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Phosphorus recovery via struvite crystallization in batch and fluidized-bed reactors: Roles of microplastics and dissolved organic matter
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Researchers investigated how microplastics and dissolved organic matter affect the process of recovering phosphorus from wastewater through struvite crystallization. They found that microplastics actually sped up crystal formation by acting as nucleation seeds, while humic acid hindered the process. The study suggests that understanding these interactions is important for optimizing nutrient recovery from wastewater that contains emerging contaminants like microplastics.
Struvite crystallization, a promising technology for nutrient recovery from wastewater, is facing considerable challenges due to the presence of emerging contaminants such as microplastics (MPs) ubiquitously found in wastewater. Here, we investigate the roles of MPs and humic acid (HA) in struvite crystallization in batch and fluidized-bed reactors (FBRs) using synthetic and real wastewater with a Mg:N:P molar ratio of 1:3:(1-1.3) at an initial pH of 11. Batch reactor (BR) experiment results show that MPs expedited the nucleation and growth rates of struvite (e.g., the rate of crystal growth in the presence of 30 mg L of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was 1.43 times higher than that in the blank system), while HA hindered the formation of struvite. X-ray diffraction and the Rietveld refinement analysis revealed that the presence of MPs and HA can result in significant changes in phase compositions of the reclaimed precipitates, with over 80 % purity of struvite found in the precipitates from suspensions in the presence of 30 mg L of MPs. Further characterizations demonstrated that MPs act as seeds of struvite nucleation, spurring the formation of well-defined struvite, while HA favors the formation of newberyite rather than struvite in both reactors. These findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between emerging contaminants and struvite crystallization processes to optimize nutrient recovery strategies for mitigating their adverse impact on the quality and yield of struvite-based fertilizers. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The presence of microplastics in wastewater poses a significant challenge to struvite crystallization for nutrient recovery, as it accelerates nucleation and growth rates of struvite crystals. This can lead to changes in the phase compositions of the reclaimed precipitates, with implications for the quality and yield of struvite-based fertilizers. Additionally, the presence of humic acid hinders the formation of struvite, favoring the formation of other minerals like newberyite. Understanding the interactions between emerging contaminants and struvite crystallization processes is crucial for optimizing nutrient recovery strategies and mitigating the environmental impact of these contaminants on water quality and struvite-based fertilizers.
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Revealing the Roles of Microplastics and Dissolved Organic Matter in Phosphorus Recovery via Struvite Crystallization in Batch and Fluidized-Bed Reactors
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Researchers found that microplastics act as nucleation seeds that actually speed up struvite crystallization — a process used to recover phosphorus fertilizer from wastewater — while the organic compound humic acid slows it down and promotes formation of an undesirable mineral byproduct. The presence of both contaminants also altered the crystal structure and purity of the recovered struvite. This matters because wastewater increasingly contains microplastics, and if they contaminate recovered fertilizers, those microplastics could enter agricultural soils.
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