[Effects of C/P on the competition between PAOs and GAOs and PHAs metabolism in EBPR system]

Based on accumulating enrich phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) in activated sludge and by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, the effects of C/P (25: 1, 20: 1, 15: 1 and 10: 1) on flora changes and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) metabolism in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system were systematically studied. The results show that after 10 days treatment (acetate as carbon source), the systems with C/P of 25: 1, 20: 1 and 15: 1 have good phosphate removal rate (> 88%); while for C/P of 10: 1 system, the phosphate removal rate was 0%. FISH results showed that the content of PAOs decreased from( 76.42 +/- 1.24) % to (10.40 +/- 0.97) % with C/P decreasing from 25: 1 to 10: 1, while glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) increased from (16.36 +/- 3.41)% to (34.25 +/- 2.59)%. In various C/P systems in the anaerobic, the production kinetic coefficients of PHB and PHV were K25: 1 > K20: 1 > K15: 1 > K10: 1 and K15: 1 > K20: 1 > K25: 1 > K10: 1, respectively. The PHB production in the proportion of PHAs decreased from 85% to 24%, while PHV increased from 15% to 76% with C/P decreasing from 25: 1 to 10: 1. For various C/P systems in the aerobic phase, their consumption kinetic coefficients of both PHB and PHV were K:20: 1 > K25: 1 > K15: 1 > K10: 1. PHB (the proportion of PHAs is 71% -75%) was the main consumption component in C/P of the 25: 1, 20: 1 and 15: 1 systems; while PHV(the proportion of PHAs is 71%) was the main consumption component in C/P of 10: 1 system. It is suggested that an increases of GAOs and decreases of PAOs in the EBPR system lead to the decreasing of PHB production and consumption, and to the increasing of PHV.