Influence of Cr(VI) and Cd(II) on Struvite Crystallization in Simulated Wastewater

Assimilation of residual pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen, as nutrients, in swine digestate effluents into a bio-resource is key to promoting sustainable use of resources in farming but surfacing data suggest that heavy metals in such wastewaters cause observable retardation in the struvite growth rate reduces viability of the crystal as a slow-release fertilizer. Struvite crystallization can simultaneously remove and recover phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen both from nutrient-rich wastewater and can be sustainable option to address unwanted nutrient enrichment in receiving bodies of water. In this work, we conducted bulk crystal growth in simulated wastewater. Struvite crystals recovered are characterized using a combination of spectroscopic, and crystallographic techniques. Results from these studies may provide insights on desirable pretreatment on heavy metal rich wastewater which can promote extraction of nutrients through struvite crystallization.