Granule formation mechanisms within an aerobic wastewater system for phosphorus removal.

ABSTRACT: Granular sludge is a novel alternative for the treatment of wastewater and offers numerous operational and economic advantages over conventional floccular-sludge systems. The majority of research on granular sludge has focused on optimization of engineering aspects relating to reactor operation with little emphasis on the fundamental microbiology. In this study, we hypothesize two novel mechanisms for granule formation as observed in three laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors operating for biological phosphorus removal and treating two different types of wastewater. During the initial stages of granulation, two distinct granule types (white and yellow) were distinguished within the mixed microbial population. White granules appeared as compact, smooth, dense aggregates dominated by 9

SUBMITTER: Barr JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2976173 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature