Finalist award: £50,000
Winner award: £450,000
Led by: Cranfield University
Options for phosphorus (P) removal from wastewater remain limited. Most utilities use coagulants leading to high chemical use, high GHG, sludge production, combined with significant supply chain risks. New-found research has shown that is possible to remove (and recover) P as biologically induced struvite (bio-struvite) in real wastewater open culture systems using biocatalysts with selected bacteria in a continuous reactor. The effluent was <2 mg P/L and the struvite recovered had very high purity, as demonstrated after metals and pharmaceuticals analysis. Our aim is optimise this sustainable technology leading to a wider implementation by the UK water industry.
Cranfield University was announced as one of 10 winners in the Water Discovery Challenge on 20 February 2024 – read more in the announcement blog.
