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Improving phosphorus removal in aerobic granular sludge processes through selective microbial management.
Olivier Henriet1, Christophe Meunier2, Paul Henry2
1Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Bioresource Technology
|March 30, 2016
Summary
Improving phosphorus removal in aerobic granular sludge sequential batch reactors (AGS-SBR) is achievable by selecting dense granules rich in phosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). A biomass management strategy combining increased settling time and sludge purging significantly enhanced P removal efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Wastewater Treatment
Background:
- Aerobic granular sludge sequential batch reactors (AGS-SBR) are effective for wastewater treatment.
- Optimizing phosphorus removal in AGS-SBR requires understanding microbial community dynamics.
- Phosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are key to efficient phosphorus removal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance phosphorus removal in AGS-SBR by targeting granules with high PAO abundance.
- To investigate the correlation between granule density and PAO content.
- To evaluate different biomass removal strategies for improved AGS-SBR performance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of PAO abundance in granules of varying densities using PCR-DGGE, pyrosequencing, and qPCR.
- Implementation of two biomass removal strategies: high selective pressure (short settling time) and combined increased settling time with homogeneous sludge purging.
- Monitoring of phosphorus removal efficiency in response to different biomass management techniques.
Main Results:
- Dense granules showed a significantly higher proportion of 'Candidatus Accumulibacter' (a type of PAO), with up to 45% 16S rRNA gene frequency.
- A biomass removal strategy involving increased settling time and homogeneous sludge purging stabilized and improved phosphorus removal efficiency to over 90%.
- A high selective pressure strategy (short settling time) led to reduced phosphorus removal efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Granule density is a reliable indicator for selecting biomass enriched in PAOs for enhanced phosphorus removal.
- A targeted biomass management approach, combining extended settling times with sludge purging, is effective for stabilizing and optimizing phosphorus removal in AGS-SBR.
- This study presents a novel and practical method for biomass management in AGS-SBR systems to achieve high phosphorus removal rates.
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