Efficient phosphorus removal from MBR effluent with heated aluminum oxide particles (HAOPs)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Adsorption Science

Background:

• Conventional wastewater treatment removes 90-95% of phosphorus (P), but achieving high-quality water levels requires advanced methods.
• Existing advanced P removal techniques, like adsorption, can be costly, difficult to control, and susceptible to interference from other substances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a novel wastewater treatment process utilizing micron-sized Heated Aluminum Oxide Particles (HAOPs) for enhanced phosphorus removal.
• To evaluate the efficiency, capacity, and stability of the HAOPs process under various conditions, including competing ions and varying flux.

Main Methods:

• Developed a treatment system using a thin layer (<1 mm) of micron-sized HAOPs.
• Conducted laboratory tests with synthetic and MBR effluent feed.
• Performed 18 days of continuous pilot-scale operation at a wastewater treatment plant.

Main Results:

• The HAOPs process demonstrated high P removal efficiency, achieving 99.5% in pilot tests.
• Removal capacity was proportional to HAOPs layer thickness and showed resilience to high concentrations of sulfate, chloride, and nitrate.
• The process also removed 52% of organic matter (UV254) and produced easily dewatered sludge.

Conclusions:

• The novel HAOPs process offers an efficient and robust solution for advanced phosphorus removal from wastewater.
• This method shows promise in overcoming limitations of current advanced treatment technologies, including cost and operational stability.
• The process's effectiveness and resilience suggest its potential for widespread application in wastewater treatment.