{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:24:43Z","timestamp":1760059483596,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]],"date-time":"2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750032000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (FCT)","award":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"]}]},{"name":"FCT","award":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"]}]},{"name":"LEAF\u2014Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Centre","award":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Associate Laboratory TERRA","award":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020.08213.BD","UIDB\/00102\/2020","UIDP\/00102\/2020","UIDB\/04129\/2020","UIDP\/04129\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study proposes and evaluates a two-step phosphorus (P) recovery strategy that combines chemical precipitation with adsorption to comply with the updated EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (Directive (EU) 2024\/3019), which sets stricter limits on nutrient discharge and promotes resource recovery. The objective was to enhance the P removal efficiency beyond that achieved by conventional precipitation. A laboratory-scale design of experiments was conducted using real wastewater with an initial P concentration of 10 mg P\/L post-precipitation and was extended to 1 and 40 mg P\/L to assess broader applicability. The optimal lab-scale conditions (30 cm bed height and 5 mL\/min flow rate) resulted in a saturated bed fraction (FSB) of 0.425 and a breakthrough time of 126 min. The process was successfully scaled up to a column with a height of 60 cm and a diameter of 4 cm, achieving a higher FSB (0.764), improved adsorption capacity (84.1 mg P\/kg), and reduced unused bed (40%). The integrated system maintained effluent P levels below 0.5\u20130.7 mg P\/L for over 400 min, demonstrating regulatory compliance and operational reliability. These findings confirmed the feasibility and scalability of combining precipitation with adsorption for enhanced P recovery in wastewater treatment systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app15126761","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]],"date-time":"2025-06-16T14:03:11Z","timestamp":1750082591000},"page":"6761","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sustainable Phosphate Capture from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants Towards a Nutrient Recovery and Water Reuse Strategy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0944-8632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andreia F.","family":"Santos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, CERES, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3225-3358","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paula","family":"Alvarenga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Associate Laboratory TERRA, LEAF\u2014Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Center, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0739-1238","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lic\u00ednio M.","family":"Gando-Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, CERES, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9651-2427","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margarida J.","family":"Quina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, CERES, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ohtake, H., and Tsuneda, S. 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