Isolation and analysis of intact polyphosphate chains from activated sludges associated with biological phosphate removal

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) 1994, Vol.28 (8), p.1725-1733
• Main Authors: Müssig-Zufika, Marica, Kornmüller, Anja, Merkelbach, Barbara, Jekel, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; enhanced biological phosphate removal; Environment and pollution; fractionation of phosphate compounds; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HPLC analysis of phosphorus species; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; intact chains of polyphosphate; polyphosphate; polyphosphate accumulating bacteria
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/0043-1354(94)90244-5

A method is described for the isolation of various phosphate species from biological cells of different origin, such as pure and mixed cultures and sludge from wastewater treatment plants with enhanced biological phosphate removal. Extraction and fractionation of phosphates is performed without enzymatic degradation or hydrolysation of inorganic polyphosphates (polyP). Analysis of the polyphosphate was carried out by HPLC with post-column derivatization, by which the P-species could be determined separately. Two different types of phosphate chains could be distinguished: short chain polyphosphates in the range of P2 to P30 and long chain polyphosphates from P30 to above P75. Due to a lack of suitable standards above P75 the upper limit of polyphosphate polymers could not be determined. The distribution of low and high molecular weight polyP depends on the biocenosis of the sludges. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a mass balance of those phosphate species which take part in the various processes of a biological phosphate removal is possible.