A Comprehensive Review of Phosphorus Removal Technologies and Processes

Phosphorus removal from polluted water is a global concern considering the detrimental environmental effects that excess phosphorus has. Phosphorus can lead to poor water quality and aquatic life loss due to eutrophication when found in excess in aquatic systems. Industry and agriculture are two of the main sources that lead to the accumulation of phosphorus in wastewater. In an attempt to prevent harmful environmental effects of excess phosphorus, several techniques have been designed to remove phosphorus from wastewater. These techniques range from adsorption and precipitation to enhanced biological phosphorus removal and constructed wetlands. Adsorption and precipitation predominantly require the use of different metals in the phosphorus removal process. This article reviews the results found in the last nine years pertaining to phosphorus removal through the use of adsorption and precipitation using different metal-containing compounds. Advances concerning the parameters of enhanced biological phosphorus removal have also been studied and communicated in this article.