Do hidden crystals of fertilizer wait to be discovered inside waste streams?
- Beschreibung
Introduction:
What we call wastewater still holds valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium that can be turned into useful products. In modern biorefineries, some processes generate liquid streams enriched with nutrients that, under the right conditions, can crystallize as struvite, a fertilizer that supports healthy plant development.
Although magnesium is naturally present in wastewater, additional input is often needed to achieve optimal crystal formation. There are different ways to provide the magnesium required for struvite to form, and each option can influence how easily and efficiently the process happens. Finding the right balance can make the difference between successful nutrient recovery and wasted resources.
In this project, you will prepare a simple model of nutrient-rich wastewater and experiment with conditions that promote crystal formation. We are looking for curious minds who enjoy practical work and are eager to find sustainable ways to recover resources from wastewater.
Estimated working plan:
Task 1: Preparation of the synthetic solution
You will begin by preparing a synthetic wastewater solution following a recipe provided by the supervisor, in order to reproduce the main components of nutrient-rich streams from a biorefinery.
Task 2: Struvite precipitation experiments
You will perform jar tests using the prepared synthetic solution. Different magnesium sources will be added, and the pH will be adjusted to study how these conditions influence struvite crystal formation. The produced struvite will be characterized to evaluate its quality.
Task 3: Results and communication
You will organize, compare, and discuss the results, and present them according to the Humboldt Reloaded requirements.
- Projektzeitraum
- Wintersemester 2025/2026
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 13. bis 27.10.2025
- Durchführung
- semesterbegleitend
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
- The report/abstract/presentation can be done in German. The spoken language between the supervisors and the students would be English.
- The project schedule and implementation will be adapted according to the student's availability.
- Studienfach
- offen für alle Studienfächer
- Betreuende
- Leiddi Leal, Gabriel De Freitas Batista, Dr. Gero Becker, Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse
- Institut
- Institut für Agrartechnik (440) (Conversion technologies of biobased resources)
- Sprache
- deutsch/englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 2
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 180 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 6
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- experimentell
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
In this project, the participants will learn to:
- Explore how nutrients can be recovered from wastewater through simple lab experiments.
- Develop practical and analytical skills for planning, conducting, and interpreting experiments.
- Gain insight into how process conditions influence resource recovery efficiency.
- Strengthen their ability to communicate scientific results clearly and effectively.
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
For further questions regarding the project, contact me via email: leiddi.leal@uni-hohenheim.de.
- Schlagworte
- Nutrient recovery, struvite, waste water, precipitation