies), while phosphate was efficiently harvested (at more than 50%) at higher PO₄^3- levels. Surface microprecipitation and inner-sphere complexation were postulated as the main PO₄^3- adsorption mechanisms through XRD, XPS and EDX elemental mapping. Further, a quality assessment of the P-enriched CCM (which could be used as a potential soil amendment) was undertaken to consider elemental composition, microbiological assessment and quantification of organic micropollutants. Quality analysis indicated ∼2.5% P₂O₅ present, trace levels (well below legislative limits) of heavy metals and extremely low levels of organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, pharmaceuticals). No detectable levels of target bacterial pathogens were observed. Pot trials showed that ryegrass cultivated with the addition of the CCM adsorbent achieved higher plant dry matter and P concentration when compared to unfertilised controls, with a slow-release kinetic pattern. This study showed that CCM used with the FILTRAFLO^TM-P pilot reactor has high potential to recover phosphate from effluents and encourage resource recovery via bio-based management of waste.

Municipal wastewater is a valuable source of phosphorus (P) for the production of fertilizing products, such as microalgae (MA), crab carapace material (CCM), P salt produced by chemical leaching of sludge (P salt CL), and sewage sludge ash produced by pyrolysis and the incineration of sludge (SSA PI). This study compares the P availability of these fertilizing products in three planting substrates (S1, S2, and S3) during a four-month growth period of perennial ryegrass. The unfertilized control in substrate S3 had a high and available P that masked the effect of the added fertilizing products. The P salt CL fertilizer exhibited the lowest shoot dry matter in the alkaline S2 substrate. Still, it can be used as a good source of P in both acidic and alkaline substrates, given that its shoot P content was among the highest in all substrates tested. The organic-rich fertilizing products, MA and CCM, are better suited for acidic substrates since a pronounced reduction in the shoot yield and P content was seen in the alkaline S2 substrate. In contrast, for the SSA PI fertilizer, the very small differences in shoot dry matter and P content in S1 compared to S2 indicated that it is suitable for both acidic and alkaline substrates. Four months were needed to observe the maximum shoot yields treated with these P fertilizing products. Considering that the substrate solution P (using Rhizons) for the P salt CL and MA fertilizers proved to be similar to shoot P uptake, Rhizon extraction could be used for assessing P bioavailability. The chemical composition of novel products indicated their potential to deliver not only P, but also other nutrients to plants. However, concentrations of inorganic contaminants in all products, except CCM, pointed out a possibility to pollute the environment by applying these fertilizers.

Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable nutrient for agriculture. Recovery and recycling of phosphorus from waste streams is necessary to ensure a circular P economy and reduce dependence on disproportionately distributed mineral P resources. In this study, a new process called ‘PULSE’ is presented for the recovery of P from sewage sludge, which can handle high metal contents. The process involves drying of sludge prior to acidic leaching to overcome the challenge of solid-liquid separation at low pH and to reduce the overall material flows. Another key point of the process is the removal of metals using reactive extraction to obtain a high-quality product with good plant availability. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate and select the best process options. A chemical equilibrium tool was developed to simulate the unit operations of the process for optimization. Dissolution of P from sludge depends on leaching pH and the fraction of inorganic P in the sludge. The maximum P leaching efficiency for the sludge used in the study was between 65 and 70%. Under the tested conditions, Fe, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn were successfully removed from the sludge leach liquor by reactive extraction. The recovered product has a nutrient mass fraction of about 51% that includes Ca, PO₄^3-_, Mg, and K. Pot trials confirmed that the agronomical efficiency of the product is comparable to that of triple superphosphate. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT