Granular Sequencing Batch Reactor Research Articles

Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community

This study investigated the relationship between microplastic (MP) presence and pollutant removal in granular sludge sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs). Two types of MPs, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), were introduced in varying concentrations to assess their effects on microbial community dynamics and rates of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal. The study revealed type-dependent variations in the deposition of MPs within the biomass, with PET-MPs exhibiting a stronger affinity for accumulation in biomass. A 50 mg/L dose of PET-MP decreased COD removal efficiency by approximately 4 % while increasing P-PO4 removal efficiency by around 7 % compared to the control reactor. The rate of nitrogen compounds removal decreased with higher PET-MP dosages but increased with higher PE-MP dosages. An analysis of microbial activity and gene abundance highlighted the influence of MPs on the expression of the nosZ and ppk1 genes, which code enzymes responsible for nitrogen and phosphorus transformations. The study also explored shifts in microbial community structure, revealing alterations with changes in MP dose and type. This research contributes valuable insights into the complex interactions between MP, microbial communities, and pollutant removal processes in GSBR systems, with implications for the sustainable management of wastewater treatment in the presence of MP.

The role of the combined nitrogen-sulfur-carbon cycles for efficient performance of anammox-based systems

The combined anammox/mixotrophic denitrification process was conducted in two granular sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) during a 200-day operation. Both reactors were fed with synthetic medium, but SBR2 was enriched with additional sulfate (SO42−) which influenced sulfate reduction ammonium oxidation (SRAO) and heterotrophic reduction of SO42− by sulfate reducing bacteria. It was hypothesized that the addition of SO42− could positively impact the removal rates of N-S-C compounds. A low C/N ratio (0.4–1.6) was maintained to prevent inhibition of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB), and alternating chemical oxygen demand (COD) on/off conditions were used to regenerate AnAOB during COD-off phases and heterotrophic denitrifiers during COD-on phases. Stoichiometric analysis showed that introducing SO42− in SBR2 enhanced the ammonium utilization rate, which was approximately 10 % higher compared to SBR1 in the final stage of the experiment (25.8 vs. 22.8 mg N/(g VSS·h)). The total nitrogen removal efficiencies ranged from 62 % to 99 % in both reactors, with SBR2 consistently exhibiting approximately 4 % higher efficiency than SBR1. In SBR2, the maximum overall SO42− utilization efficiency reached 27 % under COD-off conditions, while overall COD utilization was almost complete under COD-on conditions. A strong correlation (R2 = 0.98) was observed between SO42− production and COD utilization. The key players responsible for N and S transformations in response to SO42− addition were Candidatus Brocadia and Chloroflexi - Anaerolineae. This study highlights the potential to enhance the overall efficiency of N-S-C removal by implementing an integrated anammox/mixotrophic denitrification process. The combination of cycles emerges as a sustainable approach for treating wastewater rich in N-S-C compounds.

Pollutants removal and connections among sludge properties, metabolism potential and microbial characteristics in aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor for petrochemical wastewater treatment

Petrochemical wastewater contains inhibitory compounds such as aromatics that are toxic to microorganisms during biological treatment. The compact and layered structure and the high amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in aerobic granular sludge (AGS) can contribute to protecting microorganisms from the harsh environment. This study evaluated the changes in the granule properties, pollutants removal, microbial metabolic potential and molecular microbial characteristics of the AGS process for petrochemical wastewater treatment. Granules treating petrochemical wastewater had a higher SVI30/SVI5 value (0.94) than that treating synthetic wastewater. An increase in bioactivity and EPS secretion with higher bio-polymer composition, specifically the functional groups such as hydroxyl, alkoxy and amino in protein, was observed, which promoted biomass aggregation. The granules also had more than 2-fold higher specific oxygen utilization rate. The AGS-SBR process obtained an average COD removal of 93% during petrochemical wastewater treatment and an effluent bCOD of below 1 mg L−1. No obvious inhibition of nitrification and denitrification activity was observed in the processes attributed to the layered structure of AGS. The average effluent NH4+-N of 5.0 mg L−1 was obtained and TN removal efficiencies of over 80.0% was achieved. Molecular microbial analysis showed that abundant functional genera Stenotrophomonas and Pseudoxanthomonas contributed to the degradation of aromatics and other petroleum organic pollutants. They were enriched with the variation of group behavior while metabolisms of amino acids and carboxylic acids by the relevant functional genera (e.g., Cytophagia) were significantly inhibited. The enrichment of Flavobacterium and Thermomonas promoted nitrification and denitrification, respectively. This research revealed the rapid start-up, enhanced granule structural strength, high inhibition resistance and considerable performance of AGS-SBR for petrochemical wastewater treatment.

Pilot-scale aerobic granular sludge reactors with granular activated carbon for effective nitrogen and phosphorus removal from domestic wastewater

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a breakthrough biotechnology of 21st century and an innovative alternative to activated sludge for treating wastewater. Concerns on long-start up periods for development of AGS and stability of granules are impeding its widespread implementation for treating low-strength domestic wastewater especially in tropical climate conditions. Addition of nucleating agents have been shown to improve development of AGS while treating low-strength wastewaters. There are no previous studies on AGS development and biological nutrient removal (BNR) in the presence of nucleating agents during treatment of real domestic wastewater. This study investigated AGS formation and BNR pathways while treating real domestic wastewater in a 2 m3 pilot-scale granular sequencing batch reactor (gSBR) operated without and with granular activated carbon (GAC) particles. The gSBRs were operated under tropical climate (T ≈ 30 °C) for >4-years to evaluate the effect of GAC addition on granulation, granular stability and BNR at pilot-scale. Formation of granules was observed within 3 months. MLSS values of 4 and 8 g/L were recorded within 6 months in gSBRs without and with GAC particles, respectively. The granules had an average size of 1.2 mm and SVI5 of 22 mL/g. Ammonium was mainly removed through nitrate formation in the gSBR without GAC. But, ammonium was removed by short-cut nitrification via nitrite due to washout of nitrite oxidizing bacteria in the presence of GAC. Phosphorus removal was much higher in gSBR with GAC due to the establishment of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) pathway. After 3 months, the phosphorus removal efficiencies were at 15 % and 75 %, respectively, without and with GAC particles. The addition of GAC led to moderation in bacterial community and enrichment of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms. This is the first ever report on pilot-scale demonstration of AGS technology in the Indian sub-continent and GAC addition on BNR pathways.

Integration of the sulfate reduction and anammox processes for enhancing sustainable nitrogen removal in granular sludge reactors

The Anammox and Sulfate Reduction Ammonium Oxidation processes were compared in two granular sequencing batch reactors operated for 160 days under anammox conditions. It was hypothesized that increasing the concentration of SO42− may positively influence the rate of N removal under anaerobic conditions and it was tested whether SO42− reduction and anammox occur independently or are related to each other. The cooperation of N-S cycles by increasing the concentration of influent SO42− to 952 mg S/L in the second reactor, a higher ammonium utilization rate and sulfate utilization rate was achieved compared to the first reactor, i.e., 2.1-fold and 15-fold, respectively. Nitrosomonas played the dominant role in the N metabolism, while Thauera – in the S metabolism. This study highlights the benefits of linking the N-S cycles as an effective approach for the treatment of NH4+ and SO42− – rich wastewater, including lower substrate removal cost and reduced energy consumption.

Feasibility Study of Applying Anaerobic Step-Feeding Mode for the Treatment of High-Strength Wastewater in Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors (GSBRs)

This study investigated the feasibility of applying an anaerobic step-feeding strategy to enhance the performance of granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) in terms of operational stability of the cultivated mature granules and nutrient removal efficiencies. Two identical 5 L reactors were operated with a total cycle time of 8 h. GSBRs were operated with high-strength synthetic wastewater (COD = 1250 ± 43, ammonium (NH4-N) = 115.2 ± 4.6, and orthophosphate (PO4-P) = 17.02 ± 0.9 mg/L) for 360 days through three stages: (1) Cultivation, 125 days (>2.1 mm); (2) Maturation, 175 days (>3 mm); (3) alternate feed loading strategy for R2 only for 60 days (anaerobic step-feeding). The granulation process, the physical properties of the granules, the nutrients, and the substrate removal performance were recorded during the entire operational period. For the cultivation and maturation stages, both reactors followed the fast single feeding mode followed by anaerobic mixing, and the results indicated a strong correlation between R1 and R2 due to the same working conditions. During the cultivation stage, adopting high organic loading rate (OLR) at the reactor start-up did not accelerate the formation of granules. Removal efficiency of PO4-P was less than 76% during the maturation period, while it exceeded 90% for COD, and was higher than 80% for NH4-N without effect of nitrite or nitrate accumulations due to simultaneous nitrification–denitrification. After changing filling mode for R2 only, there was unexpected deterioration in the performance and a rapid disintegration of the matured granules (poor settleability) accompanied by poor effluent quality due to high content of suspended solids because of applying selection pressure of short settling time. Consequently, GSBRs operation under the effect of fast single feeding mode followed by anaerobic mixing favors stable long-term granule stability.

Biological processes of nitrogen removal and modeling oxygen diffusion in flocculent sludge and in granular sequencing batch reactors

AbstractBACKGROUNDSimultaneous nitrification‐denitrification (SND) in biological wastewater treatment occurs under aerobic conditions in flocs and granules, exhibiting aerobic and internal anoxic zones; SND depends on dissolved oxygen concentration. Aerobic denitrification (AD) is an advantageous process because control of aeration is not required. In the present study, the effects of anoxic/aerobic conditions and size of microbial aggregates on the AD process were evaluated using sequencing batch reactors (SBR) with activated sludge (anoxic/aerobic SBRAS) or aerobic granules (SBRAG).RESULTSNitrogen mass balances were used to estimate nitrogen assimilation, nitrification and denitrification. An oxygen diffusion model was proposed to evaluate oxygen profiles in the microbial aggregates determining the contribution of AD on nitrogen removal. At COD:N ratio = 100:10, fully aerobic biomass was predicted for all flocs in SBRAS and for 82% of the granules in SBRAG. In SBRAS, intracellular carbon storage was favored in the anoxic phase; nitrification was followed by AD, achieving 67% inorganic nitrogen (Ni) removal. In SBRAG, SND was 55% and Ni removal 51%. For SBRAG, genomic analysis described microbial community and nitrogen metabolic pathways were proposed. Heterotrophic nitrification‐aerobic denitrification (HNAD) was proposed as the main nitrogen removal process. At COD:N = 100:15, 80% of the granules developed internal anoxic zones; anoxic denitrification predominated, allowing treatment of a higher nitrogen load with similar Ni removal.CONCLUSIONSBiological processes without oxygen control are simpler to operate. For anoxic/aerobic SBR, high Ni removal efficiency was achieved even with 3.5–5.4 mg O2 L−1 at the center of the flocs, as predicted by the diffusion model. In aerobic granular systems, SND carried out by HNAD bacteria constitutes a promising approach for nitrogen removal. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Coupling of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification in an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor

ABSTRACT The performance of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification in an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor was investigated for treating inorganic wastewater with ammonia nitrogen of 250 mg/L. The sequencing batch reactor with an effective volume of 120.5 L was started by seeding autotrophic nitrifying granular sludge (ANGS) and operated under oxic (110 min)/anoxic (120 min)/oxic (110 min) aeration mode. The total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal efficiency of ANGS was between 60% and 70% without external carbon sources in days 1–25. However, the operation mode was unsustainable as endogenous nitrification and denitrification would lead to an obvious decrease of sludge concentration. After sodium acetate (the contributed chemical oxygen demand in the reactor was 250–300 mg/L) was added at the beginning of the anaerobic/anoxic stage from day 26, aerobic granules were inadaptable in a few days, which resulted in particle disintegration and SVI increase. As microbes gradually acclimated to the new environment, the aerobic granular sludge became smoother and denser, the relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria increased to 66.07%, and the removal efficiency of TIN gradually increased to more than 90% from day 89. Contributions of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification to TIN removal were 54.09% and 46.01%, respectively. The coupling of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification could reduce the aeration consumption, save the external carbon source dosage and decrease the alkalinity consumption, which provided another option for treating wastewater from ionic rare earth mine.

The formation of aerobic granular sludge for the treatment of real landfill leachate using a granular sequencing batch reactor at a constant volume

AbstractLeachate generated in a landfill may not be treated by conventional biological treatment due to its nature and complexity. The process of forming aerobic granules in batch sequencing reactors having features such as; reducing the settling process time and saving energy consumption and high decomposition rate have been noticed by researchers. In the present study, the structure of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) was evaluated for the formation of granules, which were subsequently utilized for the treatment of landfill leachate. The experiment was initiated by using the GSBR, containing 1200 ml with different apparatuses, to develop granular sludge, and synthetic wastewater was added to reinforcement. The selected parameters for the operational hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the wastewater (6‐h cycles) included feeding, idle, aeration, settling, and discharge. Furthermore, the controlled conditions were the dissolved oxygen (DO) range of 2–2.2 mg/L, temperature range of 20–23℃, and pH of 7.5–8.3. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), and sludge volume index (SVI) daily were measured at the influent and effluent of GSBR reactor. The main properties of aerobic granular sludge were identified during the research procedures, and the remarkable settling and potent, high‐density microbial structure of the granules were confirmed. The mean size of the formulated granules was estimated at 7.46 ± 1.8 mm, and the volume of the biomass also increased from approximately 1607 to 4137 mg/L through the granulation process. Moreover, 98% of the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) could be removed by the formulated granular sludge, and the final‐stage organic loading rate was estimated at 5.65 COD/m3/day. According to the results, GSBRs could be employed for the formulation of aerobic granular sludge for the treatment of landfill leachate.

Micronutrients and COD/N ratio as factors influencing granular size and SND in aerobic granular sequencing batch reactors operated at low organic loading

Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) depends on dissolved oxygen, granule size and COD/N ratio. Slow-growing nitrifying bacteria at low COD/N ratio lead to the formation of small-size granule. Anoxic denitrification is encouraged at higher granule size. In the present study, the effect of different COD/N ratios and addition of micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, Mo, B) on granule size and SND was studied in a laboratory-scale aerobic SBR at low organic loading (358.4–1075.2 mg COD.(L·day)−1). Synthetic cheese whey wastewater and ammonia was used. Small-size granules (0.28–0.7 mm) were developed at COD/TKN ratio of 8.6–13.7 with micronutrients and long famine phase (83–92% of the cycle). COD/TKN ratio of 13.7 achieved the best removal of inorganic nitrogen Ni (62%). At COD/TKN ratio of 8.6, without micronutrients, the low COD uptake rate caused shortening of the famine phase to 66%. Large-size granules (3.0 mm) with limitation of substrates diffusion showed low Ni removal and dominant slow-growing rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium) as detected by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. In small granules, without diffusion limitations and higher ammonia exposition, the energetically unfavorable heterotrophic nitrification occurred. Heterotrophic nitrifiers Lysobacter and Dyadobacter were found. Hydrogenophaga was a potential aerobic denitrifier. SND process was probably performed by AOB, heterotrophic nitrifiers, and anoxic and aerobic denitrifiers.

Enhancing biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance in aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors by activated carbon particles

Long start-up periods for aerobic granular sludge (AGS) formation and establishment of P removal pathways are challenges for widespread implementation of AGS process. External additives such as activated carbon (AC) attracted interest for accelerating AGS formation. However, the roles of AC in granulation and biological nutrient removal (BNR) are not understood. Here, the role of AC was investigated in decreasing start-up periods in AGS formation and BNR under different carbon substrate conditions (i.e., acetate (HAc), propionate (HPr) and HAc-HPr) in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). AC addition increased aggregation index and settleability of activated sludge (AS) inoculum which minimized AS washout from SBRs. AC addition hastened AGS formation and establishment of BNR pathways by facilitating AS retention and biofilm formation. Feeding HAc or HAc-HPr supported better granulation (MLSS: 6–7 g l−1, SVI: 30–40 ml g−1) than HPr (MLSS: 4 g l−1, SVI: 70). The start-up periods for efficient total nitrogen (TN) removals were decreased to 22 and 16 d from 38 to 25 d, respectively, in AC augmented SBRs fed with either HAc or HAc-HPr. TN removals were higher at ≥95% in HAc or HAc-HPr fed SBRs. Total phosphorus (TP) removals were also higher in AC-augmented SBRs at 80% and ≥90% in HAc and HAc-HPr fed SBRs, respectively. In contrast, TN and TP removals were lower at 70% and 35%, respectively, in HPr fed SBR. Ammonium was primarily removed via nitritation-denitritation pathway. Phosphorus removal was at 1.7 to 2-fold higher in AC augmented SBRs and driven by enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) pathway. MiSeq sequencing and qPCR revealed higher enrichment of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs), denitrifying PAOs, and ammonia oxidizers in AC-augmented SBRs fed with HAc or HAc-HPr. This study demonstrates that AC addition can be considered for enrichment of PAOs and establishment of EBPR in aerobic granular SBRs.

Stability and nutrients removal performance of a Phanerochaete chrysosporium-based aerobic granular sludge process by step-feeding and multi A/O conditions

A Phanerochaete chrysosporium-based aerobic granular sludge (PC-AGS) was developed by inoculating fungal mycelial pellets into a lab-scale aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor (AGSBR). A strategy using step-anaerobic feeding coupled with multi A/O conditions was adopted. The results showed that the removal efficiencies for total phosphorus (TP) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) were 94.56 ± 2.92% and 75.20 ± 7.74%, respectively, under relatively low aeration time. Compared with original AGS, the content of extracellular proteins for PC-AGS obviously increased from 18.61 to 41.44 mg/g MLSS by the end of phase I. Moreover, the mature granules had a larger size and better stability during the 100 days operation. Furthermore, the analysis of microbial diversity detected many key functional groups in PC-AGS granules that were beneficial to nutrients removal. This work demonstrated that the addition of fungal pellets not only enhanced the removal performance, but also improved the stability of the AGS system.

Groundwater Nitrate Removal Performance of Selected Pseudomonas Strains Carrying nosZ Gene in Aerobic Granular Sequential Batch Reactors

Four granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) were inoculated with four denitrifying Pseudomonas strains carrying nosZ to study the process of granule formation, the operational conditions of the bioreactors, and the carbon concentration needed for nitrate removal. The selected Pseudomonas strains were P. stutzeri I1, P. fluorescens 376, P. denitrificans Z1, and P. fluorescens PSC26, previously reported as denitrifying microorganisms carrying the nosZ gene. Pseudomonas denitrificans Z1 produced fluffy, low-density granules, with a decantation speed below 10 m h−1. However, P. fluorescens PSC26, P. stutzeri I1, and P. fluorescens 376 formed stable granules, with mean size from 7 to 15 mm, related to the strain and carbon concentration. P. stutzeri I1 and P. fluorescens 376 removed nitrate efficiently with a ratio in the range of 96%, depending on the source and concentration of organic matter. Therefore, the findings suggest that the inoculation of GSBR systems with denitrifying strains of Pseudomonas spp. containing the nosZ gene enables the formation of stable granules, the efficient removal of nitrate, and the transformation of nitrate into nitrogen gas, a result of considerable environmental interest to avoid the generation of nitrous oxide.

Heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification performance in a granular sequencing batch reactor supported by next generation sequencing

Several nitrogen transformation processes occur in wastewater treatment; among them, heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HNAD) has not been adequately quantified. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the simultaneous ammonia and organic carbon removal was carried out in an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated under feast/famine regime. For this, biological processes, microbial community composition and metabolic pathways were evaluated. Mass balances allowed estimating the ammonia assimilation and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). Better SND process (55%) was achieved in starvation period involving that denitrification driven by intracellular carbon reserves is more efficiently coupled to the ammonia oxidation with regard to external carbon-driven denitrification. Proton balances and titration monitored the organic carbon and nitrogen removal. High abundance of HNAD bacteria, Diaphorobacter sp. and Flavobacterium sp., and Zoogloea sp. aerobic denitrifier was detected by next generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Bioinformatics analysis predicted enzymes involved in nitrogen transformation pathways present in Phylogenetic investigation PYCRUSt database. Heterotrophic nitrification took place involving detoxification against ammonia. Non-limiting nitrate and high oxygen concentrations were favorable for aerobic denitrifiers. HNAD was the main process responsible for the biological nitrogen removal according to NGS and operational conditions given by high dissolved oxygen and low COD:NO3−-N ratio.

Modeling Oxygen Diffusion During Nitrogen Removal in Flocculent Sludge and in Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors

Modeling Oxygen Diffusion During Nitrogen Removal in Flocculent Sludge and in Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors

Micronutrients and Cod/N Ratio as Factors Influencing Granular Size, Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Nitrification and Denitrification in Aerobic Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors

Micronutrients and Cod/N Ratio as Factors Influencing Granular Size, Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Nitrification and Denitrification in Aerobic Granular Sequencing Batch Reactors

Performance and operational strategy of simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal system under the condition of low organic loading rate in wet weather

A pilot-scale aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with domestic wastewater was operated to evaluate the effects of the low organic loading rate (OLR) due to wet weather flow conditions on simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal (SNDPR). As the OLR decreased from 0.85 to 0.43 kg COD m−3 d−1, the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies decreased from 84.0% and 94.1% to 51.3% and 73.8%, respectively, the sludge volume index (SVI) increased from 42.3 to 85.5 mL g−1, and the average granular size decreased from 1022 to 742 μm; however, no sludge disintegration and biomass loss were observed. The poor nutrient removal efficiencies and settling ability were due to the shrinking anoxic zone and substrate scarcity inside the granules, wherein the activity decay of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and overgrowth of filamentous bacteria played an important role. Alternating the aeration intensity was effective in enhancing nitrogen removal and sludge settling by improving the anoxic activity in granules and inhibiting the proliferation of filamentous bacteria. Returning 20% of sludge from the end of one anaerobic stage to the beginning of the next anaerobic stage (midway sludge return) was beneficial for phosphorus removal as it improved phosphorus storage by phosphorus-accumulating bacteria. A smaller granular size with stronger stability and better nutrient removal performance was the new steady state of the SNDPR system under wet-weather flow conditions.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal for decentralized treatment of ammonia-rich industrial textile wastewater: process assessment, stabilization and modelling

Digital textile printing (DTP) is a game-changer technology that is rapidly expanding worldwide. On the other hand, process wastewater is rich in ammoniacal and organic nitrogen, resulting in relevant issues for discharge into sewer system and treatment in centralized plants. The present research is focused on the assessment of the partial nitritation/anammox process in a single-stage granular sequencing batch reactor for on-site decentralized treatment. The technical feasibility of the process was assessed by treating wastewater from five DTP industries in a laboratory-scale reactor, in one case investigating long-term process stabilization. While experimental results indicated nitrogen removal efficiencies up to about 70%, complying with regulations on discharge in sewer system, these data were used as input for process modelling, whose successful parameter calibration was carried out. The model was applied to the simulation of two scenarios: (i) the current situation of a DTP company, in which wastewater is discharged into the sewer system and treated in a centralized plant, (ii) the modified situation in which on-site decentralized treatment for DTP wastewater is implemented. The second scenario resulted in significant improvements, including reduced energy consumption (− 15%), reduced greenhouse gases emission, elimination of external carbon source for completing denitrification at centralized WWTP and reduced sludge production (− 25%).

Powdered Ceramsite and Powdered Limestone Use in Aerobic Granular Sludge Technology.

The effects of two powdered mineral materials (powdered ceramsite and powdered limestone) on aerobic granulation of sludge were evaluated. The experiment was conducted on a laboratory scale bioreactors treating wastewater for 89 days. Three granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) were operated at the lowest optimal organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.55 g COD/(L∙d). In the control reactor (R1), the mean diameter (d) of the biomass ranged from 124.0 to 210.0 µm, and complete granulation was not achieved. However, complete granulation did occur in reactors to which either ceramsite (251.9 µm < d < 783.1 µm) or limestone (246.0 µm < d < 518.9 µm) was added. Both powdered materials served as a ballast for the sludge flocs making up the seed sludge. Ceramsite particles also acted as microcarriers of granule-forming biomass. The granules in the reactors with added powdered materials had nonfibrous and smoother surfaces. The reactor with ceramsite exhibited the highest average efficiencies for COD, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus removal (85.4 ± 5.4%, 56.6 ± 10.2%, and 56.8 ± 9.9%, respectively). By contrast, the average nitrification efficiency was 95.1 ± 12.8%.

Pilot-scale investigation on nutrient removal characteristics of mineral-rich aerobic granular sludge: Identification of uncommon mechanisms

This study investigated nutrient removal characteristics and the related pathways in aerobic granular reactors using three pilot-scale granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) treating wastewaters of diverse carbon and nutrient strength. The GSBRs were operated with alternating (AN/O/AX/O_SBR and AN/O_SBR) and purely-aerobic (O_SBR) operation modes. Mineral-rich aerobic granules with hydroxyapatite (HAp) core were cultivated in all the three GSBRs. The highest nitrogen removal efficiency (75%) was achieved in AN/O/AX/O_SBR and O_SBR and the lowest (22%) in AN/O_SBR, establishing a quasi-linear relationship with organic loading rate (OLR). Phosphorus removal efficiencies of 55–63% were achieved in the GSBRs despite different influent PO4–P concentrations. Heterotrophic nitrification and biologically-induced phosphate precipitation (BIPP) became the dominant nutrient depletion pathways, contributing 61–84% and 39–96% to overall ammonium nitrogen and phosphorus removal, respectively. A direct relation was noted between heterotrophic nitrification efficiency (ηHeterotrophic nitrification) and nutrient availability, as nitrification efficiencies of 18 and 64% were observed for COD:Ninf of 5 and 20, respectively. Whereas, BIPP efficiency (ηBIPP) established inverse relation with (COD:P)inf and (Ca:P)inf and direct relation with phosphorus concentration beyond microbial growth requirement. Core heterotrophic nitrifiers and bio-calcifying species were identified as {Thauera and Flavobacterium} and {Flavobacterium, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Corynebacterium}, respectively. Ca–P crystallization was proposed to be via phosphate precipitation on calcite surfaces. Granulation mechanism was proposed as crystallization on bio-aggregates’ periphery and then crystal growth toward the core.