Is seashell powder suitable for phosphate recovery from fermentation broth?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Seashell powder (SP) is recognized for phosphate removal from wastewater.
• Limited data exists on SP's efficacy in complex organic solutions like fermentation broths.
• Fermentation broths contain various organic compounds that may interfere with phosphate adsorption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficiency of seashell powder (SP) for phosphate removal from lactic acid fermentation broth.
• To assess the impact of organic compounds, specifically alcohols and organic acids, on SP's phosphate adsorption capacity.
• To evaluate SP's performance in a real fermentation broth from lactic acid production.

Main Methods:

• Phosphate removal experiments were conducted using pure phosphate solutions (PPS) and PPS with added alcohols or organic acids.
• A real fermentation broth (RFB) from lactic acid production was tested for phosphate removal using SP.
• Phosphate concentrations were measured before and after treatment with SP over 120 minutes.

Main Results:

• SP achieved over 95% phosphate removal from PPS and PPS with alcohols within 120 minutes.
• Organic acids reduced SP's phosphate removal efficiency to 55%-73%.
• Lactic acid significantly inhibited phosphate removal from RFB, reducing it to 28.6 mg/L after 120 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Seashell powder shows potential for phosphate removal from fermentation broths, aiding in multi-component utilization.
• The presence of organic acids, particularly lactic acid, negatively impacts SP's phosphate removal capacity.
• Pre-testing the influence of specific fermentation products is crucial before applying SP to real fermentation broths.