Evaluation of a chemical phosphorus removal process at a pulp mill WWTP in Uruguay

Silvia Bentancur Caballero

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126391

Evaluation of a chemical phosphorus removal process at a pulp mill WWTP in Uruguay

Silvia Bentancur Caballero

Departamento de Ingeniería

Producción científica: Contribución a una revista › Artículo › revisión exhaustiva

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Idioma original	Inglés
Número de artículo	126391
Publicación	Journal of Environmental Management
Volumen	390
N.º	126391
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126391
Estado	Publicada - ago. 2025

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@article{56a3dcbf807245d38b92582d64665a1f,

title = "Evaluation of a chemical phosphorus removal process at a pulp mill WWTP in Uruguay",

abstract = "In this study, the potential biological and chemical removal of phosphorus were assessed in an industrial effluent from a full-scale pulp mill wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that had a relatively higher influent P-concentration compared to other plants from the same sector. For that purpose, the potential biological removal of phosphorus was evaluated in a lab-scale SBR under fully aerobic conditions for merely biomass synthesis. The chemical P-removal (CPR) process was studied following a co-precipitation (through the addition of coagulants to the lab-scale SBR) and a post-precipitation approach (conducting different jar-tests with the effluent from the SBR). Three coagulants (FeCl3, Al2(SO4)3, and Ca(OH)2) were tested at different concentrations. The treatment of the pulp mill effluent by merely biological means was unable to contribute to a considerable P-removal due to the low P growth requirements of the biomass. The co-precipitation CPR approach showed to be highly effective independently of the coagulant used resulting in removal efficiencies of between 79 and 82 \% and achieving final soluble P wastewater concentrations in the range of 0.28–0.34 mgP L−1. However, it struggled to comply with the discharge standard permit limit (annual) of 60 kg TP d−1. On the other hand, the post-precipitation approach (with the addition of Al2(SO4)3 at a PO43−/metal salt ratio (mol-to-mol) of 1:10 or when dosing 400 mg Ca(OH)2 L−1) allowed to achieve the lowest observed TP and soluble P concentrations (lower than 0.5 and 0.2 mgP L−1, respectively).",

keywords = "Chemical phosphorus removal, Co-precipitation, Industrial wastewater treatment, Post-precipitation, Pulp mill",

author = "\{Bentancur Caballero\}, Silvia",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126391",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluation of a chemical phosphorus removal process at a pulp mill WWTP in Uruguay

AU - Bentancur Caballero, Silvia

PY - 2025/8

Y1 - 2025/8

N2 - In this study, the potential biological and chemical removal of phosphorus were assessed in an industrial effluent from a full-scale pulp mill wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that had a relatively higher influent P-concentration compared to other plants from the same sector. For that purpose, the potential biological removal of phosphorus was evaluated in a lab-scale SBR under fully aerobic conditions for merely biomass synthesis. The chemical P-removal (CPR) process was studied following a co-precipitation (through the addition of coagulants to the lab-scale SBR) and a post-precipitation approach (conducting different jar-tests with the effluent from the SBR). Three coagulants (FeCl3, Al2(SO4)3, and Ca(OH)2) were tested at different concentrations. The treatment of the pulp mill effluent by merely biological means was unable to contribute to a considerable P-removal due to the low P growth requirements of the biomass. The co-precipitation CPR approach showed to be highly effective independently of the coagulant used resulting in removal efficiencies of between 79 and 82 % and achieving final soluble P wastewater concentrations in the range of 0.28–0.34 mgP L−1. However, it struggled to comply with the discharge standard permit limit (annual) of 60 kg TP d−1. On the other hand, the post-precipitation approach (with the addition of Al2(SO4)3 at a PO43−/metal salt ratio (mol-to-mol) of 1:10 or when dosing 400 mg Ca(OH)2 L−1) allowed to achieve the lowest observed TP and soluble P concentrations (lower than 0.5 and 0.2 mgP L−1, respectively).

AB - In this study, the potential biological and chemical removal of phosphorus were assessed in an industrial effluent from a full-scale pulp mill wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that had a relatively higher influent P-concentration compared to other plants from the same sector. For that purpose, the potential biological removal of phosphorus was evaluated in a lab-scale SBR under fully aerobic conditions for merely biomass synthesis. The chemical P-removal (CPR) process was studied following a co-precipitation (through the addition of coagulants to the lab-scale SBR) and a post-precipitation approach (conducting different jar-tests with the effluent from the SBR). Three coagulants (FeCl3, Al2(SO4)3, and Ca(OH)2) were tested at different concentrations. The treatment of the pulp mill effluent by merely biological means was unable to contribute to a considerable P-removal due to the low P growth requirements of the biomass. The co-precipitation CPR approach showed to be highly effective independently of the coagulant used resulting in removal efficiencies of between 79 and 82 % and achieving final soluble P wastewater concentrations in the range of 0.28–0.34 mgP L−1. However, it struggled to comply with the discharge standard permit limit (annual) of 60 kg TP d−1. On the other hand, the post-precipitation approach (with the addition of Al2(SO4)3 at a PO43−/metal salt ratio (mol-to-mol) of 1:10 or when dosing 400 mg Ca(OH)2 L−1) allowed to achieve the lowest observed TP and soluble P concentrations (lower than 0.5 and 0.2 mgP L−1, respectively).

KW - Chemical phosphorus removal

KW - Co-precipitation

KW - Industrial wastewater treatment

KW - Post-precipitation

KW - Pulp mill

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009263799

U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126391

DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126391

M3 - Artículo

SN - 0301-4797

VL - 390

JO - Journal of Environmental Management

JF - Journal of Environmental Management

IS - 126391

M1 - 126391

ER -