Microbial Function, Enzymatic Activities and Diversity in an Anaerobic-Anoxic-Aerobic Reactor System

Enzymatic activities of beta-gincosidase （ β-GLC ）, （ LAP）, and alkaline phosphatase （ APA）, corresponding to nutrient eliminations, and the microbial community structures were analyzed in an anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic reactor system. Results showed that most activity of β-GLC （64.2 μmoi/（ L · h ）） associated with the largest fraction of small- molecular-weight carbohydrates was found in the aerobic reactor, indicating the existence of coupled hydrolysis-uptake mechanism in the aerobic bacteria. Similar activities of LAP presented in the anoxic and aerobic environments, whose increases accompanied by increments in nitrogen uptake rates greatly accelerated the processes of aerobic nitrification and anoxic denitrification. The highest APA activity displayed in the anaerobic reactor, however, dephosphorization performance was mainly achieved under aerobic condition. Microbial community fingerprints generated by polymerase chain reaction amplification and denaturing gradient gel dectrophoresls （ PCR-DGGE ） revealed that Proteobacterium, Actinobacterium, and Nitrosplra were the predominant classes in the activated sindge and there was no evidence of community variations among each function reactor in the system with biomass recycling.

Biological nutrient removal by internal circulation upflow sludge blanket reactor after landfill leachate pretreatment

The removal of biological nutrient from mature landfill leachate with a high nitrogen load by an internal circulation upflow sludge blanket （ICUSB） reactor was studied. The reactor is a set of anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic （A^2/O） bioreactors, developed on the basis of an expended granular sludge blanket （EGSB）, granular sequencing batch reactor （GSBR） and intermittent cycle extended aeration system （ICEAS）. Leachate was subjected to stripping by agitation process and poly ferric sulfate coagulation as a pretreatment process, in order to reduce both ammonia toxicity to microorganisms and the organic contents. The reactor was operated under three different operating systems, consisting of recycling sludge with air （A^2/O）, recycling sludge without air （low oxygen） and a combination of both （A^2/O and low oxygen）. The lowest effluent nutrient levels were realised by the combined system of A^2/O and low oxygen, which resulted in effluent of chemical oxygen demand （COD）, NH3-N and biological oxygen demand （BOD5） concentrations of 98.20, 13.50 and 22.50 mg/L. The optimal operating conditions for the efficient removal of biological nutrient using the ICUSB reactor were examined to evaluate the influence of the parameters on its performance. The results showed that average removal efflciencies of COD and NH3- N of 96.49% and 99.39%, respectively were achieved under the condition of a hydraulic retention time of 12 hr, including 4 hr of pumping air into the reactor, with dissolved oxygen at an rate of 4 mg/L and an upflow velocity 2 m/hr. These combined processes were successfully employed and effectively decreased pollutant loading.