Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Resource recovery

Rebirth of phosphorus in wastewater

Nature Sustainability (2026) Cite this article

Subjects

For decades, phosphorus recovery from wastewater has largely relied on organic carbon supplementation, which affects the sustainability of the recovery process. Research has now found a methanotrophic polyphosphate-accumulating organism capable of low-carbon phosphorus recovery.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Phosphorus removal and recovery in wastewater treatment.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

References

  1. Zheng, M. et al. Nat. Sustain. 7, 1395–1404 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Rahimi, S., Modin, O. & Mijaković, I. Biotechnol. Adv. 43, 107570 (2020).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gong, A. et al. Nat. Sustain. 8, 112–119 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Van Kauwenbergh, S. J. World Phosphate Rock Reserves and Resources (International Fertilizer Development Center, 2010).

  5. Jones, E. R., van Vliet, M. T. H., Qadir, M. & Bierkens, M. F. P. Earth Syst. Sci. Data 13, 237–254 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wang, Z. et al. Nat. Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01807-w (2026).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Raniro, H. R. et al. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-025-00717-3 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Egle, L., Rechberger, H. & Zessner, M. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 105, 325–346 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Withers, P. J. A. et al. Ambio 44, 193–206 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Y.P. acknowledges the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52131004 and U23A20675). Q.Z. acknowledges the support of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (BX20250323).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Qi Zhao & Yongzhen Peng

Authors
  1. Qi Zhao
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yongzhen Peng
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yongzhen Peng.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhao, Q., Peng, Y. Rebirth of phosphorus in wastewater. Nat Sustain (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01775-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01775-1

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing