RESUMEN
The impact of pH variation on aerobic granular sludge stability and performance was investigated. A 9-day alkaline (pH=9) and acidic (pH=6) pH shocks were imposed on mature granules with simultaneous chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The imposed alkaline pH shock (pH 9) reduced nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency from 88% and 98% to 66% and 50%, respectively, with no further recovery. However, acidic pH shock (pH 6) did not have a major impact on nutrient removal and the removal efficiencies recovered to their initial values after 3 days of operation under the new pH condition. Operating the reactors under alkaline pH induced granules breakage and resulted in an increased solids concentration in the effluent and a significant decrease in the size of the bio-particles, while acidic pH did not have significant impacts on granules stability. Changes in chemical structure and composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) matrix were suggested as the main factors inducing granules instability under high pH.
Asunto(s)
Aguas del Alcantarillado/química , Purificación del Agua , Análisis de la Demanda Biológica de Oxígeno , Reactores Biológicos , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Nitrógeno/aislamiento & purificación , Fósforo/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
The impact of carbon source variation on the physical and chemical characteristics of aerobic granular sludge and its biological nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) removal performance was investigated. Two identical sequencing batch reactors, R1 and R2, were set up. Granular biomass was cultivated to maturity using acetate-based synthetic wastewater. After mature granules in both reactors with simultaneous chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium and phosphorus removal capability were achieved, the feed of R2 was changed to municipal wastewater and R1 was continued on synthetic feed as control. Biological phosphorus removal was completely inhibited in R2 due to lack of readily biodegradable COD; however, the biomass maintained high ammonium and COD removal efficiencies. The disintegration of the granules in R2 occurred during the first two weeks after the change of feed, but it did not have significant impacts on settling properties of the sludge. Re-granulation of the biomass in R2 was then observed within 30 d after granules' disintegration when the biomass acclimated to the new substrate. The granular biomass in R1 and R2 maintained a Sludge Volume Index close to 60 and 47 mL g(-1), respectively, during the experimental period. It was concluded that changing the carbon source from readily biodegradable acetate to the more complex ones present in municipal wastewater did not have significant impacts on aerobic granular sludge characteristics; it particularly did not affect its settling properties. However, sufficient readily biodegradable carbon would have to be provided to maintain simultaneous biological nitrate and phosphorus removal.