Microcosm Study: Effect of Fe(II) Addition in Sawdust for Phosphorous Recovery from Eutrophic Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

The recovery of phosphorus in eutrophic water bodies is important to ensure water and food security, phosphorus adsorption in sawdust can be promoted by Fe(III) oxide-hydroxides biofilms. The main objective of this study was to analyze the influence of iron addition in sawdust on phosphorus adsorption. The microcosm experiment was performed with water and sediment samples from a eutrophic reservoir located in Barra Bonita/SP. Three control flasks (without bags) and 18 others as treatments (with two bags filled with sawdust, with or without previous Fe(II) addition) were assembled. The addition of iron did not promote greater phosphorus adsorption, the sawdust without previous iron addition had a total phosphorus concentration of 49 μg•P•g-1 , while the sawdust with previous iron addition had 14.4 μg•P•g-1. The use of sawdust for the remediation of eutrophic water bodies is interesting, especially considering the low-cost and possibility of reuse as fertilizer in agriculture.