Challenges of Phosphate Removal from Water
Pollution of water resulting from both domestic and agricultural wastes has been one of the most challenging problems that present significant concerns over the recent times Reddy, Xie and Dastgheibi, 2014). The discharge of nutrients, in particular phosphates results in eutrophication, by and large deterioration of the quality of receiving water as well as algal blooms. The demand for new approaches aimed at enhancing the quality of water has been acknowledge all over the world and various approached to the removal of phosphates from water have been proposed even as more of the same are still under research across an avalanche of techniques of wastewater treatment (Reddy, Xie and Dastgheibi, 2014).
The removal of phosphates from water has turned out to be one of the most challenging things to achieve with findings from studies hinting that they are needed for meaningful removal of phosphates has turned out to be by and large the largest of all requirements of wetland (Claveau-Mallet, Courcelles and Comeau, 2014). Most of the operating wetlands as well as ponds eliminate very little phosphates and there are not in place proper mechanism that may be adopted to fully eliminate phosphates from ponds or even from the wetland systems (Claveau-Mallet, Courcelles and Comeau, 2014). Due to this, any amount of phosphorus eliminated from wetland system or a pond needs to be some at a place. Numerous plants have been found to store p phosphates even though phosphates makes just between 0.1 to 0.4% of the plants of wetlands on the basis of dry weight. Other studies have also established that there are minimal impacts of plants on the elimination of phosphates. The mechanisms for the removal of phosphates from column of water are among them chemical precipitation, biomass assimilation as well as adoption to the substratum (Loganathan et al., 2014).
The adoption of active filters for the removal of phosphates tens to provide an assuring recommended technology that that be used in the upgrading of the systems of water treatment for both small and large communities, organizations as well as farms (Gogoi et al., 2015). The word active in this context being is being used to demonstration that besides the physical straining, the media of filter is as well endowed with chemical features which are to support more refined mechanisms of treatment. To present day, most of the works of literature review have being skewed and tilted towards giving reports on the use of active filter as a fundamental part of systems of treatment of wetland even though they are well can be used in providing an ideal method for upgrading other systems of water treatments that are typically poor at the removal of phosphates (Myneni & Jaffe, 2015).
Filter materials that are rich in Ca, Fe and Al have been known to have values of pH that are often either higher to lower than the intended natural values and hence are very dangerous for the growth of aquatic life. Note has been that that this challenge may be eliminated through the adoption of multistage wetland design that is composed of two or more flow cells in which some of the cells are planted to increase organic matter, removal of nutrients through microbial and plant uptakes as well as suspended matter (Karczmarczyk and Bus, 2014). In as much as such unplanted sections of wetlands could be having a similar appearance as that which would be adopted for the purposes if making upgrades to a pond, it has to be established that the wetland and pond surrounding often gave numerous various features. Of specific interest and relevance in the ponds is carbon dioxide consumption by the high concentrations of algae which may lead to significant increases in the levels of pH.
Adoption of Active Filters for Removal of Phosphates
This paper is aimed at reporting on the use of limestone filters as an alternative approach to the removal of phosphates in water. The use of limestone filter is anticipated to overcome the challenges that are experienced by the other conventional techniques which are influenced by among other factors the form of the phosphates that is to be removed (Gogoi et al., 2015). The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the use of limestone filters in the upgrading of the removal of phosphates from water. Still this research will make a comparison between the use of limestone filters and the conventional filters including aluminium, calcium as well as iron and draw conclusions in line with the same.
Aim
This study will aim at examining the applicability as well as the efficiency of the use of limestone filters in the removal of phosphates from water
Objective
- Evaluate the conventional techniques and filter methods used in the removal of phosphates from water
- To explore the applicability of limestone filters with regard to phosphate removal from water
- To demonstrate the use of limestone filters in the upgrading of the removal of phosphates from water
- To make a comparison between the use of limestone filters and the conventional filters
- Analyze the obtained results to determine the influence of the studied operating parameters.
Research Methodology
The nature of the research will be such that both quantative and qualitative approaches will be adopted hence would be a mixed research methodology approach. The qualitative aspect of the research will be regard to an attempt to understand the previous work that has been done with regard to removal of phosphates from water using the various filters. This would form grounds for coming up with the research gap that would inform the need and hence the aim of the research. This would be in line with exploring on the weaknesses of the conventional filters that are adopted in the removal of phosphate from water sources Reddy, Xie and Dastgheibi, 2014).
The quantitative aspect of the study will involve performing various laboratory experiments that will be aimed at establishing the performance and efficiency of limestone filters with regard to removal of phosphates from water. This aspect of the research will be achieved through various experiments among them column study as well as batch studies. Column studies will involve investigation of the absorption of phosphates in the limestone filter columns. For the case of batch study experiment, the experiment will be conducted to determine the capacity of adsorption of limestone filters in the removal of phosphates from synthetic wastewater. The impact of time, pH, and temperature as well as the adsorbent close on the process of adsorption will be given a significant attention in both cases (Gogoi et al., 2015).
Methods of Data Analysis
The statistical methods of analysing the findings from two experiments on the efficiency of removal of phosphates from water using limestone filters will be dependent on the nature of the obtained results. Among the methods that will be adopted include;
Mean that would be of significance in the determination of the overall nature of a data set or otherwise offering a quick overview of the findings. The mean will be used in finding the averages of repeated tests for the same test procedure to aid in finding a fairly convergent ground. The mean would be in the determination of the average amount of phosphates removed or eliminated from water using limestone filter
Standard Deviation: This method would be used in the estimation of how widely spread over the mean the findings of the study are. The standard deviation would be used to find the nature of spread of the efficiency of the use of limestone filters (Gogoi et al., 2015). The formula shown below is used in the determination of standard deviation:
S=
Regression is yet another statistical data analysis method that would be used for this study. It would aid in the determination of the nature of the correlation between the various parameters of variables that are under test. Regression would help in determining if there is a relationship the size or diameter of the filters and the amount of phosphates removed.
Hypothesis testing is used in find out if a premise is true for the results of a research as demonstrated by the data. It would encompass performing comparisons between the results and earlier mentioned hypothesis and would be assumed to be statistically significant if findings are found not have been able take place by any random chance (Gogoi et al., 2015).
Programs of the Work (Milestones and Deliverables)
References
Ahmed, V., Opoku, A. and Aziz, Z. eds., 2016. Research methodology in the built environment: a selection of case studies. Routledge
Caillaud, E., Rose, B. and Goepp, V., 2016. Research methodology for systems engineering: some recommendations. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 49(12), pp.1567-1572
Claveau-Mallet, D., Courcelles, B. and Comeau, Y., 2014. Phosphorus removal by steel slag filters: modeling dissolution and precipitation kinetics to predict longevity. Environmental science & technology, 48(13), pp.7486-7493
Claveau-Mallet, D., Courcelles, B., Pasquier, P. and Comeau, Y., 2017. Numerical simulations with the P-Hydroslag model to predict phosphorus removal by steel slag filters. Water research, 126, pp.421-432
Gogoi, S., Nath, S.K., Bordoloi, S. and Dutta, R.K., 2015. Fluoride removal from groundwater by limestone treatment in presence of phosphoric acid. Journal of environmental management, 152, pp.132-139
Karczmarczyk, A. and Bus, A., 2014. Testing of reactive materials for phosphorus removal from water and wastewater–comparative study. Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW. Land Reclamation, 46(1), pp.57-67
Loganathan, P., Vigneswaran, S., Kandasamy, J. and Bolan, N.S., 2014. Removal and recovery of phosphate from water using sorption. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 44(8), pp.847-907
McComb, C. and Tehrani, F.M., 2018. Research and Practice Group Methodology: A Case Study in Student Success
Myneni, S.C. and Jaffe, P., Princeton University, 2015. Nanoparticulate Apatite Coated Calcite/Limestone Filter Materials for Removing Contaminants from Contaminated Water. U.S. Patent Application 14/695,220
Reddy, K.R., Xie, T. and Dastgheibi, S., 2014. Removal of heavy metals from urban stormwater runoff using different filter materials. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2(1), pp.282-292.
Suárez, E., Calvo-Mora, A., Roldán, J.L. and Periánez-Cristóbal, R., 2017. Quantitative research on the EFQM excellence model: A systematic
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