Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Enviro-Neptune works in the research, development and improvement of technologies dedicated to commercial, institutional and community applications in decentralized sanitation. When it comes to our aquatic environments, phosphate removal is being investigated due to its significant environmental impact. The majority of our modern agriculture is mainly dependent on Phosphorus (P) derived from phosphate rock, which is a non-renewable resource. There is the necessity for recovery of phosphate as a resource for sustainable food production. Activated Alumina (AA) is an inorganic porous material, semi-crystalline and essentially comprised by aluminum oxide with a number of unique characteristics that make it a good candidate for many diverse applications.The proposed collaborative project Lambton College and Enviro-Neptune will focus on understanding the mechanisms of desorption of P in saturated AA, determining the level of desorption of P in saturated AA, and determining the percentage of recovery of P. Overall, the purpose of the present study is to evaluate the potential for a more effective desorption process to regenerate AA saturated in P for both high and low concentration scenarios and determine the percentage of recovery of this valuable source. The success of the research will lead to the integration of this new technology and will provide Enviro-Neptune with a competitive price advantage in the market since the company's operating and maintenance costs will drop. In addition, this will help to avoid waste management and landfill cost that it is approximately $128,000/year. Furthermore, any contributions with phosphorous recovered with AA will be economically beneficial for Canada by saving money on P imports.