Effect of cations on aerobic granulation for sidestream treatment

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) represents an aggregate of sludge formed through the self-immobilization of microorganisms under aerobic conditions. It is currently under scrutiny for its potential as a technology to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability. The practicality of AGS stems from its ability to encourage granule formation and enhance structural stability. In this study, a total of five cations (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺, Fe³⁺) were introduced to facilitate stable structuring and the formation of granules for treating high-strength wastewater, such as side-stream treatment. As a result of the experiment, the loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS) content in the cation-enhanced sludge witnessed a significant increase, leading to elevated total EPS content under all experimental conditions. Furthermore, the protein (PN)/polysaccharide (PS) ratio, a pivotal component of EPS influencing AGS's hydrophobicity and structural stability, exhibited a collective increase, with Mg²⁺ reaching the highest value of 1.7. The relationship between relative hydrophobicity and the PN/PS ratio was found to strongly impact sludge adhesion, with noteworthy results observed particularly for Mg²⁺, Al³⁺, and Fe³⁺. The viability of attached cells reached 96.8 %, the highest recorded in the case of Mg²⁺. In the context of treating high-strength wastewater, Mg²⁺ emerged as the optimal cation for accelerating AGS formation and enhancing structural stability.