Ferrihydrite-impregnated granular activated carbon (FH@GAC) for efficient phosphorus removal from wastewater secondary effluent.

Adsorptive removal of phosphorus from wastewater effluents has attracted attention because of its reduced sludge production and potential P recovery. In this study, we investigated granular activated carbons (GACs) impregnated with amorphous ferrihydrite (FH@GAC) for the sorption of phosphorus from aqueous solutions. Preoxidation of intact GAC surfaces using an oxidant (e.g., hypochlorite) and strong acids (e.g., HNO3/H2SO4) was performed to create active functional groups (e.g., carboxyl or phenolic) for enhanced iron binding, leading to greater phosphorus uptake. Both the rate and the capacity of phosphorus sorption onto FH@GAC had significant, positive relationships (Pearson correlation coefficient r > 0.9) with the product of surface area and Fe content. The pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics explained the P sorption rate better than the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, whereas the Langmuir model fit the P sorption isotherm better than the Freundlich model. The iron content in the FH@GAC increased significantly (>10 mg/g) when GAC (e.g., BMC1050) was preoxidized by a 1:1 (w/w) concentrated HNO3/H2SO4 mixture. The Langmuir maximum P sorption capacity of a functionalized FH@BMC1050 adsorbent prepared with acid pretreatment was estimated to be substantial (5.73 mg P/g GAC corresponding to 526 mg P/g Fe). This sorption capacity was superior to that of a FH slurry, possibly because the nano-sized FH formed inside the GAC pores (<2.5 nm) can bind phosphate ions more effectively than FH aggregates. Fixed-bed column reactor operation with bicarbonate regeneration showed potential for efficient, continuous phosphorus removal by FH@GAC media.