• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.271-275
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• 2016

Recently, pollution problem in coastal water has become more serious and pollution including red tide serves as a main reason for reduction of fishes resources. Particularly, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are the most serious pollutants. Normally, biological wastewater treatment process is used in removing such nutrients. However, it is difficult to adopt the biological wastewater treatment process to a small-scale fish processing factory in case of using seawater as wash water. Thus, removing nutrients through struvite crystallization is investigated in this study for treating shrimp processing wastewater. Experiments were conducted by varying molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}:NH^4-N:PO^4-P$ from 1:1:1 to 2:1:1. It can be concluded that optimum molar ratio is 1:1:1. Struvite crystallization process is compared with chemical coagulation process using PAC and struvite crystallization process is proven as the more effective process in removing nutrients from wastewater. In view of results obtained from these experiments, struvite crystallization process is a promising method in removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater; however, not so good in removing organics. Thus, struvite crystallization process is suitable as the pre-treatment process in treating shrimp processing wastewater and additional biological process is needed to remove organics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.879-886
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• 2010

This study investigated the removal characteristics of highly concentrated $NH_4$-N and $PO_4$-P by struvite crystallization using converter slag as a seed crystal. The optimal pH range for removal and recovery of $NH_4$-N and $PO_4$-P by struvite crystallization was measured to be 8.0~8.75, in which total removal efficiencies for $NH_4$-N and $PO_4$-P by struvite precipitation and crystallization were 34.3~61.0% and 91.0~96.2%, respectively. The maximum removal efficiencies for $NH_4$-N and $PO_4$-P by struvite crystallization were 29.4% at pH 8.5 and 65.1% at pH 8.0, respectively. The removal efficiency of $NH_4$-N by struvite crystallization decreased with increasing calcium ion concentration. The analysis results of SEM, EDS and XRD exhibited that $NH_4$-N and $PO_4$-P in meta-stable region of struvite crystallization could be eliminated through formation of magnesium ammonia phosphate (MAP) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) on seed crystals by struvite precipitation and crystallization.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.207-212
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• 2008

This study focused on shorten the period of the struvite crystal birth and development by adding seed materials. For this purpose, three different seed materials were selected: sand, anthracite and struvite. The experiments has been conducted to evaluate the effect of the particle size of the selected seed material on the struvite crystallization, and to study the mixing effect which can be expressed by the value of $G{\cdot}t_d$(the multiple of mean velocity gradient(G) and mixing time($t_d$)). It was observed in this study that the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen increased by 9%, 11%, and 20% for sand, anthracite, and struvite added as the seed material, respectivley. This indicated that the struvite crystallization efficiency had a close correlation with the specific surface area of the seed particle. It was found that when struvite was selected as the seed material, the struvite crystallization proceeded at lower $G{\cdot}t_d$ value as compared with other seed materials. This observation implied that the secondary crystal birth would be dominated in this reaction. It was concluded in this study that the particle size was not significant factor on the struvite crystallization, while the $G{\cdot}t_d$ value was a considerably important factor in terms of the theory of the struvite crystal birth.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.664-672
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• 2010

This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of industrial by-products such as converter slag, olivine, red mud and fly ash as a seed crystal of struvite crystallization for the removal of highly concentrated $NH_4-N$ and $PO_4-P$. In the kinetic experiments, more than 90% of $NH_4-N$ and $PO_4-P$ was eliminated by struvite crystallization within 30 minutes of reaction time. The pH range in meta-stable region of struvite crystallization was found to be pH 7.0~9.0 under the Mg:N:P=1:1:1 equi-molar condition with 100 mg/L of $NH_4-N$. Total removal efficiencies of $NH_4-N$ and $PO_4-P$ by both struvite precipitation and crystallization were increased with the increase of pH. Removal efficiencies of $NH_4-N$ and $PO_4-P$ were significantly enhanced by struvite crystallization using industrial by-products as a seed crystal compared with those by struvite precipitation without seed crystal. Red mud, converter slag, olivine and fly ash enhanced the removal efficiencies of $NH_4-N$ by 40.9%, 37.7%, 28.4% and 16.4%, respectively. Removal efficiencies of $PO_4-P$ for converter slag, red mud, fly ash, olivine were increased by 3.7 times, 2.6 times, 72.4% and 68.0%, respectively. Converter slag and red mud showed higher feasibility as a seed crystal than others for the removal of highly concentrated $NH_4-N$ and $PO_4-P$. In particular, converter slag might have a high capacity of phosphorus removal.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.462-469
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• 2017

Eutrophication and shortage of phosphate ore raise the necessity of phosphate removal and recovery from wastewater treatment plants. Especially, a sludge treatment system containing highly concentrated phosphate should be targeted for phosphate removal and recovery. This study thus aimed to evaluate the capability of the struvite crystallization process for phosphate removal and recovery from a sludge treatment system of a wastewater treatment plant. Analysis on phosphate concentrations and masses in the sludge treatment system revealed that digested sludge and centrate have phosphate concentrations and masses, high enough to adopt the struvite crystallization process. Chemical equilibrium modeling indicated that the struvite crystallization reaction substantially occurred with pH higher than 8 and $Mg^{2+}$ concentration 1.2 times higher than its theoretical requirement. A series of batch tests with digested sludge and centrate indicated that the phosphate removal reaction by struvite crystallization followed a first-order kinetics and reached over 80% removal efficiency at equilibrium. Aeration in the batch tests was found to purge $CO_2$ in sludge or centrate and increase pH up to 8.7, without adding NaOH. Thus, we concluded that the struvite crystallization process could be an efficient and economical process for phosphate removal and recovery from a wastewater treatment plant.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.875-884
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• 2003

Operational parameters for struvite crystallization, as a process to recover nitrogen and phosphorus resources from animal wastewater, were studied in this research. Crystallization distinctive of NH$_4$-N and PO$_4$$^{3-}$ in accordance to chemical sources, influent pH, aeration and stirring was examined using 2L of working volume of struvite reactor. Also, to find an effective treatment process combining with electrolysis method, removal characteristics of NH$_4$-N and PO$_4$$^{3-}$ in 6 different processes was tested. As chemical sources for the derivation of struvite formation, MgSO$_4$ and MgCl$_2$ were superior to CaCO$_3$ and CaCl$_2$. From experiment which was conducted to know the effects of aeration and stirring on struvite formation, it was revealed that aeration stimulated the crystallization reaction by inducing faster pH increase. While 90% of P removal was achieved within 1 hour under aeration, 14 hours was consumed under stirring condition. Struvite formation under aeration was affected by influent pH. No crystallization was observed at pH 5 level, but active crystallization reaction was induced over pH 6.0. 95% of P removal by struvite formation at pH 6, 7 and 9 was achieved within 3h, 2h and 10 min., respectively. However, over pH 10, operational problem due to excessive foam formation occurred, and blunting of crystallization reaction was observed at pH 11. When consider the pH range of animal wastewater, pH 7 to 9, efficient struvite formation could be achieved by simple aeration, without any chemical usage for pH adjustment. Among tested processes, the treatment process which electrolyzing the supernatant from struvite reactor, providing air to both reactors, showed best pollutant removal efficiencies. In this combined process, the removal efficiencies of NH$_4$-N and PO$_4$$^{3-}$ was 86% and 98%, respectively, and 92.4% of color removal was obtained.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.5-12
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of operational parameters such as dosage of magnesium and phosphate, pH, reaction time and existence crystal core for the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in anaerobic fermentation supernatant by struvite crystallization. Optimal mole ratio of $Mg^{2+}:NH_4{^+}:PO_4{^{3-}}$ was 1.2:1.0:1.2. Under the optimal molar ratio, removal ratio and reaction rate constant of $NH_4{^+}-N$ and $PO_4{^{3-}}-P$ were 79.2, 96.8%, 0.157 and $0.344min^{-1}$, respectively. Optimal pH and reaction time were 11 and 10 minutes, respectively, in the optimal molar ratio. Residual concentration of $NH_4{^+}-N$ and $PO_4{^{3-}}-P$ showed lowest value with 1 g/L of crystal core addition. SEM analysis of struvite crystallization with crystal core showed higher crystal core growth than that of without crystal core. Struvite precipitate proved to be orthorhomic crystal structure by XRD analysis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.745-753
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• 2007

By struvite and hydroxyapatite crystallization, was high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater simultaneously. Particularly, removal of nitrogen and phosphate for crystallization have been applied to landfill leachates and animal wastewater. The purpose of this study is to decide the optimum struvite crystallization factors, sequence of $Mg^{2+}$ addition, pH control and the molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}$ over $PO_4^{3-}$. In conclusion, dosage of the magnesium followed by pH control formed magnesium hydroxide, so pH was decreased. Therefore, pH adjustment should followed by after magnesium dosage and then pH should be adjusted to 11. Over pH 10, it was not good for struvite crystallization efficiency by side reaction. Following of the $Mg^{2+}$ and the $PO_4^{3-}$ are dosed excessively, the removal efficiency of the $NH_4^+$ increased. A molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}:NH_4^+:PO_4^{3-}$, 1.3:1:1.3 was the most on effective for $NH_4^+$ removal at pH 9.5. But for the perfect removal $NH_4^+$, it is thought to be that molar ratio should be 2:1:2.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.138-143
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• 2007

This study goes in for the observation of the characteristics of nitrogen removal from swine wastewater by struvite crystallization. In addition, the struvite formation potential in supernatants after struvite crystallization was investigated. In the study for nitrogen removal by struvite crystallization, the effects of pH and molar ratio of magnesium (Mg) injected using bittern as Mg source were investigated. Also, the potential of struvite formation in the supernatant with amount of Mg added was carefully observed. As the results, the optimum pH in the removal of nitrogen was 8.8 and sludge volume was increased as pH was raised from 7 to 12 under the condition that the molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}$ to ${NH_4}^+$-N to ${PO_4}^{3-}$-P was 1:1:1. An optimum removal efficiency of ammonia-N was observed at 1 molar ratio of Mg to ${NH_4}^+$-N, showing no further increase at over 1 molar ratio and dramatical deterioration at under 1 molar ratio. However, the sludge volume was increased by increasing the molar ratio of Mg. In the experiments for the potential of struvite formation in the supernatants, initial -log([$Mg^{2+}$][${NH_4}^+$][${PO_4}^{3-}$]) value was much lower than $pK_{sp}$ and gradually reached $pK_{sp}$ at 2 days, as the molar ratio of Mg increased over 1.2. At 31 days, -log([$Mg^{2+}$][${NH_4}^+$][${PO_4}^{3-}$]) value was returned to the initial value. In addition, the supernatants had a potential precipitation of hydroxylapatite due to calcium contained in bittern, $K_2Mg(SO_4)_3$ and $K_3Na(SO_4)_2$ resulting from the decrease of sodium and potassium in supernatants formed after struvite crystallization as times go by. Based on the results, it appears that some retention time and proper dosage of Mg may be needed for the prevention of scale in pipe line.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.916-921
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• 2009

This study was aimed to both enhance the fluoride removal and to reduce the phosphorus removal in treating semiconductor wastewater using $Ca(OH)_2$ at low pH so as to facilitate struvite crystallization reaction. The struvite crystallization could be introduced after fluoride removal by retaining the phosphorus source. As the results, the method applied in this study achieved high fluoride removal efficiency (about 91%) with retardation of phosphorus removal at pH 4, compared to conventional methods where the removal of fluoride and phosphorus were done at pH 11. Therefore, the fluoride removal at low pH would contribute to the enhancement of nitrogen and phosphorus removals in a consecutive struvite crystallization reactor. Treatment of semiconductor wastewater at low pH using $Ca(OH)_2$ also had lower (about 20%) water content of precipitated sludge compared to conventional method. As the molar ratio of Ca to F increased the removal efficiencies of fluoride and phosphorus increased. Although the amount of seed dosage didn't affect the removal of fluoride and phosphorus, its increase reduced the water content of precipitated matter. Finally, considering consecutive struvite reaction, the optimum condition for the removal of fluoride and phosphorus was as follow: pH: 4, the molar ratio of Ca:F: 1:1.