Phosphorus (P) surplus is a key factor in water eutrophication, and aqueous phosphate removal is a concern. In this study, ferrous ions (Fe 2þ ) were generated in situ by iron-air fuel cells and were used in the removal of P from synthetic P-containing wastewater. The P removal results indicated that different initial concentrations of P were more effectively removed by an in situ Fe 2þ generation than by the addition of FeSO 4 . The main P removal products of FeSO 4 were Fe hydroxides, whereas the main products with the iron fuel cell were vivianite and Fe hydroxides. These results suggested that Fe 2þ formed in situ had a more conducive and stronger affinity to bond phosphate than FeSO 4 . The maximum power density reached 1,875 mW=m 2 after 24 h of operation. The results indicate that the iron-air fuel cell can be used for P removal/recovery coupled with potential electricity generation.