Elemental sulfur biorecovery from phosphogypsum using oxygen-membrane biofilm reactor: Bioreactor parameters optimization, metagenomic analysis and metabolic prediction of the biofilm activity

This work investigated elemental sulfur (S0) biorecovery from Phosphogypsum (PG) using sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in an O2-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). The system was first optimized using synthetic sulfide medium (SSM) as influent, then switched to biogenic sulfide medium (BSM) generated by biological reduction of PG alkaline leachate. The results using SSM had high sulfide-oxidation efficiency (98 %), sulfide to S0 conversion (∼90 %), and S0 production rate up to 2.7 g S0/(m2.d), when the O2/S ratio was ∼0.5 g O2/g S. With the BSM influent, the system maintained high sulfide-to-S0 conversion rate (97 %), and S0-production rate of 1.6 g S0/(m2.d). Metagenomic analysis revealed that Thauera was the dominant genus in SSM and BSM biofilms. Furthermore, influent composition affected the bacterial community structure and abundances of functional microbial sulfur genes, modifying the sulfur-transformation pathways in the biofilms. Overall, this work shows promise for O2-MBfR usage in S0 biorecovery from PG-leachate and other sulfidogenic effluents.

Simplification of the pretreatment method for phosphate oxygen isotope measurement in phosphogypsum leachate

The stacking of phosphogypsum has caused considerable phosphorus pollution in water bodies near phosphogypsum yards through surface runoff and underground infiltration. The phosphate oxygen isotope (δ18Op) tracing method has served as a valuable tool for tracing phosphorus pollution in water. However, the existing δ18Op enrichment and purification methods are complex, costly, and inefficient for phosphate recovery, particularly for phosphogypsum leachate with complex compositions. Herein, a simplified and optimized pretreatment method for δ18Op measurement in phosphogypsum leachate was developed. Zirconium/polyvinyl alcohol (Zr/PVA) gel beads showed good selectivity for phosphate enrichment from water at different initial phosphate concentrations with appropriate Zr/PVA dosage. The optimal enrichment pH value was <7, and the concentrated phosphate on the Zr/PVA gel beads could be effectively eluted in an alkaline environment. Compared with the traditional Fe or Mg coprecipitation enrichment methods, impurities in the solution showed no obvious adverse effects on the phosphate enrichment process. Further, the phosphate solution eluted from the Zr/PVA gel beads was purified by a simple adjustment of the pH instead of cation exchange in the traditional purification process. Magnesium ions in the solution could be completely removed when the pH ranged from 3.17 to 6.15, and the phosphate recovery rate could reach 98.66% when the eluent pH was 5.02. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that similar to traditional pretreatment method, the proposed method can obtain high-purity Ag3PO4 solids for δ18OP measurement and no isotope fractionation of δ18OP was observed. Therefore, this study provides a promising and reliable pretreatment method for δ18OP measurement, especially in complex phosphogypsum leachate.

Simultaneous and efficient removal of fluoride and phosphate in phosphogypsum leachate by acid-modified sulfoaluminate cement

The high concentration of fluoride and phosphate in phosphogypsum leachate is harmful to the environment and ecosystem. Thus, there is a need to develop feasible materials or technologies to remove both fluoride and phosphate in acidic phosphogypsum leachate. In this study, sulfoaluminate cement (SC) was used to simultaneously remove fluoride and phosphate in wastewater based on its moderate alkalinity and rich content of metal elements (Ca, Al and Fe, etc). The acidized sulfoaluminate cement (ASC) composite was prepared through modifying SC with hydrochloric acid, which can increase the specific surface areas of the raw SC, as well as the activity of the metal elements in SC. Compared with other coagulants, ASC showed excellent removal performance for fluoride and phosphate, such as higher removal efficiency, better effluent quality, and accelerated settling rate. The fluoride and phosphate removal performances of ASC herein were investigated at different dosages, pH values, coexisting substances, and initial concentrations. As a result, ASC exhibited wide pH adaptability and satisfactory selectivity for fluoride and phosphate. The possible removal mechanisms of fluoride and phosphate by ASC included chemisorption, ion exchange, and precipitation. The main end products associated with fluoride were fluorite (CaF₂), aluminum fluoride (AlF₃), and iron trifluoride (FeF₃). The main final products amid phosphate removal, on the other hand, were brushite (CaHPO₄·2H₂O), aluminophosphate ((H₃O)·AlP₂O₆(OH)₂), silicocarnotite (Ca₂SiO₄·Ca₃(PO₄)₂) and iron phosphate (Fe(H₂PO₄)₃). More importantly, ASC can effectively treat the phosphogypsum leachate at a wide range of concentrations, and the concentrations of phosphate and fluoride in the effluents were lower than 0.5 mg P L^-1 and 4 mg L^-1, respectively. To sum up, ASC is a competitive candidate to treat wastewater with high fluoride and phosphate content, such as phosphogypsum leachate.

A novel method for the stabilization of soluble contaminants in electrolytic manganese residue: Using low-cost phosphogypsum leachate and magnesia/calcium oxide

Electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) contains a large amount of NH₄⁺-N and Mn²⁺ and can negatively impact the environment. A stabilization treatment of soluble contaminants in the EMR is necessary for its reuse and safe stacking. This study presents experimental results for the stabilization of NH₄⁺-N and Mn²⁺ in the EMR using phosphogypsum leachate as a low-cost phosphate source and MgO/CaO (PLMC) process. The results demonstrated that the stabilization efficiency of NH₄⁺-N and Mn²⁺ was 93.65% and 99.99%, respectively, under the following conditions: a phosphogypsum leachate dose of 1.5 mL g^-1, an added MgO dose of 0.036 g g^-1, an added CaO dose of 0.1 g g^-1 and a reaction time of 2 h. The stabilization effect of the PLMC process was higher and more cost effective than that of using Na₃PO₄·12H₂O and MgO/CaO. The concentration of NH₄⁺-N and Mn²⁺ in the leaching liquor decreased to 80 mg L^-1 and 0.5 mg L^-1, respectively, after the stabilization under the optimum conditions. The stabilization characteristics indicated that NH₄⁺-N was stabilized to form NH₄MgPO₄·6H₂O (struvite) and that Mn²⁺ was stabilized to form Mn₅(PO₄)₂(OH)₄, Mn₃(PO₄)₂·3H₂O and Mn(OH)₂. PO₄^3--P, F^-, and heavy metal ions of the phosphogypsum leachate were removed from the leaching liquor and stabilized in the treated EMR.