This report is the final report that presents the results of Stage 1 & 2 of Project PRENV.009, ‘Biological Phosphorus Removal for Meat Processing Plants’.

A literature review performed in 1999 (PRENV.003) evaluated several treatment options for nutrient removal from meat processing wastewater, and the preferred options for different scenarios were proposed. For plant upgrades and new plants, the preferred option was a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for secondary treatment, after screening, dissolved air flotation (DAF) and an anaerobic pond. Consequently, the review recommended full-scale demonstration of bio-P removal using the sequencing batch reactor technology (SBR) to assess and optimise the effectiveness of this technology in the meat processing industry. It was also recommended that a comparison with chemical precipitation should be done in parallel in small scale using treated (for back-up installations) or untreated wastewater (as for cost-benefit evaluation). Chemical precipitation was recommended as a supplement for the biological phosphorus removal if low discharge limits had to be met consistently.