Removal effects of a biomass bottom ash composite on tailwater phosphate and its application in a rural sewage treatment plant

Tailwater phosphate from sewage treatment plants and biomass bottom ash (BA) from power plants has become a global concern for the sustainable environmental development and resource management. However, there are large gaps in the understanding of the removal mechanisms and application conditions of BA on tailwater phosphate. In this study, the removal effect and mechanism of BA and its composites were fully discussed using a series of experiments, including adsorption, desorption, characterization, and incubation experiments. It was found that the combination of BA and red soil at a rate of 4:1 (C_BA) could remove 92.44% of phosphate from tailwater in 3–10 h. Its adsorption process was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm adsorption models. The mechanism of phosphate adsorption primarily included ligand exchange, physical adsorption, chemical precipitation, electrostatic attraction, and ion exchange. The C_BA could be used as a better substrate for constructed wetlands because it was effective under wide application conditions, which varying pH values (4.0–8.0), initial concentrations of tailwater phosphate (0.5–5.0 mg L⁻¹), and even extreme temperatures (heat and cold). Moreover, Hippuris vulgaris L. was optimized and combined with the C_BA to deeply remove 57.45–76.06% of phosphate from a rural sewage treatment plant. The phosphate concentration after treatment could reach below the limit values of the Grade III or IV standard (GB 3838–2002), though the C_BA contained and released phosphate. This study can help provide a recycling route for both BA and tailwater phosphate resources, extend the industrial chain of biomass power plants, and improve the surrounding water environment.