Transformation of phosphorus and stabilization of heavy metals during sewage sludge incineration: the effect of suitable additives and temperatures

Phosphorus (P), an irreplaceable nutrient for all living organisms, is facing scarcity via phosphate resources. In this research, the effect of suitable additives and temperature on P and heavy metals speciation during sewage sludge (SS) thermochemical treatment was investigated. The results demonstrated that additives (CaO and MgO) could promote the conversion of non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) to apatite phosphorus (AP). X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the phosphorus mineral phase in sewage sludge ash (SSA) mainly was AP, with addition of MgO and CaO. Moreover, orthogonal testing revealed that the optimal molar ratio of Mg:Ca:P for P recovery as AP was 1:3.5:1 at 750 °C. Risk index results implied that the heavy metals in the phosphorus-enriched SSA have low potential ecological risk. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations revealed that P reacted with the other metal ions was in the following order: Ca 2+ > Mg 2+ > Al 3+ > Fe 3+ > Zn 2+ > K + . Graphical Abstract