Abstract |
Treated wastewaters both industrial and municipal may be considered as one of the principal contributors of nutrients. Until recently, removal of nutrients has not been considered as an objective of wastewater treatment nor has it been the goal of water quality regulations. The increasing fertilization of natural waters coupled with the increasing demand for surface waters has focused attention on nitrogen and phosphorus as major water pollutants. The extensive research conducted within the last several years has led to the development of new methods capable of removing a high fraction of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewaters. Available techniques for nutrients removal were evaluated with regard to classification, cost, ease of operation, and efficiencies. Evaluation was based on an extensive search of the literature. (Author) |