Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Defining Substrate Specificities for Lipase and Phospholipase Candidates
Published on: November 23, 2016
Glycerol as a sole carbon source for enhanced biological phosphorus removal
Javier Guerrero1, Carlota Tayà, Albert Guisasola
1Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola d'Enginyeria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. franciscojavier.guerrero@uab.cat
Abstract:
Wastewaters with low organic matter content are one of the major causes of EBPR failures in full-scale WWTP. This carbon source deficit can be solved by external carbon addition and glycerol is a perfect candidate since it is nowadays obtained in excess from biodiesel production. This work shows for the first time that glycerol-driven EBPR with a single-sludge SBR configuration is feasible (i.e. anaerobic glycerol degradation linked to P release and aerobic P uptake). Two different strategies were studied: direct replacement of the usual carbon source for glycerol and a two-step consortium development with glycerol anaerobic degraders and PAO. The first strategy provided the best results. The implementation of glycerol as external carbon source in full-scale WWTP would require a suitable anaerobic hydraulic retention time. An example using dairy wastewater with a low COD/P ratio confirms the feasibility of using glycerol as an external carbon source to increase P removal activity. The approach used in this work opens a new range of possibilities and, similarly, other fermentable substrates can be used as electron donors for EBPR.
Related Concept Videos
Bioplastics
Lipid Catabolism
The Phosphorus Cycle
Other Glycolytic Pathways
Bioremediation
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

