Phosphate Sorption in Shellfish Shell (<i>Venerupis pulastra</i>) Substrates: Development of Green and Low-Cost Technology for Tertiary Treatment of Effluents

Abstract

A natural substrate prepared with shellfish shells (Venerupis pulastra) is used for adsorption of orthophosphate (PO43−) from synthetic solutions and effluents in batch essays. Tests of synthetic solutions with varying pH, temperature, rotational speed, substrate mass and particle size obtain 50%–98% phosphorus removal efficiency, which is increased by mass increment (2&nbsp;g) and minor particle size (Ø=200–520 μm). Tests with two effluents (Ci,PO43−=0.5 and 3.9 mg L−1) achieve removal efficiencies of 86% and 91%, respectively, demonstrating the potential of the substrate as a green and low-cost technology for the tertiary treatment of effluents and phosphorus recovery.