Rapid start-up and advanced nutrient removal of simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification and phosphorus removal aerobic granular sequence batch reactor for treating low C/N domestic wastewater

Abstract

The rapid start-up and advanced nutrient removal of simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification, and phosphorus (P) removal aerobic granular sequence batch reactor (SNEDPR-AGSBR) is a challenge in the treatment of low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) domestic sewage. In this study, the feasibility of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process was examined in an exceedingly single-stage anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic sequencing batch reactor for treating low C/N ratio (3.3-5.0) domestic sewage. The initial results showed that accompanied by the rapid formation of the mature aerobic granular sludge based on the selection for slow-growing organisms, the rapid start-up (38 d) of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process was successfully realized. The formed mature aerobic granules had a dense structure with an average diameter of 667.7 μm and SVI₃₀ of 30.0 mL/g. Two conditions for achieving the competitive balance between phosphorus-accumulating organisms/denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs/DPAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms/denitrifying glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs/DGAOs) were revealed by the long-term operation results. First, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration needed to be decreased to 3.0 mg/L in the aerobic phase, and then, the aerobic and anoxic phase hydraulic retention time (HRT) should be increased to 3.0 h. Notably, high removal efficiencies for NH₄⁺-N (100%), total nitrogen (84.3%), and P (91.8%) of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process were stably obtained with a low C/N ratio of 3.9 domestic sewage. Simultaneous nitrification and endogenous denitrification (SNED) efficiency of 61.6% was achieved during a long-term operation of 142 days. Finally, microbial community analysis confirmed that GAOs (Defluviicoccus)/DGAOs (Candidatus_Competibacter) were responsible for the removal N, and PAOs (Acinetobacter, Candidatus_Accumulibacter, Hypomicrobinm)/DPAOs (Pseudomonas and Dechloromonas) ensured P removal.

Keywords: Aerobic granular sludge; Low C/N wastewater; Phosphorus removal; Rapid start-up; Simultaneous nitrification and endogenous denitrification.