Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Aerobic Granular Sludge:The Future of Wastewater Treatment


Affiliations
1 Water and Steam Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
2 Homi Bhabha National Institute, BARC Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Trombay, Mumbai 400 094, India
 

Water, food and energy security are interlinked and central to sustainable development. Wastewater is a key element in the water–food–energy nexus, and recovery of resources can link water, nutrient and energy cycles. Effective treatment of wastewater is essential for public health and sanitation, water reclamation, preventing environmental pollution and protecting water resources. Furthermore, the treated wastewater is a potential resource and its reuse will partially offset supply and demand in water-stressed areas. A century-old activated sludge (AS) process is still widely employed, though not sustainable in terms of large land footprint, higher costs and complex designs for achieving biological nutrient removal. The recently developed aerobic granular sludge (GS) process is a better replacement for AS and promises sustainable wastewater treatment for at least the next century. The GS process uses familiar sequencing batch reactor technology for simultaneous removal of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants from wastewater. Among the available biological treatment options, GS process is the most preferred choice because of smaller land footprint, lower costs and effective wastewater treatment. Accumulating research shows that the GS technology has gained enormous popularity; it is increasingly considered for capacity extension as well as new wastewater treatment plants in domestic and industrial sectors.

Keywords

Activated Sludge, Aerobic Granulation, Sequencing Batch Reactor, Wastewater Treatment.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Martins, A. M., Pagilla, M. K., Heijnen, J. J. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Filamentous bulking sludge – a critical review. Water Res., 2004, 38(4), 793–817.

  • Hu, M., Wang, X., Wen, X. and Xia, Y., Microbial community structures in different wastewater treatment plants as revealed by 454-pyrosequencing analysis. Bioresour. Technol., 2012, 117, 72–79.

  • Bengtsson, S., de Blois, M., Wilén, B. M. and Gustavsson, D., A comparison of aerobic granular sludge with conventional and compact biological treatment technologies. Environ. Technol., 2018, 13, 1479–1487; doi:10.1080/09593330.2018.1452985.

  • van Loosdrecht, M. C. M. and Brdjanovic, D., Anticipating the next century of wastewater treatment. Science, 2014, 344(6191), 1452–1453.

  • Fenu, A., Guglielmi, G., Jimenez, J., Spèrandio, M., Saroj, D., Lesjean, B. and Nopens, I., Activated sludge model (ASM) based modelling of membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes: a critical review with special regard to MBR specificities. Water Res., 2010, 44(15), 4272–4294.

  • Morgenroth, E., Sherden, T., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Heijnen, J. J. and Wilderer, P. A., Aerobic granular sludge in a sequencing batch reactor. Water Res., 1997, 31, 3191–3194.

  • de Bruin, L. M. M., de Kreuk, M. K., van der Roest, H. F. R., Uijterlinde, C. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Aerobic granular sludge technology: an alternative to activated sludge? Water Sci. Technol., 2004, 49, 1–7.

  • Sarma, S. J., Tay, J. H. and Chu, A., Finding knowledge gaps in aerobic granulation technology. Trends Biotechnol., 2016, 35(1), 66–78.

  • Nancharaiah, Y. V. and Kiran Kumar Reddy, G., Aerobic granular sludge technology: mechanisms of granulation and biotechnological applications. Bioresour. Technol., 2018, 247, 1128–1143.

  • Ni, B. J., Xie, W. M., Liu, S. G., Yu, H. Q., Wang, Y. Z., Wang, G. and Dai, X. L., Granulation of activated sludge in a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor for the treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater. Water Res., 2009, 43(3), 751–761.

  • Derlon, N., Wagner, J., da Costa, R. H. R. and Morgenroth, E., Formation of aerobic granules for the treatment of real and lowstrength municipal wastewater using a sequencing batch reactor operated at constant volume. Water Res., 2016, 105, 341–350.

  • Long, B., Xuan, X., Yang, C., Zhang, L., Cheng, Y. and Wang, J., Stability of aerobic granular sludge in a pilot scale sequencing batch reactor enhanced by granular particle size control. Chemosphere, 2019, 225, 460–469.

  • Pronk, M., de Kreuk, M. K., de Bruin, B., Kamminga, P., Kleerebezem, R. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Full scale performance of the aerobic granular sludge process for sewage treatment. Water Res., 2015, 84, 207–217.

  • Li, J., Ding, L. B., Cai, A., Huang, G. X. and Horn, H., Aerobic sludge granulation in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor. Biomed Res. Int., 2014, 12; article ID 268789; http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/268789.

  • Świątczak, P. and Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, A., Performance and microbial characteristics of biomass in a full-scale aerobic granular sludge wastewater treatment plant. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2018, 25(2), 1655–1669.

  • CPCB, Annual Report 2015–16, Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, 2018; https://cpcb.nic.in/annual-report.php

  • Vasanthi, M., Capacity of sewage treatment plants. Lok Sabha unstarred question no. 1852, New Delhi, 2017; http://www.india.environmentportal.org.in/files/file/capcity%20of%20Sweage%20-Treatment%20plants_0.pdf

  • Nancharaiah, Y. V., Schwarzenbeck, N., Mohan, T. V., Narasimhan, S. V., Wilderer, P. A. and Venugopalan, V. P., Biodegradation of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ferric-NTA complex by aerobic microbial granules. Water Res., 2006, 40, 1539–1546.

  • Flemming, H. C. and Wingender, J., The biofilm matrix. Nature Rev. Microbiol., 2010, 8(9), 623.

  • Mitra, A. and Mukhopadhyay, S., Biofilm mediated decontamination of pollutants from the environment. AIMS Bioeng., 2016, 3(1), 44–59; doi:10.3934/bioeng.2016.1.44.

  • Nicolella, C., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M. and Heijnen, J. J., Wastewater treatment with particulate biofilm reactors. J. Biotechnol., 2000, 80, 1–33.

  • Chaali, M., Naghdi, M., Brar, S. K. and Avalos‐Ramirez, A., A review on the advances in nitrifying biofilm reactors and their removal rates in wastewater treatment. J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol., 2018, 93(11), 3113–3124.

  • Syron, E. and Casey, E., Membrane-aerated biofilms for high rate biotreatment: performance appraisal, engineering principles, scaleup, and development requirements. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42(6), 1833–1844.

  • Gao, P., Xu, W., Sontag, P., Li, X., Xue, G., Liu, T. and Sun, W., Correlating microbial community compositions with environmental factors in activated sludge from four full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants in Shanghai, China. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 2016, 100, 4663–4673.

  • Xia, Y., Wen, X., Zhang, B. and Yang, Y., Diversity and assembly patterns of activated sludge microbial communities: a review. Biotechnol. Adv., 2018, 36(4), 1038–1047.

  • Lotito, A. M., De Sanctis, M., Di Iaconi, C. and Bergna, G., Textile wastewater treatment: aerobic granular sludge versus activated sludge systems. Water Res., 2014, 54, 337–346.

  • Sheik, A. R., Muller, E. E. and Wilmes, P., A hundred years of activated sludge: time for a rethink. Front. Microbiol., 2014, 5, 47.

  • Iorhemen, O. T., Hamza, R. A. and Tay, J. H., Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater treatment and reclamation: membrane fouling. Membranes (Basel), 2016, 6(2), 33.

  • Tay, J. H., Liu, Q. S. and Liu, Y., The effects of shear force on the formation, structure and metabolism of aerobic granules. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 2001, 57, 227–233.

  • Adav, S. S., Lee, D. J. and Lai, J. Y., Biological nitrification denitrification with alternating oxic and anoxic operations using aerobic granules. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 2009, 84(6), 1181– 1189.

  • de Kreuk, M. K. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Formation of aerobic granules with domestic sewage. J. Environ. Eng., 2006, 132, 694–697.

  • Barr, J. J., Cook, A. E. and Bond, P. L., Granule formation mechanisms within an aerobic wastewater system for phosphorus removal. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 2010, 76, 7588–7597.

  • Thwaites, B. J., Short, M. D., Stuetz, R. M., Reeve, P. J., Gaitan, J. P. A., Dinesh, N. and van den Akker, B., Comparing the performance of aerobic granular sludge versus conventional activated sludge for microbial log removal and effluent quality: implications for water reuse. Water Res., 2018, 145, 442–452.

  • Sarvajith, M., Kiran Kumar Reddy, G. and Nancharaiah, Y. V., Textile dye biodecolourization and ammonium removal over nitrite in aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors. J. Hazard. Mater., 2017, 342, 536–543.

  • Nancharaiah, Y. V., Joshi, H. M., Mohan, T. V. K., Venugopalan, V. P. and Narasimhan, S. V., Aerobic granular biomass: a novel biomaterial for efficient uranium removal. Curr. Sci., 2006, 91(4), 503–509.

  • Nancharaiah, Y. V., Kiran Kumar Reddy, G., Krishna Mohan, T. V. and Venugopalan, V. P., Biodegradation of tributyl phosphate, an organophosphate triester, by aerobic granular biofilms. J. Hazard. Mater., 2015, 283, 705–711.

  • Zhao, X., Chen, Z., Wang, X., Li, J., Shen, J. and Xu, H., Remediation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products using an aerobic granular sludge sequencing bioreactor and microbial community profiling using Solexa sequencing technology analysis. Bioresour. Technol., 2015, 179, 104–112.

  • Ramos, C., Suárez-Ojeda, M. E. and Carrera, J., Long-term impact of salinity on the performance and microbial population of an aerobic granular reactor treating a high-strength aromatic wastewater. Bioresour. Technol., 2015, 198, 844–851.

  • Morales, N., Figueroa, M., Fra-Váquez, A., Val del Rio, A., Campos, J. L., Mosquera-Corral, A. and Méndez, R., Operation of an aerobic granular pilot scale SBR plant to treat swine slurry. Process Biochem., 2013, 48(8), 1216–1221.

  • Liu, Y. Q., Moy, B., Kong, Y. H. and Tay, J. H., Formation, physical characteristics and microbial community structure of aerobic granules in a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor for real wastewater treatment. Enzyme Microb. Technol., 2010, 46(6), 520–525.

  • Isanta, E., Suárez-Ojeda, M. E., Val del Rio, A., Morales, N., Pérez, J. and Carrera, J., Long term operation of a granular sequencing batch reactor at pilot scale treating a low-strength wastewater. Chem. Eng. J., 2012, 198–199, 163–170.

  • Giesen, A., de Bruin, L. M. M., Niermans, R. P. and van der Roest, H. F., Advancements in the application of aerobic granular biomass technology for sustainable treatment of wastewater. Water Pract. Technol., 2013, 8(1), 320–327.

  • Coma, M., Verawaty, M., Pijuan, M., Yuan, Z. and Bond, P. L., Enhancing aerobic granulation for biological nutrient removal from domestic wastewater. Bioresour. Technol., 2012, 103(1), 101–108.

  • Rocktäschel, T., Klarmann, C., Ochoa, J., Boisson, P., Sørensen, K. and Horn, H., Influence of the granulation grade on the concentration of suspended solids in the effluent of a pilot scale sequencing batch reactor operated with aerobic granular sludge. Sep. Purif. Technol., 2015, 142, 234–241.

  • Li, A., Li, X. and Yu, H., Granular activated carbon for aerobic sludge granulation in a bioreactor with a low-strength wastewater influent. Sep. Purif. Technol., 2011, 80, 276–283.

  • Zhou, J.-H. et al., Granular activated carbon as nucleating agent for aerobic sludge granulation: effect of GAC size on velocity field differences (GAC versus flocs) and aggregation behaviour. Bioresour. Technol., 2015, 198, 358–363.

  • Tao, J., Qin, L., Liu, X., Li, B., Chen, J., You, J., Shen, Y. and Chen, X., Effect of granular activated carbon on the aerobic granulation of sludge and its mechanism. Bioresour. Technol., 2017, 236, 60–67.

  • Wei, Y., Ji, M., Li, R. and Qin, F., Organic and nitrogen removal from landfill leachate in aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors. Waste Manage., 2012, 32, 448–455.

  • Ren, X., Guo, L., Chen, Y., She, Z., Gao, M., Zhao, Y. and Shao, M., Effect of magnet powder (Fe3O4) on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) formation and microbial community structure characteristics. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., 2018, 6(8), 9707–9715.

  • de Kreuk, M. K., Heijnen, J. J. and van Loosdrecht, M. C., Simultaneous COD, nitrogen, and phosphate removal by aerobic granular sludge. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 2006, 90, 761–769.

  • Winkler M.-K.H., Kleerebezem, R., Verhijen, P. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Microbial diversity differences within aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge flocs. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 2012, 16, 7447–7458.

  • Winkler M. -K. H., Le, Q. H. and Volcke, E. P. I., Influence of partial denitrification and mixotrophic growth of NOB on microbial distribution in aerobic granular sludge reactor. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49, 11003–11010.

  • Pronk, M., Giesen, A., Thompson, A., Robertson, S. and van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Aerobic granular biomass technology: advancements in design, applications and further developments. Water Pract. Technol., 2017, 12(4), 987–996.

  • Luo, W., Hai, F. I., Price, W. E., Guo, W., Ngo, H. H., Yamamoto, K. and Nghiem, L. D., High retention membrane bioreactors: challenges and opportunities. Bioresour. Technol., 2014, 167, 539– 546.

  • Reddy, G. K. K., Sarvajith, M., Nancharaiah, Y. V. and Venugopalan, V. P., 2,4-Dinitrotoluene removal in aerobic granular biomass sequencing batch reactors. Int. Biodeter. Biodegr., 2017, 119, 56–65.

  • Nancharaiah, Y. V., Sarvajith, M. and Lens, P. N. L., Selenite reduction and ammoniacal nitrogen removal in an aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactor. Water Res., 2018, 131, 131– 141.


Abstract Views: 475

PDF Views: 123




  • Aerobic Granular Sludge:The Future of Wastewater Treatment

Abstract Views: 475  |  PDF Views: 123

Authors

Y. V. Nancharaiah
Water and Steam Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
M. Sarvajith
Homi Bhabha National Institute, BARC Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Trombay, Mumbai 400 094, India
T. V. Krishna Mohan
Water and Steam Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam 603 102, India

Abstract


Water, food and energy security are interlinked and central to sustainable development. Wastewater is a key element in the water–food–energy nexus, and recovery of resources can link water, nutrient and energy cycles. Effective treatment of wastewater is essential for public health and sanitation, water reclamation, preventing environmental pollution and protecting water resources. Furthermore, the treated wastewater is a potential resource and its reuse will partially offset supply and demand in water-stressed areas. A century-old activated sludge (AS) process is still widely employed, though not sustainable in terms of large land footprint, higher costs and complex designs for achieving biological nutrient removal. The recently developed aerobic granular sludge (GS) process is a better replacement for AS and promises sustainable wastewater treatment for at least the next century. The GS process uses familiar sequencing batch reactor technology for simultaneous removal of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants from wastewater. Among the available biological treatment options, GS process is the most preferred choice because of smaller land footprint, lower costs and effective wastewater treatment. Accumulating research shows that the GS technology has gained enormous popularity; it is increasingly considered for capacity extension as well as new wastewater treatment plants in domestic and industrial sectors.

Keywords


Activated Sludge, Aerobic Granulation, Sequencing Batch Reactor, Wastewater Treatment.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv117%2Fi3%2F395-404