Struvite precipitation

Struvite (often called MAP for magnesium ammonium phosphate: MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O) is a safe, bio-available fertilizer, which can be precipitated from urine by adding magnesium. STUN developed a low-cost process to produce struvite. Conventional phosphate fertilizers are produced from phosphate rocks, a non-renewable resource. Alternative phosphate sources are necessary for a secure food production in the future.

Struvite downloads

Posters:

• नेपालमा पिसाबबाट स्त्रुाइट मलको उत्पादन [pdf]

• Struvite recovery from urine in Nepal [pdf]

Brochures:

• पिसाबबाट मल कसरी उत्पादन गर्ने: स्त्रुभाइट [pdf]
• How to produce fertilizer from urine: Struvite [pdf]
• Economics of struvite production in Nepal [pdf] with calculation sheet [xls]
  

Scientific journal articles:

• Sakthivel, S.R., Tilley, E., Udert, K.M. (2012) Wood ash as a magnesium source for phosphorus recovery from source-separated urine. Accepted for Science of the Total Environment, Dec 2011 [pdf]
  
• Etter, B., Tilley, E., Khadka, R., Udert, K.M. (2011) Low-cost struvite production using source-separated urine in Nepal. Water Research 45-2, 852-862 [pdf]
  
• Tilley, E., Gantenbein, B., Khadka, R., Zurbrügg, C., Udert, K.M. (2009) Social and economic feasibility of struvite recovery from urine at the community level in Nepal. In: Ashley, K., Mavinic, D., Koch, F. (Eds.), International Conference on Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater Streams. IWA Publishing, London, pp. 169e178 [pdf]

Manuals:

Reactor construction manual [pdf] Reactor operation manual [pdf]

Reactor drawings as PDF [zip] Reactor drawings as dwg [zip]

Struvite links

• Eawag's nutrient recycling project in South Africa: VUNA
• Previous nutrient recycling project at Eawag: Novaquatis
• Struvite production at GIZ in Germany: Saniresch
  

Acknowledgement

The STUN team would like to thank the Symphasis Foundation for the generous financial support.