A Promising Combination of Two Phosphate Removal Techniques: Biological P-Removal and the Crystalactor

Results are summarized from pilot scale experiments on the effectiveness of combining 2 phosphorus removal techniques, namely biological removal by luxury uptake by bacteria (principally Acinetobacter), followed by the Crystalactor, a fluidized bed reactor in which, under alkaline conditions, phosphorus was crystallized out as calcium phosphate on sand pellets. No biological sludge was produced in the reactor and the pellets could be re-used in the phosphate industry. Denitrification also occurred during the anaerobic phase of the biological treatment process. (see also following abstract).