fosforherwinning

Phosphorus recovery, or fosforherwinning in Dutch, is the set of processes by which phosphorus is recovered from secondary resources—such as wastewater, manure, sewage sludge, agricultural runoff, or ash—and converted into usable phosphorus products, typically fertilizers or industrial phosphates. The goal is to close the phosphorus loop, reduce environmental pollution, and reduce dependence on finite phosphate rock.

In wastewater treatment, phosphorus is often removed to protect water bodies; recovery technologies can reclaim a portion of the removed phosphorus. The most common recovery route is struvite precipitation, forming magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) crystals that can be used as a slow-release fertilizer. Other precipitation routes include hydroxyapatite formation. Biological phosphorus recovery integrates with EBPR to accumulate phosphorus in biomass for later extraction.

Alternative sources include processing sewage sludge ash from incineration or co-combustion, where phosphorus can be solubilized and recovered as calcium phosphates or other phosphates.

Urine diversion and source separation enable higher phosphorus recovery efficiency; struvite can be recovered directly from urine streams, while reducing scaling and odors in sanitation systems.

Impacts and challenges include capital and operating costs, need for standardization of fertilizer products, potential impurities like heavy metals, and the requirement to integrate recycling processes with existing wastewater facilities.

The outlook for fosforherwinning is favorable due to rising resource scarcity, stricter nutrient discharge rules, and growing interest from industry and agriculture. Ongoing research aims to increase recovery efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality.