Biodegradation of Phosphorous in a Laboratory-scale Sequential Batch Reactor under Anoxic–Aerobic Conditions

Abstract

The present study describes the laboratory-scale evaluation of phosphorus removal uptake along with soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction in a sequencing batch reactor under anoxic–aerobic environment in sequence. The study includes the preparation of acclimatized seeds for phosphate removal and examining the effect of organic substrate like glucose and acetate on phosphate removal in different initial phosphate concentration under anoxic–aerobic conditions. Phosphorus removal efficiency was accelerated remarkably (24.83–88.19%) by the presence of readily biodegradable soluble COD in the form of acetate for an initial phosphate concentration of 10 mg/l as P during the anoxic–aerobic period. It was also observed that a change in sequence of the react phase from 5 h anoxic + 5 h aerobic to 4 h anoxic + 4 h aerobic + 2 h anoxic should be effective to produce marginal denitrified effluent at the end of the last 2.0 h of anoxic react phase.