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Improving the prediction of ammonium nitrogen removal through struvite precipitation

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Abstract

Purpose

Both an optimization statistical model and a chemical thermodynamic equilibrium computer model were proposed to develop, improve, and optimize struvite precipitation process.

Methods and result

The NH4-N in synthetically prepared wastewater was removed using struvite precipitation technology. A quadratic statistical modeling, response surface methodology (RSM), was applied to investigate the improvement availability for high-level removal of ammonium-nitrogen by struvite precipitation. Then, a chemical equilibrium model, Visual MINTEQ, was used to calculate the equilibrium speciation and saturation index in aqueous solution and solid phases. In addition, the availability of Mg2+, NH +4 , and PO 3−4 ions as a function of pH was modeled. The predicted and experimental data indicated that the two models might describe the experiments well. The results showed that pH was an important parameter in ammonium-nitrogen removals at low initial NH4-N concentration. P/N molar ratio was a limiting factor on struvite precipitation at high initial NH4-N concentration.

Conclusion

Within the ranges of the investigated factors, Visual MINTEQ program can be proposed to predetermine the concentration of ammonium precipitated by struvite, and RSM can be used to predict total NH4-N removal by both struvite precipitation and ammonia volatilization from our investigated system operated at high pH and opened to the atmosphere.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial supports from the Key Science and Technology Research Project of People's Republic of China (Grant no. 2008BAE64B05, 2006BAJ04A12-4), the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science (2009ZB05, 2010ZB04, 2011ZB08), the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (2007A032500005) for this study, and the Department of Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau (Grant no. 2008A1-D0011). Additionally, the authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China

    Shaoqi Zhou & Yanyu Wu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, People’s Republic of China

    Shaoqi Zhou

  3. Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Eco-remediation of Guangdong Regular Higher Education Institutions, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China

    Shaoqi Zhou

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  1. Shaoqi Zhou
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  2. Yanyu Wu
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Correspondence to Shaoqi Zhou.

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Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu

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Zhou, S., Wu, Y. Improving the prediction of ammonium nitrogen removal through struvite precipitation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 347–360 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0520-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0520-6

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