What is Struvite? Why should I worry about removal or prevention?

What is Struvite?

One of the more recent questions of Wastewater Treatment is "What is Struvite?"

The scientific community defines struvite as a phosphate mineral crystal, struvite composition is of magnesium, ammonia and phosphate forms in water. The struvite chemical formula or struvite formula is chemically written as NH4MgPO4•6H2O.

Struvite Composition

Struvite is also referred to as MAP by the wastewater industry, which stands for the nutrients of struvite composition: magnesium, ammonia, phosphate compound, it forms when there is a mole to mole to mole ratio (1:1:1). The ammonia is from the urea in wastewater, phosphate is found through food, soaps, and detergents.  

Struvite Formation Issues

Struvite can also be known as a form of scale or rock crystal formations and will be found in varying colors from white to yellow to brown, depending upon the MAP content in the water. Note that because struvite is not produced by strict stoichiometry calculations, i.e., struvite precipitation develops differently depending on water conditions and local process applications at their treatment plants.  Various types of struvite need different treatment regimes for struvite control and struvite removal.

Struvite is a problem in sewage and wastewater treatment. Struvite is a form of scale that forms in pipelines, belts, centrifuges, pumps, clog system pipes, digester, Recreational Vehicles (RVs), CAFO (confined animal feeding operations), buildings, etc.

Struvite Removal and Prevention

With our products, there are now new ways to solve this problem

Struvite Remover STSR

Get your operation running at 100% again.  Our struvite remover for struvite wastewater treatment cleaning struvite from pipes and equipment as well as eliminates potential growth sites for future scale buildup. Struvite STSR has been used for maintenance cleanings as needed and as a preventative by being dosed between 30-90ppm.

• Easy to use, with many applications, including foaming and low-pressure spray, soaks and recirculations
• Can be used for removal, as well as prevention through dosing
• Cost-Effective, saving you time, money and leaving your operation free of Struvite

Struvite Preventer STSP

Once your lines and equipment are clean, it’s crucial to prevent future scale buildup with Struvite Preventer STSP. Dosing this formula as concentrations as low as 30-90ppm to prevent and inhibit struvite, vivianite, and other scales from forming in your lines and equipment. This product also has an added polymer.

With chemical cleaning, can both remove and prevent cost-effectively, environmentally friendly and with minimal downtime.