Removal of phosphate from aqueous solution through synergistic extractive extraction

Abstract. This study presents the utilization of a synergistic extractant for phosphate removal from an aqueous solution using extractive extraction. In this study, the synergistic extractant for phosphate removal was formulated and its concentration was investigated. Additionally, the stripping agent concentration was studied to strip phosphate from its loaded organic phase. The extraction and stripping mechanisms of phosphate were also examined. The results show that more than 97% of phosphate was effectively extracted using a synergistic extractant of 0.1 M TOMAC/0.002 M octanol dissolved in a green diluent mixture of palm oil and sunflower oil. The synergistic coefficient of the extraction is 36.76. Meanwhile an approximately 73% of phosphate was stripped using 0.5 M NaOH. Therefore, the developed formulation of synergistic extraction demonstrates a promise for removing phosphate from agricultural effluents.