In Situ Microscale Analyses of Activated Sludge Flocs in the Enhanced Biological Phosphate Removal Process by the Use of Microelectrodes and Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 6
Abstract
Phosphate concentration microprofiles were measured within activated sludge flocs in the enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) process, and a fluorescent in situ hybridization and clone library analysis were conducted to indentify polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). The center of the flocs had the highest phosphate concentrations, and the stratification of the flocs found by microprofiling indicated that the PAOs were probably distributed evenly throughout the flocs. Under the assumption that the phosphate, which was generated because of phosphate release by microbial activity, was not consumed by microbes and was only transferred from the flocs to the bulk by diffusion during anaerobic conditions, the effective diffusion coefficient for phosphate release within the flocs was calculated to be at the end of the anaerobic phase of the EBPR process. These results provide a better understanding of the phosphate removal mechanism, and this understanding of the internal function of flocs can lead to improvement in the modeling, design, and operation of the biological phosphorus removal process.
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Acknowledgments
This research was partially supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) (Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDP42ES04908-16/Project 5).
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 6 • June 2010
Pages: 561 - 567
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 1, 2009
Accepted: Oct 25, 2009
Published online: Nov 11, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2010
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