International research team achieves breakthrough in phosphorus recovery from waste

An international research team has achieved a breakthrough in phosphorus recovery from waste. The group, led by the University of Turku in Finland, has identified a method to produce pure phosphorus from waste materials. Phosphorus is a critical element in food production, but it can promote harmful algal blooms when it enters water bodies through waste.

The new method involves treating phosphorus-containing waste at high temperatures under controlled conditions. According to the study, impure waste coke’s phosphate can react with carbon, simultaneously producing pure phosphorus that is easier to recover. Researchers have highlighted that this method represents a significant advancement in managing phosphorus waste, which is one of the world’s major environmental challenges.

“Many current waste streams contain phosphorus in forms that are difficult to recycle or are contaminated, making recycling impossible,” says Oskar Karlström, an associate professor at the University of Turku.

Karlström hopes the international scientific community will continue the necessary research for future phosphorus recycling. “This new approach could radically change how we manage phosphorus-rich waste streams that have previously been difficult to utilize,” he added.

The study involved collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark, Chalmers University of Technology, Åbo Akademi, and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research paper has been published in the journal Fuel.