The difference of morphological characteristics and population structure in PAO and DPAO granular sludges

We examined how long-term operation of anaerobic–oxic and anaerobic–anoxic sequencing batch reactors(SBRs) affects the enhanced biological phosphorus removal(EBPR)performance and sludge characteristics. The microbial characteristics of phosphorus accumulating organism(PAO) and denitrifying PAO(DPAO) sludge were also analyzed through a quantitative analysis of microbial community structure. Compared with the initial stage of operation characterized by unstable EBPR, both PAO and DPAO SBR produced a stable EBPR performance after about 100-day operation. From day 200 days(DPAO SBR)and 250 days(PAO SBR) onward, sludge granulation was observed, and the average granule size of DPAO SBR was approximately 5 times larger than that of PAO SBR. The DPAO granular sludge contained mainly rod-type microbes, whereas the PAO granular sludge contained coccus-type microbes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that a high ratio of Accumulibacter clade I was found only in DPAO SBR, revealing the important role of this organism in the denitrifying EBPR system. A pyrosequencing analysis showed that Accumulibacter phosphatis was present in PAO sludge at a high proportion of 6%,whereas it rarely observed in DPAO sludge. Dechloromonas was observed in both PAO sludge(3.3%) and DPAO sludge(3.2%), confirming that this organism can use both O_2 and NO_3^- as electron acceptors. Further, Thauera spp. was identified to have a new possibility as denitrifier capable of phosphorous uptake under anoxic condition.

Comparison of biochemical characteristics between PAO and DPAO sludges

A successful enhanced biological phosphorus removal （EBPR） was observed in both anaerobic- aerobic sequencing batch reactor （An-Ox SBR） to induce growth of phosphorus accumulating organism （PAO） and anaerobic-anoxic （An-Ax） SBR to induce growth of denitrifying PAO （DPAO）. Although the EBPR performance of An-Ox SBR was higher by 11.3% than that of An-Ax SBR, specific phosphorus release rates in the An-Ax SBR （22.8 ± 3.5 mg P/（g VSS.hr）） and the An-Ox SBR （22.4 ± 4.8 mg P/（g VSS.hr）） were similar. Specific phosphorus uptake rates under anoxic and aerobic conditions were 26.3 ± 4.8 mg P/（g VSS.hr） （An-Ax SBR） and 25.6 ± 2.8 mg P/（g VSS.hr） （An-Ox SBR）, respectively, which were also similar. In addition, an analysis of relationship of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates （PHA） synthesized under anaerobic conditions with phosphorous release （Preleased/PHAsynthesized） and of PHA utilized under anoxic and aerobic conditions with phosphorous uptake （Puptaked/PHAutilized） verified that biological activities of EBPR per unit biomass between DPAO and PAO were similar. An analysis of the specific denitrification rate of DPAO showed that NO3-N can be denitrified at a rate that does not substantially differ from that of an ordinary denitrifier without additional consumption of organic carbon when the PHA stored inside the cell under anaerobic conditions is sufficiently secured.

Anoxic gas recirculation system for fouling control in anoxic membrane reactor

Anoxic gas recirculation system was applied to control the membrane fouling in pilot-scale 4- stage anoxic membrane bioreactor （MBR）. In the anaerobic-anoxic-anoxic-aerobic flow scheme, hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene （PTFE） membrane （0.2 μm, 7.2 m2/module） was submerged in the second anoxic zone. During 8 months operation, the average flux of the membrane was 21.3 L/（m2.hr）. Chemical cleaning of the membrane was conducted only once with sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite. Dissolved oxygen （DO） concentration in the second anoxic zone was maintained with an average of 0.19 ± 0.05 mg/L. Gas chromatography analysis showed that the headspace gas in the second anoxic reactor was mainly consisted of N2 （93.0% ± 2.5%）, O2 （3.8% ± 0.6%）, and CO2 （3.0% ± 0.5%）, where the saturation DO concentration in liquid phase was 1.57 mg/L. Atmospheric 02 content （20.5% ± 0.8%） was significantly reduced in the anoxic gas. The average pH in the reactor was 7.2 ± 0.4. As a result, the recirculation of the anoxic gas was successfully applied to control the membrane fouling in the anoxic MBR.