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Katuwal S, Circenis S, Zhao L, Zheng W. Enhancing dissolved inorganic phosphorous capture by gypsum-incorporated biochar: Synergic performance and mechanisms. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2023; 52:949-959. [PMID: 37555696 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Excess nutrients, such as phosphorus (P), in watersheds jeopardize water quality and trigger harmful algal blooms. Using phosphorus sorption material (PSM) to capture P from wastewater and agricultural runoff can help recover nutrients and prevent their water pollution. In this study, a novel designer biochar was generated by pyrolyzing woody biomass pretreated with a flue gas desulfurization gypsum. The removal of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) by the gypsum-incorporated designer biochar was more efficient than the gypsum, suggesting the pretreatment of biomass with the gypsum results in a synergic effect on enhancing DIP capture. The maximum P adsorption capacity of the designer biochar was more than 200 mg g-1 , which is one order of magnitude greater than that of the gypsum. This result clearly showed that the designer biochar is a better PSM to capture DIP from nutrient-contaminated water compared to the gypsum. Post-sorption characterization indicated that the sorption of DIP by the gypsum-incorporated biochar involves multiple mechanisms. The precipitation reactions of calcium (Ca) cations and P anions to form CaHPO4 and Ca3 (PO4 )2 precipitates on the highly alkaline surface of the designer biochar were identified as a main mechanism. By contrast, CaHPO4 ·2H2 O is the only precipitated product for DIP sorption by the gypsum. In addition, the initial solution pH and the coexisting bicarbonate had less effects on the DIP removal by the designer biochar in comparison with the gypsum, which further confirms that the former is an excellent PSM to capture DIP from a variety of aquatic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmila Katuwal
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Sophie Circenis
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Wei Zheng
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
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2
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Scott ISPC, Scott F, McCarty T, Penn CJ. Techno-Economic Analysis of Phosphorus Removal Structures. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:12858-12868. [PMID: 37581469 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Excess phosphorus (P) is a major pollutant in aquatic systems. Phosphorus removal structures, landscape-scale filters designed to capture dissolved P from runoff, drainage, and wastewater offer promise in curbing P pollution. While the environmental benefits of various P removal structures are well documented, the cost-effectiveness of each structure's ability to sequester P is lacking. In this study, we compare the cost-effectiveness of P removal of the most prominent P removal structures. Specifically, we calculate the average cost per kilogram (kg) of P removed by eight different P removal structures across a range of parameter assumptions. Absent constraints, we found that (1) larger structures that use (2) regionally available phosphorus sorption materials that are (3) byproducts of industrial production (e.g., metal shavings and steel slag) rather than manufactured are more cost-effective. The average cost of P removal for most structures varies from $100 to 1300 per kg in our baseline estimations, which is comparable to the average cost for wastewater treatment. This work provides further information to guide the optimal implementation of P removal structures for conservationists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis S P C Scott
- Northwest Soils & Irrigation Research Laboratory (USDA-ARS), Kimberly, Idaho 83341, United States
| | - Francisco Scott
- Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64198, United States
| | - Tanner McCarty
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Chad J Penn
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (USDA-ARS), West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Sahu JN, Kapelyushin Y, Mishra DP, Ghosh P, Sahoo BK, Trofimov E, Meikap BC. Utilization of ferrous slags as coagulants, filters, adsorbents, neutralizers/stabilizers, catalysts, additives, and bed materials for water and wastewater treatment: A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 325:138201. [PMID: 36863629 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Solid waste is currently produced in substantial amounts by industrial activities. While some are recycled, the majority of them are dumped in landfills. Iron and steel production leaves behind ferrous slag, which must be created organically, managed wisely and scientifically if the sector is to remain more sustainably maintained. Ferrous slag is the term for the solid waste that is produced when raw iron is smelted in ironworks and during the production of steel. Both its specific surface area and porosity are relatively high. Since these industrial waste materials are so easily accessible and offer such serious disposal challenges, the idea of their reuse in water and wastewater treatment systems is an appealing alternative. There are many components such as Fe, Na, Ca, Mg, and silicon found in ferrous slags, which make it an ideal substance for wastewater treatment. This research investigates the potential of ferrous slag as coagulants, filters, adsorbents, neutralizers/stabilizers, supplementary filler material in soil aquifers, and engineered wetland bed media to remove contaminants from water and wastewater. Ferrous slag may provide a substantial environmental risk before or after reuse, so leaching and eco-toxicological investigations are necessary. Some study revealed that the amount of heavy metal ions leached from ferrous slag conforms to industrial norms and is exceedingly safe, hence it may be employed as a new type of inexpensive material to remove contaminants from wastewater. The practical relevance and significance of these aspects are attempted to be analyzed, taking into account all recent advancements in the fields, in order to help in the development of informed decisions about future directions for research and development related to the utilization of ferrous slags for wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- J N Sahu
- University of Stuttgart, Institute of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany; South Ural State University (National Research University), Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation.
| | - Y Kapelyushin
- South Ural State University (National Research University), Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation
| | - Devi Prasad Mishra
- Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India
| | - Prabir Ghosh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Raipur, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - B K Sahoo
- Research & Development Centre for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi, Jharkhand, Pin-834002, India
| | - E Trofimov
- South Ural State University (National Research University), Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation
| | - B C Meikap
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
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Sen A, Bakshi BR. Techno-economic and life cycle analysis of circular phosphorus systems in agriculture. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162016. [PMID: 36775165 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Fertilizer runoff is a global nuisance that disrupts biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus. We perform techno-economic and life cycle analyses of selected approaches for enabling a circular economy of phosphorus. We consider four schemes: capturing P with ion-exchange resins followed by precipitation, interception by wetland and recovery in char after biomass pyrolysis, removal by bioreactor and recovery in char after bioreactor substrate pyrolysis, and using legacy phosphorus accumulated in a saturated wetland to grow crops by wetlaculture. For each system, we analyze the mass flow, calculate the degree of circularity, and examine the feasibility by techno-economic and life cycle analyses. We find that although ion exchange outperforms the others, the associated economic and emissions burden are too high. Approaches that rely on wetlands are most economically attractive and can have lower impact. However, without policy interventions, the linear economy of phosphorus is likely to remain economically most attractive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Sen
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Bhavik R Bakshi
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Desorption Kinetics of Legacy Soil Phosphorus: Implications for Non-Point Transport and Plant Uptake. SOIL SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems6010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Soil phosphorus (P) solubility and kinetics partly control dissolved P losses to surface water and uptake by plants. While previous studies have focused on batch techniques for measuring soil P desorption kinetics, flow-through techniques are more realistic because they simulate P removal from the system, akin to runoff, leaching, and plant uptake. The objectives were to measure soil P desorption by a flow-through technique at two flow rates and several batch methods, and utilize both for understanding how flow rate impacts the thermodynamics and kinetics of soil P desorption. Desorption obeyed first-order kinetics in two different phases: an initial rapid desorption phase followed by a gradual release. Desorption was limited by equilibrium and the kinetics of physical processes as demonstrated by an interruption test. Dilution-promoted desorption occurred with increasing cumulative volume, which increased desorption rate via first-order kinetics. The batch tests that simulated cumulative solution volume and time of flow-through were similar to the flow-through results; however, the batch methods overestimated the desorption rates due to less limitations to diffusion. Fast flow rates desorbed less P, but at a greater speed than slow flow rates. The differences were due to contact time, cumulative time, and solution volume, which ultimately controlled the potential for chemical reactions to be realized through physical processes. The interaction between these processes will control the quantity and rate of desorption that buffer P in non-point drainage losses and plant uptake.
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Penn CJ. Letter to the editor of chemosphere regarding Yang et al. (2021) and techniques for assessing realistic phosphorus removal in the field. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131843. [PMID: 34418659 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chad J Penn
- USDA-ARS National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, 275 S. Russell Street, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
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Scott ISPC, Penn CJ. Estimating the variability of steel slag properties and their influence in phosphorus removal ability. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130205. [PMID: 34088092 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Steel slag has been proven to be an effective phosphorus (P) removal media, and a potential aid to mitigate point and nonpoint P pollution in freshwater systems. However, the behavior of steel slag as a P sorption material (PSM) is often oversimplified through the generalization of its chemical and physical properties, preventing proper design of P removal structures. In this work, we tested eighteen steel slag samples from different batches, production processes, and steel-making plants, for the purpose of relating slag origin and chemical and physical properties to P removal ability, under two different flow regimes. Slag samples were also coated with aluminum (Al) and tested for P removal. Characterization included elemental composition, particle density, buffer capacity, and P removal ability. There was great variability in the evaluated properties across slag sources and origin, compelling the individual characterization of steel slag samples, since their intrinsic characteristics were key variables in determining their potential P removal capacity. Specifically, electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density, particle density and magnesium (Mg) content could explain around 70% of the variability of P removal by uncoated steel slags. Increasing residence time (RT) always increased P removal for uncoated slags. Steel slags showed a high variability in their P removal ability, but such variability was considerably decreased by coating the slags with Al. Additionally, the Al-coating process significantly improved P removal performance under more rapid flows (lower RT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis S P C Scott
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Chad J Penn
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (ARS/USDA), 275 S Russell Street, 47907, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Design and Preliminary Testing of an In-Field Passive Treatment System for Removing Phosphorus from Surface Water. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11093743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is well documented that excess phosphorus in source waters is a major contributor to harmful algal bloom formation. While there are many approaches to controlling algal populations in reservoirs, including a variety of phosphorus reduction approaches (e.g., sequestration of legacy phosphorus with alum or clay products), addressing physical phosphorus loading upstream is considered less often. Water treatment residuals (WTR) containing alum, a common waste product of conventional surface water treatment, have been shown to retain the ability to capture phosphorus even after the WTR ‘sludge’ is formed and removed from the sedimentation process. This research designed and tested a refillable, reusable in-stream phosphorus cartridge system which beneficially reutilizes WTR ‘sludge’ to sequester instream phosphorus and remove it from the water when spent media is replaced. This reduces in-stream phosphorus entering into the reservoir without permanently adding additional materials to the waterbody and provides measurable results as to the amount of phosphorus removed. The ten sampling events during the first year’s field assessment indicated that the gates removed a total of 556.31 g of reactive phosphorus (PO43−) and it is anticipated that the actual phosphorous removal was even greater. Other watershed managers can implement the same approach using their own WTR to capture in-stream phosphorus.
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Adsorption Media for the Removal of Soluble Phosphorus from Subsurface Drainage Water. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17207693. [PMID: 33096838 PMCID: PMC7593909 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is a valuable, nonrenewable resource in agriculture promoting crop growth. P losses through surface runoff and subsurface drainage discharge beneath the root zone is a loss of investment. P entering surface water contributes to eutrophication of freshwater environments, impacting tourism, human health, environmental safety, and property values. Soluble P (SP) from subsurface drainage is nearly all bioavailable and is a significant contributor to freshwater eutrophication. The research objective was to select phosphorus sorbing media (PSM) best suited for removing SP from subsurface drainage discharge. From the preliminary research and literature, PSM with this potential were steel furnace slag (SFS) and a nano-engineered media (NEM). The PSM were evaluated using typical subsurface drainage P concentrations in column experiments, then with an economic analysis for a study site in Michigan. Both the SFS and generalized NEM (GNEM) removed soluble reactive phosphorus from 0.50 to below 0.05 mg/L in laboratory column experiments. The most cost-effective option from the study site was the use of the SFS, then disposing it each year, costing $906/hectare/year for the case study. GNEM that was regenerated onsite had a very similar cost. The most expensive option was the use of GNEM to remove P, including regeneration at the manufacturer, costing $1641/hectare/year. This study suggests that both SFS and NEM are both suited for treating drainage discharge. The use of SFS was more economical for the study site, but each site needs to be individually considered.
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Abstract
Blind inlets are implemented to promote obstruction-free surface drainage of field depressions as an alternative to tile risers for the removal of sediment and particulate phosphorus (P) through an aggregate bed. However, conventional limestone used in blind inlets does not remove dissolved P, which is a stronger eutrophication agent than particulate P. Steel slag has been suggested as an alternative to limestone in blind inlets for removing dissolved P. The objectives of this study were to construct a blind inlet with steel slag and evaluate its ability to remove dissolved P, nitrogen (N), and herbicides. A blind inlet was constructed with steel slag in late 2015; data from only 2018 are reported due to inflow sampling issues. The blind inlet removed at least 45% of the dissolved P load and was still effective after three years. The dissolved P removal efficiency was greater with higher inflow P concentrations. More than 70% of glyphosate and its metabolite, and dicamba were removed. Total N was removed in the form of organic N and ammonium, although N cycling processes within the blind inlet appeared to produce nitrate. Higher dissolved atrazine and organic carbon loads were measured in outflow than inflow, likely due to the deposition of sediment-bound particulate forms not measured in inflow, which then solubilized with time. At a cost similar to local aggregate, steel slag in blind inlets represents a simple update for improving dissolved P removal.
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