Israeli Scientists develop a method to turn Hazardous Acidic Industrial Wastewater into Valuable Resources
Israeli Scientists develop a method to turn Hazardous Acidic Industrial Wastewater into Valuable Resources

A research group led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a
circular process for eliminating the risk posed by phosphoric acid plant wastewater.

A research team of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev environmental scientists has developed a circular process for eliminating the risk posed by phosphoric acid plant wastewater. The process turns the environmentally toxic wastewater into clean water while recovering valuable acids. Phosphoric acid is the main ingredient in industrial fertilizers, a massive industry worldwide. 

Their method was just published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering​, a
prestigious scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society. Lior
Monat, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Oded Nir’s lab led the research under his supervision.

“Phosphoric acid production generates a lot of industrial wastewater that cannot be
treated efficiently because of its low pH and high precipitation potential,” explains Dr.
Oded Nir, the co-lead researcher, “Today, the wastewater is usually stored in
evaporation ponds. However, these are prone to breaches, leakage, and flooding. A
few years ago, an ecological disaster in Israel occurred when millions of cubic
meters of this acidic wastewater were flushed down a creek. Conventional treatment
processes run into difficulties dealing with the acidity, salinity, and hardness of the
wastewater. Therefore, we developed an alternative three-step process for the
treatment of phosphoric acid wastewater comprised of selective electrodialysis,
reverse osmosis, and neutralization.” 

The team evaluated the method with synthetic wastewater in the lab, with positive
results. The process successfully recovered clean water and phosphate while
reducing the volume of wastewater by 90%. It also did not generate any appreciable
mineral scaling, which could muck up the membranes. 

Moreover, the power requirement for the process was also low enough it would
seem that the method would be sustainable and techno-economically viable. 
“This process is very promising, and we encourage industry players to examine its
potential and applicability at their factories,” says Dr. Roy Bernstein, co-lead
researcher. 

Dr. Oded Nir, Dr. Roy Bernstein, Lior Monat, Wei Zhang, Alice Jarošíková, and Hao
Haung are all members of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, part of the
Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research on the Sde Boker campus of Ben-
Gurion University. Dr. Nir is also a member of the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of
Sustainability and Climate Change. 

The research was supported by Israel Ministry of Science and Technology Grant 3-
15505.

About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev:

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as
individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.

We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity, and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.