Phosphorous (P) is a critical component of biological processes. Yet, its over-enrichment in water bodies, known as eutrophication, can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Phosphorous (P) is a critical component of biological processes. Yet, its over-enrichment in water bodies, known as eutrophication, can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. As a non-renewable resource with no known alternatives, it is important to recover P from wastewater. Sara Abu-Obaid (PhD candidate), supervised by Professor Ramin Farnood and Adjunct Professor Shahram Tabe, is looking to do just that.
“Eutrophication can lead to harmful algae blooms, which threaten the quality of drinking water and fish habitat. It also causes degradation of recreational opportunities and hypoxia, a state in which oxygen is so low in water that it kills fish, depletes valuable fisheries, disrupts the food chain, and the list goes on. However, phosphorous is essential for many industries, especially fertilizer production,” explains Abu-Obaid.
Her research project entitled, Fabricating Novel Mixed Matrix Membranes for Phosphorous Recovery from Domestic Wastewater, aims to contribute to a circular economy by recovering P. Unlike traditional P-removal methods normally employed in wastewater treatment plants, Abu-Obaid explains that membranes offer a chance to recover this valuable resource.
Read more at University of Toronto
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