A Comprehensive Review of the Available Media and Approaches for Phosphorus Recovery from Wastewater

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for all living organisms, and plays a major role in many physiological processes. However, in recent years, excessive amounts of P discharged into aquatic environments have become one of the main causes of water eutrophication, which has negative effects on water quality. Therefore, it is desirable to implement technologies to recover P from P-containing solutions to maintain the natural P cycle and reduce the level of P entering surface waters. This work reviews the latest studies on P recovery technologies, with a specific focus on current approaches and treatment media including seed materials, microorganisms, wetland plants, and membrane materials. This review also investigates the potential for P recovery, the purity of recovered products, the technical and economic feasibility of different approaches, and the resulting ecological and economic benefits. Building upon the outcomes of previous studies, technological innovations in P recovery media and approaches were considered to evaluate their advantages, difficulties, and inherent limitations. This comprehensive review provides the basis for additional research and the future development of P recovery in response to the increasing severity of eutrophication and the imminent depletion of P reserves.