NUTRIENT RECOVERY FROM FOOD-GRADE WASTEWATER EFFLUENTS THROUGH STRUVITE CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESS AND ITS APPLICATIONAS AFERTILIZER FOR CROPS IN BIKANER
Food industries in the Bikaner region generate substantial quantities of wastewater containing huge organic andnutrient loads, creating noticeable environmental challenges in arid and water-scarce areas. This study evaluateswastewater from selected food-grade industries by analysing major physicochemical parameters, includingbiochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus. That’shigh concentrations of organic pollutants and nutrients, indicating the necessity for efficient treatment andsustainable resource recovery approaches. To address this issue, struvite precipitation was investigated as a nutrient recovery technique for ammonia-rich industrial effluents. The effects of parameters such as pH, mixing speed(RPM), and retention time on struvite crystallisation efficiency were systematically examined. The recoveredprecipitate was confirmed as struvite through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The study demonstrated that struviteprecipitation effectively reduces nutrient pollution while converting wastewater-derived nutrients into a slow-releasefertiliser. The findings contribute to the growing field of sustainable wastewater management and circular economypractices by demonstrating a practical method for simultaneous pollution control and resource recovery. Thisresearch provides a foundation for future studies on industrial wastewater valorisation and supports the development of environment-friendly treatment technologies suitable for semi-arid regions. The outcomes may assist industries, researchers, and policymakers in promoting sustainable industrial practices, nutrient recycling, and environmental protection in regions facing increasing water and waste management challenges.
Readers around the world
