STRUVITE CONTROL BY CHEMICAL TREATMENT

Struvite is a phosphate mineral which can form hard-scale deposits in the recycle components of livestock waste management system that utilize recycled lagoon effluent to transport waste. Previous research of struvite formation has been directed toward acid-cleaning the recycling system after struvite has been deposited. Such systems incorporate a separate acid injection network that circulates acid through the components and dissolves the scale. The major limitations to this approach are that the operation of the waste management system must be suspended while cleansing takes place and that acids are hazardous to handle and difficult to administer. The research reported in this article explores the possibility of keeping the recycled components free of struvite by continuously injecting scale control agents into the system. Twenty products commonly used for water stabilization were tested in a bench-top study to determine if struvite formation could be inhibited. Described herein are the products, procedures, and results of this research. Of the 20 products originally identified, 7 products are recommended for further study.