Phosphate removal in agro-industry: Pilot- and full-scale operational considerations of struvite crystallization

Pilot-scale struvite crystallization tests using anaerobic effluent from potato processing industries were performed at three different plants. Two plants (P1 & P2) showed high phosphate removal efficiencies, 89 ± 3% and 75 ± 8%, resulting in final effluent levels of 12 ± 3 mg PO43−–P L−1 and 11 ± 3 mg PO43−–P L−1, respectively. In contrast, poor phosphate removal (19 ± 8%) was obtained at the third location (P3). Further investigations at P3 showed the negative effect of high Ca2+/PO43−–P molar ratio (ca. 1.25 ± 0.11) on struvite formation. A full-scale struvite plant treating anaerobic effluent from a dairy industry showed the same Ca2+ interference. A shift in the influent Ca2+/PO43−–P molar ratio from 2.69 to 1.36 resulted in average total phosphorus removal of 78 ± 7%, corresponding with effluent levels of 14 ± 4 mg Ptotal L−1 (9 ± 3 mg PO43−–P L−1). Under these conditions high quality spherical struvite crystals of 2–6 mm were produced.