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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

KEARNEYSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA

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The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a new technology for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater using iron oxide-based sorption media in a fixed bed process. The process offers the possibility of significant reductions in capital and operating costs for the removal of phosphorus because of the economy of the by-product media coupled with elimination of solid-liquid separation and sludge disposal required by conventional iron or aluminum-based coagulation processes. An additional feature of the technology is the capability to recover the phosphorus removed from wastewater as a potentially marketable fertilizer, thus closing the

recycle loop for phosphorus.

 

Philip L. Sibrell leads this effort and is a research engineer with the U.S. Geological Survey, at the Leetown Science Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia. U.S. Geological Survey won third place in Stage 2.

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