[Removal of Phosphate by Calcite in Open-System]

Batch methods were deployed to study the removal of phosphate by calcite in an open-system. Results showed that: (1) The pre-equilibrium process of calcite in open system could be achieved within 24 hours (2) The kinetic results showed that, at initial concentration of 0.5 mg · L⁻¹, the phosphate removal was almost completed within 10 hours of the first phase. The observation may be attributed to surface adsorption. At initial concentration of 2.5 mg · L⁻¹, the phosphate removal was mainly carried out by the precipitation of phosphate at later stage of the process; (3) At initial concentration of ≤ 2.5 mg · L⁻¹ setting 10 h as reaction time, the phosphate removal process was described well by the Langmuir model. It is hypothesized that surface adsorption was the principal removal way of phosphate; (4) With the addition of phthalate, at initial concentration of < 2.5 mg · L⁻¹, the phosphate removal rate experienced a small decrease. That was because phosphate was mainly removed by surface adsorption, and thus, phthalate was a competitor to phosphate for the same adsorption site. The phosphate removal rate increased a little at initial concentration of > 2.5 mg · L⁻¹, this was because the phosphate precipitation was reinforced by the increase of calcium concentration, which was caused by phthalate addition.