struvite

1 9.2

A mineral that forms in some kidney stones or in wastewater and can be used as a fertilizer

noun
/ˈstruːvaɪt/

Specialized

: estruvita

The wastewater treatment plant recovers struvite to use as an eco-friendly fertilizer.
struvite stones

Examples

Farmers sometimes use struvite as a fertilizer because it contains essential nutrients like phosphorus.
The laboratory identified the stone as a struvite crystal after chemical analysis.
Patients with frequent urinary tract infections are at higher risk of developing struvite stones.
Doctors found a struvite stone in his kidney.
The wastewater treatment plant handles many struvites every day.
There are two types of struvite stones: those that form in the kidneys and those that form in wastewater systems.
To prevent struvite stone formation, it is important to maintain an acidic urine pH through diet.

Surface Forms

struvite singular

struvites plural

Morphology

struvite = Struve (opaque) = Struve + ite

Although the word is formed with the mineral suffix '-ite', a learner who knows the surname 'Struve' cannot infer the meaning of the specific mineral.

Etymology

The word struvite has the common mineral ending -ite, which means 'stone', just like in meteorite. It was named after a scientist called Struve, so think 'Struve + -ite' to remember it is a mineral 'stone' that can form in kidneys or in wastewater.