Phosphorus removal and recovery in wastewater biological treatment from the perspective of phosphine: Current status, action mechanisms and future potential

This work presents a comprehensive review of phosphorus removal and resource recovery driven by phosphine (PH) in biological wastewater treatment processes, with a particular focus on PH generation. Through a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace, the review highlights current research trends in this field. Based on the existing literature, the mechanism of PH production, as well as the influencing factors and efficiency of its formation in aerobic, anaerobic, and land treatment systems, are systematically summarized and discussed. The review identifies several strategies to enhance PH generation and facilitate phosphorus removal and recovery, including electrochemical enhancement technologies, regulation of phosphorus forms, and the use of functional microorganisms and genes. Additionally, it elaborates emerging challenges posed by pollutants such as microplastics and antibiotics, which may affect PH production by influencing microbial communities, redox conditions, and phosphorus conversion. Given the potential of machine learning in predicting PH production, the integration of density functional theory with machine learning is proposed to reveal the mechanisms of PH generation and provide theoretical support for cross-scale process optimization. In conclusion, future research should focus on the integration of microbial regulation, electrochemical enhancement, computational simulation, and other advanced technologies to accelerate the development of efficient phosphorus recovery processes driven by PH. This approach would help establish a certain theoretical foundation for PH-based phosphorus removal and recovery, facilitating its transition to engineering applications.