Quantifying Glycogen in Solids at Full-Scale Enhanced Biological Phosphorous Removal Wastewater Facilities
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 9
Abstract
Glycogen is a chief metabolic storage pool in bacteria performing enhanced biological phosphorous removal (EBPR) and is a potential resource for the production of bio-based fuels and chemicals. Quantifying glycogen at full-scale EBPRs is necessary to evaluate viability. To more fully understand resource potential, both sampling location and lab-scale quantification methods were compared to ensure suitable assessment. Sampling location, before and after final clarification, indicated that clarification selects for high-glycogen flocs and concentrates glycogen with respect to solids—in this case by 51%. Two assays were compared for glycogen quantification of lyophilized sludge: acid treatment (0.9 M HCl) and alkaline treatment [5 M potassium hydroxide (KOH)], both at 100°C for 3 h. Alkaline treatment recovered only 58% of glycogen in known standards versus 96% for acid treatment. The acid method was successfully applied to waste-activated sludge (WAS) from seven different treatment facilities, which ranged from 2.5 to 2.8% of solids as glycogen. The results represent the first broad survey of glycogen in full-scale EBPR systems and indicates that it is a modest resource potential.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Dan Hoban and Meilin Jiang for assistance in the lab, Linda (Xingya) Liu and Amanda Kreger for assistance with HPLC, Dr. Eduardo Ximenes for guidance on enzyme selection, Dr. Ximing Zhang for guidance on acid treatment of glucose polymers, and Bob Roudebush of Clay County, IN WWTF, Jack Russell of West WRRF, Patrick Dwyer of Sinking Creek WWTP, Randy Boyette of ReWa, Randy Duckworth of Columbus, IN WWTF, and Adam Huwe of West Lafayette, IN WWTF for assistance in sludge sample collection. This publication was developed under STAR Fellowship Assistance Agreement No. FP-91780201-0 awarded by the USEPA. It has not been formally reviewed by the USEPA. The views expressed in this publication are solely those of Raymond M. RedCorn and Dr. Abigail S. Engelberth, and USEPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication. This research was also supported in part through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Indigenous Scholars Program.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 9 • September 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 30, 2017
Accepted: Apr 3, 2018
Published online: Jul 9, 2018
Published in print: Sep 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 9, 2018
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