PhosFATE
There several initiatives underway to remove phosphorus from waterways to prevent algae blooms. Unfortunately, these technologies are not looking at the long term, and are ignoring the need to reuse and recycle phosphorus.
That’s where PhosFATE steps in.
What is PhosFATE?
PhosFATE is a process that takes waste streams (city wastewater or agricultural run-off, and carbon dioxide), and reacts them with a low-cost source of calcium carbonate, aka limestone. This reaction produces a compound that is chemically similar to the raw phosphate rock that is currently used to make chemical phosphorus fertilizer.
The goal is that PhosFATE will be incorporated into existing infrastructure, and will ultimately both reduce the cost of treating wastewater, and at the same time create value that can be a source of income to municipalities.
Dreaming even bigger, we would love to see this process adopted in developing countries so that their farmers can provide the right nutrients to their soil to feed their citizens!
Why phosfate?
Implementing this recycle strategy is a win for everybody:
Longer lifespan of the raw phosphorus
Local source of phosphorus fertilizer
Less toxic mining waste created by the extraction and processing of phosphate rock
Greenhouse gases emitted during transportation and processing reduced
Carbon dioxide captured by reaction and eventually absorbed back into the soil
Ottawa River
Lab scale set-up at McGill (2018)
next steps
The PhosFATE process has been demonstrated in the lab - now it’s time to scale it up. The team is currently looking to farming operations as the initial proving ground, with the hopes of partnering with a municipal treatment plant within the next year.
Learn more about our process in our article in Minerals: Carbonate Apatite Precipitation from Synthetic Municipal Wastewater