Phosphorus sorption

Reaching of low phosphorus effluent concentrations at wastewater treatment plants by using nanoparticle modified materials

Project „Reaching of low phosphorus effluent concentrations at wastewater treatment plants by using nanoparticle modified materials“ under acronyme Phosorb is solved under financial support from the Ministry of Industry and the Trade in TRIO programme in 2018 – 2021.

The aim of the project is developing economically accessible, efficient and high-capacity sorbent with specifically modified surface (metal oxide nanoparticles, esp. Fe, Mg). That sorbent will be used for the tertiary removal of phosphorus from wastewater in order to minimize the risk of growth of cyanobacteria which produce toxins into surface and groundwater. Optimized nano-enriched sorbents are prepared from different substrates (biochar, sand, slag). Development of sorbent will aim to achieve the most favourable price/capacity. New materials will be tested under pilot conditions and compared with technologies for tertiary phosphorus removal (coagulation + sedimentation, coagulation + filtration and ion exchange resins), and with commercially available products for the sorption of phosphorus from water.

Rationale of these activities is the new Czech legislation, which targets the improvement of surface waters. This is a planned amendment to the Water Act 254/2001 Coll. delivering strengthening the incentive function charges for discharged pollution, including phosphorus, which will be charged from very low concentrations in the WWTP < 500 PE. Low concentrations of phosphorus in waste water treatment < 500 PE also brings a draft update GD 401/2015 Coll. defining tightening numerical values and accurate description of the best available technology.

Phosphorus promotes secondary pollution of water, especially the growth of cyanobacteria, which produce dangerous life threatening toxins for lower organisms. Higher concentrations of phosphorus is caused by his income from both point (wastewater treatment) and non-point sources.

Major planned outcomes of the project are following:

• semi-pilot technology for phosphorus removal with modified sorbents
• proven technology for the removal of phosphorus sorption
• utility model of the sorbent modified with nanomaterials

ASIO Ltd. is the project coordinator. Palacký University Olomouc is the academic partner of the project.