Phosphorus and nitrogen recovery from animal wastewater through struvite process for agricultural development
2017
Agudosi, Elochukwu Stephen | Salleh, Mohamad Amran | Faudzi, Hafis Irsyad
With over-mining of the natural rock-P, food production will plummet sooner than we envisage since they are essential in agro-business but are non-renewable. Consequently, phosphate fertilizers are going to be limited in future. Struvite is a crystalline mineral substance containing equimolar amount (1:1:1) of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate ions (MgNH4PO4·6H2O), a good source of phosphorus and a slow-release fertilizer. In this study, Epsom salt was used as a source of magnesium to recover phosphate by crystallization from cow urine. Characterization of the precipitates was done through Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray, Fourier Transform Infrared, X-ray Diffraction and Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal analyses to determine its suitability for use as a slow-release fertilizer for agricultural purposes. The production of struvite as crystal fertilizer will be an effective alternative source of phosphorus when the natural phosphate is exhausted. This phenomenon being eco-recycling of phosphorus, nitrogen and magnesium yields eco-friendly fertilizer needed for food security and can help mitigate the problem of eutrophication.
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