Surface Complexation Modelling and Aluminum Mediated Phosphorus - White Paper

Chemically mediated phosphorus involves the addition of metal salts (typically aluminum or iron) during wastewater treatment as an effective means to reduce nutrients reaching sensitive environments. Metal salt addition results in coagulation reactions that remove soluble phosphorus. Although this method of treatment is widely used, the mechanism of removal is poorly understood with much less work performed on aluminum chemistry with respect to the removal of phosphorus. This research tests a conceptual surface complexation modeling framework which had originally been developed for ferric mediated removal. It found that the same model framework described for ferric experiments also works for aluminum experiments, albeit at a different rate of removal. Published by WERF. 28 pages. Online PDF. (2014)

Originally funded as WERF project NUTR1R06r.