Sustainable Advances in Phosphorus Removal and Recovery from Industrial Wastewater

Phosphorus, an essential nutrient and a finite resource, poses significant environmental challenges when discharged into water bodies from industrial wastewater, contributing to eutrophication and ecosystem degradation. Concurrently, its recovery offers a sustainable pathway to address resource scarcity. This review critically evaluates recent progress in phosphorus removal and recovery technologies, emphasizing five widely recognized approaches: (i) biological processes, such as aerobic granular sludge and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR); (ii) chemical precipitation using agents like lime and metal salts; (iii) struvite crystallization; (iv) electrocoagulation (EC) and (v) Bioelectrochemical Systems (BES) for phosphorus recovery. The assessment focuses on these methods’ efficiency, feasibility, and sustainability, highlighting their strengths and limitations. These strategies can foster environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment, mitigate eutrophication risks, and reduce dependence on finite phosphate resources.