Reticulated lanthanum (La) carbonate-carbon composite for efficient phosphorus removal from eutrophic wastewater

A porous lanthanum (La) carbonate-carbon composite (LaCC) was prepared by vacuum-freeze-drying and pyrolysis techniques to remove phosphorus (P) from wastewater. Using polyethylene glycol as a carbon skeleton template, and the organic ligands are removed during pyrolysis, resulting in the creation of many pore structures. The LaCC showed excellent P removal performance and selectivity over a wide pH range (3–10). It exhibited a rapid adsorption rate and could hold up to 119.5 mg P/g. Fixed-bed column experiments showed that under dynamic conditions, just 1 g of LaCC effectively treated 60 L of P-contaminated wastewater with an initial concentration of 2 mg/L, meeting the primary discharge standard of < 0.5 mg/L according to the comprehensive sewage guidelines of China. Bacterial experiments showed that the LaCC could inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, indicating that it has both P removal and bacterial inhibition effects, which can greatly improve the application range of adsorbents.