Role of extracellular exopolymers on biological phosphorus removal Role of extracellular exopolymers on biological phosphorus removal

Article type: Research Article

Authors: LIU, Ya-nan | XUE, Gang | YU, Shui-li | ZHAO, Fang-bo

Affiliations: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China | School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: liuyanan@dhu.edu.cn

Abstract: Three sequencing batch reactors supplied with different carbon sources were investigated. The system supplied with glucose gained the best enhanced biological phosphorus removal although all of the three reactors were seeded from the same sludge. With the measurement of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) concentration, phosphorus content in sludge and extracellular exopolymers (EPS) with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), it was found that the biosorption effect of EPS played an important role in phosphorus removal and that the amount of PHA at the end of anaerobic phase was not the only key factor to determine the following phosphorus removal efficiency.

Keywords: biological phosphorus removal, extracellular exopolymers, biosorption

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 670-674, 2006