Phosphorus: Turning a Problem into a Resource

Although an essential element for living cells, Phosphorus can have serious environmental effects when found in natural or engineering environments.

Major sources of Phosphorus pollution can come from wastewater effluent, commercial chemicals and agricultural waste.  Phosphorus minerals, such as struvite and vivianite, can precipitate and form scales in drinking water and wastewater systems.

Although these minerals are problems when left uncontrolled and unmonitored, their recovery is beneficial.

With limited Phosphorus sources around the world, there’s an opportunity for removal, treatment and recycling in the natural world.

A paper published by Treatment Engineer Arifur Rahman, Ph.D., PE, (at right) and others in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research journal examines Phosphorus effects, removal through treatment and recycling technologies specially focusing on various types of phosphate mineral precipitation.

Read the full paper here.