Simultaneous removal of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater using Ca-citrate complex

A Novel Ca-Modified Biochar for Efficient Recovery of Phosphorus from Aqueous Solution and Its Application as a Phosphorus Biofertilizer

Recovery phosphorus (P) from P-contaminated wastewater is an efficient and environmentally friendly mean to prevent water pollution and alleviate the P shortage crisis. In this study, oyster shell as calcium sources and peanut shells as carbon sources (mass ratio 1:1) were used to prepare a novel Ca-modified biochar (OBC) via co-pyrolysis, and its potential application after P adsorption as a P biofertilizer for soil was also investigated. The results shown that OBC had a remarkable P adsorption capacity from wastewater in a wide range of pH 4−12. The maximum P adsorption capacity of OBC was about 168.2 mg/g with adsorbent dosage 1 g/L, which was about 27.6 times that of the unmodified biochar. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic data were better described by Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.986) and the pseudo second-order model (R2 > 0.975), respectively. Characterization analysis of OBC before and after P adsorption by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and specific surface area and porosity analyzer (BET) indicated that the remarkable P adsorption capacity of OBC was mainly ascribed to chemical precipitation, electrostatic adsorption, and hydrogen bonding. Pot experiment results showed that OBC after P adsorption could significantly promote the germination and growth of Spinacia, which manifested that OBC after P adsorption exhibited a good ability to be reused as P fertilizer for soil.

Sequential treatment of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater using a permeable reactive barrier system

When not properly treated, nitrate and phosphate present in groundwater can damage human health and environments. In this study, laboratory column experiments were performed for sequential treatment of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater. Two columns were set up and connected: one to treat nitrate with organic carbon materials (i.e., woodchips) and the other to treat phosphate with basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag. The columns were operated for a total of 1.6 years. The results showed that nitrate was removed through denitrification and phosphate was removed by precipitation of the phosphate minerals (e.g., hydroxyapatite). BOF slag was effective at removing phosphate, though the high pH (11-12) of the system's effluent water raised a concern for the downgradient areas. Of the three subsequent experiments performed, pH was near neutral when the effluent of the BOF slag column was passed through local soil. Sparging with CO₂ and air, in contrast, resulted in pH levels that were either too low (5 in the case of CO₂) or too high (9.5 in the case of air). The study shows that sequential permeable reactive barrier (PRB) systems consisting of woodchips and BOF slag can be effective for removal of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater and they can be a long-term remedial solution for groundwater contaminated with both nitrate and phosphate.

Removal of agricultural wastewater pollutants by integrating two waste materials, fish scales and neem leaves, as novel potential adsorbent

Only 2.5% of the world's water is fresh, despite the fact that water covers approximately 70% of the planet. This water is used for several recreational purposes and gets polluted by wastewater disposal directly into freshwater bodies. Effluents dispersed into water bodies could be from various sources like industries, households, and agricultural activities. These effluents comprise heavy metals and chemical wastes directly released into water bodies without treatment and could include major contaminants like nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and phosphates. The present study mainly focuses on removal of four significant pollutants from agriculture wastes, i.e., nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, and phosphates. These pollutants are removed using adsorbents via a process known as adsorption. Adsorbents used in the study are fish scales and neem leaves. Several studies have been carried out to measure the efficiency of adsorbents in the removal of contaminants. These studies include equilibrium studies, kinetic studies and isotherm studies. Based on a complete analysis and results obtained, 95% to 99% of contaminants can be removed effectively with an adsorbent dosage of 0.4g (0.2 g of fish scale and 0.2 g of neem leaves powder), optimum pH of 6 and at 303K constant temperature. The dosage variance stems from changing the dosages of two adsorbents in three ways, i.e., by taking both adsorbents in equal dosages, and increasing the dosage of one adsorbent compared to the other and vice versa. The contact time varied from 0 to 140min and the Initial concentration of pollutants has also been varied from 30 to 70 mg/L. In addition to the above variations, thermodynamic studies were also done, and based on the negative values of ΔG and positive value of ΔH and ΔS, it is evident that the reaction of novel adsorbent (combination of fish scales and neem leaves) is spontaneous and endothermic.