Controlled struvite crystallisation for removing phosphorus from anaerobic digester sidestreams

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal wastewater treatment plants that use anaerobic digesters for sludge treatment, have high phosphorus concentrations in the sidestreams from their sludge dewatering equipment. To remove phosphorus from such sidestreams controlled struvite crystallisation can be used. Struvite (or MAP) is a naturally occurring crystal of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate. We present operational results obtained with a continuously operated pilot-scale MAP reactor. The pilot-scale reactor (143 l) was an air agitated column reactor with a reaction and a settling zone, based on the Phosnix process of Unitika Ltd., Japan. The influent to the MAP reactor was centrate from the centrifuge that dewaters anaerobically digested sludge at the Oxley Creek wastewater treatment plant in Brisbane. We used a 60% magnesium hydroxide slurry to add the required magnesium to the process and to obtain the alkaline pH value required. The pilot-scale MAP process achieved an ortho-P removal ratio of 94% from an average influent ortho-P concentration of 61 mg/l. The reactor was operated at a pH of around 8.5. Insufficient dosing of magnesium reduced the P removal performance. There was no influence of the hydraulic residence time on the process in the range of 1-8 h. The dry MAP product had cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations well below the legal limits for fertilisers in Queensland, Australia and can be reused as a valuable slow-release fertiliser.