Effects of Recycled Sponge Iron on Phosphorus Recovery from Polluted Water

Abstract

Phosphorus in water not only degrades water quality but also leads to a waste of resources. In this study, adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics were used to study the effect of sponge iron on phosphorus removal, and a filtration bed was used to simulate the phosphorus removal in polluted water. The results showed that the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of the modified sponge iron was increased from 4.17 mg/g to 18.18 mg/g. After desorption with 18.18 mol/L of sodium hydroxide and reactivation with 6% (w%) sulfuric acid, the activation rate of modified sponge iron can reach 98%. In a continuous operation experiment run for approximately 200 days, the sponge iron phosphorus removal percolation bed showed a good phosphorus removal ability. Under the condition of TP = 10 mg/L, HRT = 1 H, the comprehensive phosphorus removal rate was 30–89%, and the accumulated phosphorus adsorption per unit volume was 6.95 kg/m3. Wastewater from the regeneration of the sponge iron base can be used to recover guano stone. The optimum conditions were pH = 10, n (Mg2+):n (PO43−):n (NH4+) = 1.3:1:1.1. Under the optimum conditions, the phosphorus recovery rate could reach 97.8%. The method provided in this study has theoretical and practical significance for the removal and recycling of phosphorus in polluted water.