Phosphorus pollution in freshwater basins around the world is reaching dangerous levels according to recent research. It is also one of the most costly and challenging environmental problems and one that deserves careful attention by the water sector. This is why Smart Water Magazine hosted a live webinar in collaboration with Phoslock Environmental Technologies (PET) at the end of May to discuss this topic, including its origin and existing solutions.
During the live event, two water remediation experts from Phoslock Environmental Technologies shared their expertise with over 300 attendees from around the world. Damian Whelan, General Manager at Phoslock Environmental Technologies and Dr Kate Waters-Hart, Group Manager, Aquatic Science at Phoslock Environmental Technologies discussed at length nutrient pollution, its effects and assimilation in freshwater bodies.
During her presentation, Dr Kate Waters-Hart began by explaining this type of water pollution highlighting that although phosphorus is an essential nutrient, an excess amount in surface water can lead to the explosive growth of aquatic plants and algae.
Not only can phosphorus pollution cause algal blooms, which can lead to the mortality of fish and plants, but it is also expensive to control once it has been released into the environment. Dr Kate Waters-Hart pointed out during her presentation that management costs of nutrient pollution in the United States are estimated at US$2.2 billion a year.
Although phosphorus pollution is increasingly worrisome, Dr Kate Waters-Hart went on to explain that there are several technologies, physical solutions and physical and biological methods that currently exist on the market to remove excess phosphorus. PET’s Phoslock® solution, which has been successfully applied in over 320 projects globally, works by utilising the ability of lanthanum to react with phosphate. She showcased several of the company’s success stories, including in The Netherlands, UK and Germany.
