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Published on: September 5, 2018
First study on oyster-shell-based phosphorous removal in saltwater - A proxy to effluent bioremediation of marine
Marta C Martins1, Eduarda B H Santos2, Catarina R Marques3
1Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Abstract:
The efficiency of oyster-shell waste for the removal of phosphorous (P) in saltwater was herein evaluated. For that, different factors were tested, being attained >56% and >98% P removal by natural oyster shell (NOS)-fraction <0.125mm and COS (calcined oyster shell)-fraction 0.5mm, respectively. Adsorption was the main mechanism suggested for NOS, whilst a co-mechanism of precipitation occurred with COS. NOS adsorption was consistent with Langmuir model and followed both the Elovich and Intraparticle Difusion kinetic models. COS followed only Pseudo-Second Order and, mainly, the Elovich model. Overall, optimal conditions for P removal from saltwater were established for NOS and COS, which will unquestionably allow to comply with regulated P levels for the discharge of wastewater from saltwater RAS.
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