Low-cost material as active substrates for the removal of phosphorus in synthetic effluents: a proposal for social treatment technology

Abstract

Considering the importance of the development of simplified technologies and social control in sanitation actions, this study investigated the use of laterite for phosphorus removal in synthetic effluents, through adsorption, as a low-cost alternative with the possibility of reusing the generated effluent, for communities where access to sanitation is limited. In the experimental design, the variables pH, contact time, granulometry and laterite dosage were used. Factorial planning was used for processing, for optimization and desirability. It was observed that the removal efficiency did not have significant interference in relation to the pH and contact-time variables. The kinetics of the batch experiments showed that the ideal contact time was 6.4 hours and pH of around 4. The adsorption capacity was plotted against equilibrium concentration for the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm was more suitable for phosphorus adsorption. The results show that laterite was effective in phosphorus adsorption in the order of removal of 87%, showing itself to be a potential adsorbent material.
 Keywords: laterite, phosphate adsorption, simplified effluent treatment.

Low-cost sorbent for removing glyphosate from aqueous solutions for non-potable reuse

“…However, the technological complexity and costs associated with these prevent their dissemination in remote or low-income locations. Considering that the development of technologies must meet local needs (Soares and Naval, 2021) regarding cost and ease of operation, adsorption using activated carbon as a technology has proved to be one of the most accessible and environmentally friendly, adequate removal methods, as it meets criteria related to separation efficiency, economy and absence of secondary pollution (Guo, 2020;Dissanayake et al, 2019). Activated carbon offers application advantages for large-scale treatments, as well as favorable results regarding the removal of pollutants in the aqueous phase.…”