Efficient phosphate removal by biological corrosion method

Water quality deterioration in water bodies is directly related to the development of anthropogenic eutrophication processes. To resolve this complex issue, one needs to minimize biogenic discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds into the water bodies. The article presents relevant information in the field of phosphate-removing wastewater treatment, describes the most effective biological and biological-chemical methods of phosphate-removing wastewater treatment. The article presents the results of research on phosphate-removing wastewater treatment methods using iron-bearing reinforced feed material (biological corrosion method, biogalvanic method). The placement of reinforced feed material in a standard air tank allowed to significantly increase the efficiency of organic contamination-removing biological wastewater treatment. The biological process activation ratio due to the use of reinforced feed material amounted to 1.78. The placement of reinforced feed material in the bioreactor, which operates without activated sludge return, allowed to achieve complete phosphate removal from the waste water. The maximum effect of phosphate removal (99 %) with the concentration of phosphate in treated water below the detection limit was achieved after 4 to 6 hours of wastewater treatment in the bioreactor, with the concentration of organic contamination in the incoming wastewater from 150 to 300 mgBOD/L and the concentration of phosphate upstream of the bioreactor from 4 to 6 mg PO4/L. Based on the research carried out, it was concluded that the use of biological corrosion method allows to achieve high efficiency of phosphate removal, as well as to intensify the biological process of organic contamination removal from waste water. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2020.