Aerobic sludge granulation at high temperatures for domestic wastewater treatment

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2015-06, Vol.185, p.445-449
• Main Authors: Ab Halim, Mohd Hakim, Nor Anuar, Aznah, Azmi, Siti Izaidah, Jamal, Nur Syahida Abdul, Wahab, Norhaliza Abdul, Ujang, Zaini, Shraim, Amjad, Bob, Mustafa M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerobiosis; Ammonia - chemistry; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Bioreactors; Climate; Organic Chemicals - chemistry; Phosphates - chemistry; Saudi Arabia; Sewage - chemistry; Temperature; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water; Water Pollutants - chemistry; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.03.024

With inoculum sludge from a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant, three sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) fed with synthetic wastewater were operated at different high temperatures (30, 40 and 50±1°C) to study the formation of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) for simultaneous organics and nutrients removal with a complete cycle time of 3h. The AGS were successfully cultivated with influent loading rate of 1.6CODg(Ld)(-1). The COD/N ratio of the influent wastewater was 8. The results revealed that granules developed at 50°C have the highest average diameter, (3.36mm) with 98.17%, 94.45% and 72.46% removal efficiency observed in the system for COD, ammonia and phosphate, respectively. This study also demonstrated the capabilities of AGS formation at high temperatures which is suitable to be applied for hot climate conditions.