Freezing of aerobic granules for storage and subsequent recovery

Formation, application, and storage-reactivation of aerobic granular sludge: A review

It was an important discovery in wastewater treatment that the microorganisms in the traditional activated sludge can form aerobic granular sludge (AGS) by self-aggregation under appropriate water quality and operation conditions. With a typical three-dimensional spherical structure, AGS has high sludge-water separation efficiency, great treatment capacity, and strong tolerance to toxic and harmful substances, so it has been considered to be one of the most promising wastewater treatment technologies. This paper comprehensively reviewed AGS from multiple perspectives over the past two decades, including the culture conditions, granulation mechanisms, metabolic and structural stability, storage, and its diverse applications. Some important issues, such as the reproducibility of culture conditions and the structural and functional stability during application and storage, were also summarized, and the research prospects were put forward. The aggregation behavior of microorganisms in AGS was explained from the perspectives of physiology and ecology of complex populations. The storage of AGS is considered to have large commercial potential value with the increase of large-scale applications. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reference for the systematic and in-depth study on the sludge aerobic granulation process.

Start-up of an aerobic granular sludge system from stored granules: Evaluating the impact of storage period on biomass activity and stability and the effect of temperature on nitrification and phosphorus removal rates

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been considered a breakthrough within the wastewater treatment sector. However, the long reactor start-up for the formation of granules is challenging and may hinder the spread of this technology. To circumvent this obstacle, inoculation of the reactors with pre-formed granules from existing plants is an interesting approach. In this context, issues related to biomass storage becomes very relevant. In this study, reactivation of aerobic granular biomass after storage was evaluated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) designed for achieving simultaneous organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Two different scenarios, short (40 days) and long (180 days) storage periods, were assessed, and their influence on the granules physical properties and bioactivity was addressed. The results revealed that the granules stored for a shorter period showed higher resistance to breakage and underwent smooth color changes. On the other hand, the biomass stored for a longer period acquired a dark color and was more susceptible to disruption during reactivation. The granules stored for 6 months become swollen and exhibited an irregular morphology and fluffy structure within the first days of reactivation. Consequently, their settling properties were adversely affected, and some parameters such as the food-to-microorganism ratio had to be adjusted to prevent granules disintegration. Regarding the bioactivity of important microbial functional groups, COD removal was rapidly restored within a few days of SBR operation with the biomass stored for a shorter period. However, it took longer for the biomass stored for 180 days to reach the same performance observed for the granules stored for 40 days. A similar trend is valid for nitrification. In the experiments with sludge stored for a longer time, it took almost twice as long to reach effluent ammonium concentrations lower than 1 mg NH₄⁺-N L^-1 compared to the test using biomass stored for 40 days. Phosphate removal was strongly affected by biomass storage, especially after 180 days of inactivity, a condition found to be detrimental for polyphosphate-accumulating organisms. Finally, cycle tests were also conducted to assess substrate conversion rates for comparison between different trials and evaluate the influence of temperature (10-35 °C) on nitrification and phosphate removal rates.

Reactivation of Frozen Stored Microalgal-Bacterial Granular Sludge under Aeration and Non-Aeration Conditions

In this paper, reactivation of microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) stored at −20 °C for 6 months was investigated under respective aeration (R1) and non-aeration (R2) conditions. Results showed that the granular activity could be fully recovered within 21 days. The average removal efficiency of ammonia was higher in R1 (92.78%), while R2 showed higher average removal efficiencies of organics (84.97%) and phosphorus (85.28%). It was also found that eukaryotic microalgae growth was stimulated under aeration conditions, whereas prokaryotic microalgae growth and extracellular protein secretion were favored under non-aeration conditions. Sequencing results showed that the microbial community underwent subversive evolution, with Chlorophyta and Proteobacteria being dominant species under both conditions. Consequently, it was reasonable to conclude that the activity and structure of frozen stored MBGS could be recovered under both aeration and non-aeration conditions, of which aeration-free activation was more feasible on account of its energy-saving property. This study provides important information for the storage and transportation of MBGS in wastewater treatment.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) scouring to mitigate membrane fouling: Performance, hydrodynamic mechanism and contribution quantification model

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been proven to have a low fouling potential in membrane bioreactor (MBR). Nevertheless, AGS scouring effect on mitigating membrane fouling remains poorly investigated. The main objective of this study is to examine AGS-MBR performance, to reveal the AGS scouring mechanism and quantify its contribution rate to membrane fouling mitigation, from the views of theory and experiment. Above all, AGS-MBR exhibited a low fouling rate ((transmembrane pressure (TMP) kept below 20 kPa) without membrane cleaning and a higher removal of organics and nutrients than conventional MBR during 80 days' sludge granulation process. Then, flocculent sludge (FS) with various AGS ratios was applied to simulate the sludge granulation phase. When AGS ratio increased from 0% to 100%, the permeate flux gradually elevated from 40.0 L m^-2h^-1 to 92.9 L m^-2h^-1, and fouling resistance decreased from 9.0 × 10^-12m^-1 to 3.9 × 10^-12m^-1 benefiting from the loose structure and high porosity of AGS fouling layer. Meanwhile, the scouring effect produced by AGS on the membrane fouling mitigation was investigated. Based on the momentum conservation, a new hydrodynamic model was developed to explain the scouring mechanism of AGS. The scouring stress, proportional to the total amount of AGS depositing on the membrane surface, effectively reinforced the collision between AGS and FS, and reduced their deposition on the membrane surface by friction with the membrane; thus it was further conducive to membrane fouling mitigation. Moreover, a novel contribution quantification model was proposed for analyzing the contribution rate of AGS scouring effect to mitigate membrane fouling. AGS scouring possessed a significant contribution rate (39.9%) for fouling mitigation, compared with AGS structure (50.3%) and hydraulic stress (9.7%). In final, this study provides an in-depth understanding to mitigate the MBR membrane fouling by the unique advantages of sludge granulation.

Characterization of aerobic granules formed in an aspartic acid fed sequencing batch reactor under unfavorable hydrodynamic selection conditions

Granules initiation and development is the backbone of aerobic granular sludge technology. Feed composition can notably affect initiation and development of aerobic granules, and yield aerobic granules with distinct microbial community, morphology and structure. This paper reports an unexpected formation of aerobic granules in an aspartic acid fed SBR under unfavorable hydrodynamic selection conditions. Detailed characteristics of these aerobic granules were investigated in terms of morphology, structure, bioactivity and EPS. The results showed that due to the absence of favorable hydrodynamic selection pressure, the formed aerobic granules had an irregular shape with a rough outline and loose internal structure, which was quite different from mature aerobic granules. Bacteria in these aerobic granules were mainly presented in the form of microcolony with calcium and β-polysaccharides responsible for its mechanical stability. The high N/C ratio of aspartic acid enabled the enrichment of significant amount of nitrifiers within aerobic granules and thus resulted in high nitrification activity of these aerobic granules. The negatively charged and hydrophilic aspartic acid also induced the bacteria to secrete more exopolysaccharides for contributing to more neutral and hydrophilic surface of the aerobic granules, which was beneficial for aspartic acid capture. As a result, polysaccharides, rather than proteins, became the major components of EPS in these aerobic granules. This paper provides us a foundation to better understand the granulation potential of proteinaceous substrates that is frequently encountered in industrial wastewaters.

Augmentation of Biogranules for Enhanced Performance of Full-Scale Lagoon-Based Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

This study investigated the treatment performance of lagoon-based municipal wastewater treatment plants (LWWTPs) inoculated by proprietary biogranules. Augmentation process included enhancing the microbial community of lagoon basins by weekly addition of biogranules over the treatment seasons (summer and fall). Effluent qualities before and after the augmentation process were compared, and the results were reported as "enhanced treatment efficiencies, E_E". Very low concentrations of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), total nitrogen (TN), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonium nitrogen (N-NH₄), and total phosphorus (TP) were detected at discharge points after the augmentation process, which corresponded to enhanced treatment efficiencies of 86, 74, 72, 92.7, and 71%, respectively. Significant reduction in total coliform and E. coli concentrations in the effluents (91 and 98%, respectively) demonstrated the capability of granule-based lagoons in destroying pathogens. Adding biogranules to lagoons was an efficient remedy for excess sludge buildup in short and long runs. Hence, inoculating lagoon plants using biogranules was suggested as an effective technique to augment rural wastewater treatment facilities.

Evolution of microbial community during dry storage and recovery of aerobic granular sludge

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) was imbedded in agar and stored at 4 °C for 30 days, and then the stored granules were recovered in a sequencing batch reactor fed real wastewater within 11 days. Variations in microbial community compositions were investigated during dry storage and recovery of AGS, aiming to elucidate the mechanism of granular stability loss and recovery. The storage and recovery of AGS involved microbial community evolution. The dominant bacterial genera of the mature AGS were Zoogloea (relative abundance of 22.39%), Thauera (16.03%) and Clostridium_sensu_stricto (11.17%), and those of the stored granules were Acidovorax (26.79%), Macellibacteroides (12.83%) and Pseudoxanthomonas (5.69%), respectively. However, the dominant genera were Streptococcus (43.64%), Clostridium_sensu_stricto (12.3.6%) and Lactococcus (11.47%) in the recovered AGS. Methanogens were always the dominant archaeal species in mature AGS (93.01%), stored granules (99.99%) and the recovered AGS (94.84%). Facultative anaerobes and anaerobes proliferated and dominated in the stored granules, and their metabolic activities gradually led to granular structure destruction and property deterioration. However, the stored granules served as carriers for the microbes originated from the real septic tank wastewater during recovery. They proliferated rapidly and secreted a large number of extracellular polymeric substances which helped to recover the granular structure in 11 days.

Storage of aerobic granular sludge embedded in agar and its reactivation by real wastewater

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) was preserved using an agar embedding method to maintain its stability. No obvious damage was imposed on the granular appearance during 30 days of cold and dry storage, but the granular microstructure had an uneven surface with a large number of holes. The results were consistent with the extinction of microbial communities and the monitored consumption of extracellular polymeric substances, in which granular specific oxygen utilization rate and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids/mixed liquor suspended solids ratio, respectively, decreased by 72.4% and 62.5% during storage. A mass conversation calculation indicated that the loss of granular mass was 1.6393 g. An offensive odour was smelled during storage, and the results indicated that a material transformation and mitigation were involved between AGS and the gas phase. Although the granular structure was destroyed to a certain extent, no obvious damage was imposed on the granular skeleton during storage. After it was aerated again after a feeding with real wastewater, the residual skeleton served as a carrier for the rapid proliferation of microorganisms, and good granular properties were obtained after 11 days of reactivation.

Recovery of dehydrated aerobic granules: A comparison

Dehydrated aerobic granules, if can be sufficiently recovered without significant loss of structural stability and biological activities, presents a promising long-time storage option in practical use. This study dehydrated aerobic granules by six protocols: air drying at 25 or 50 °C, freeze-dry, acetone or ethanol dehydration, and microwave heating, and then recovered them in liquid medium, with the measured characteristics being reported. The granule stability has no correlation with measured settleability, hydrophobicity or extracellular polymeric substances compositions; instead, is correlated with the functional strains presented in the recovered granules. Air dry dehydration minimally damage the functional strains including genus Brevundimonas and genus Comamonas and markedly deteriorated structural breaker such as Acinetobacter of Moraxellaceae to lead to stable and tough recovered granules.

Formation of bacterial aerobic granules: Role of propionate

Propionate presents as one of the major volatile fatty acids in municipal wastewaters, which are not readily degraded as acetate by microorganisms. This study cultivated aerobic granules from column reactors with acetate, acetate/propionate mix (3:1 and 1:3) and propionate as carbon sources and noted that propionate-rich feed would delay granulation, but could generate granules with high structural strength. Propionate feed enriched strains fractionated into the hydrophobic phase, Sphaerotilus sp., Sphingomonadaceae and Thauera sp., in granules and altered hydrophobicity of Thauera sp. and Zoogloea sp. The enriched strains could secret high quantities of cyclic-di-diguanylate to increase production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The hydrophobic cell surface and increased EPS quantity led to integrated propionate-fed granules. Feed with high propionate concentration is proposed as promising way to cultivate strong aerobic granules for practical use.

Aerobic granulation strategy for bioaugmentation of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treating high strength pyridine wastewater

Aerobic granules were successfully cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), using a single bacterial strain Rhizobium sp. NJUST18 as the inoculum. NJUST18 presented as both a good pyridine degrader and an efficient autoaggregator. Stable granules with diameter of 0.5-1 mm, sludge volume index of 25.6 ± 3.6 mL g(-1) and settling velocity of 37.2 ± 2.7 m h(-1), were formed in SBR following 120-day cultivation. These granules exhibited excellent pyridine degradation performance, with maximum volumetric degradation rate (Vmax) varied between 1164.5 mg L(-1) h(-1) and 1867.4 mg L(-1) h(-1). High-throughput sequencing analysis exhibited a large shift in microbial community structure, since the SBR was operated under open condition. Paracoccus and Comamonas were found to be the most predominant species in the aerobic granule system after the system had stabilized. The initially inoculated Rhizobium sp. lost its dominance during aerobic granulation. However, the inoculation of Rhizobium sp. played a key role in the start-up process of this bioaugmentation system. This study demonstrated that, in addition to the hydraulic selection pressure during settling and effluent discharge, the selection of aggregating bacterial inocula is equally important for the formation of the aerobic granule.

Saline storage of aerobic granules and subsequent reactivation

Loss of structural stability and bioactivity during long-term storage and operation is primary challenge to field applications of aerobic granular processes. This study for the first time stored aerobic granules in 5%w/w NaCl solution at 4°C for 187d. The stored granules were then successfully reactivated and used for 85d in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) and continuous-flow reactors (CFR) at varying levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD). High-throughput sequencing results reveal that Thauera sp., Paracoccus sp., and Nitrosomonas sp. were the predominant in the stored aerobic granules, and Pseudoxanthomonas sp. accumulated during the reactivation process. Saline storage, in which cells are in an unculturable state by saline stress, is a promising storage process for aerobic granules.

Long-term storage of aerobic granules in liquid media: viable but non-culturable status

Long-term storage and successful reactivation after storage are essential for practical applications of aerobic granules on wastewater treatment. This study cultivated aerobic granules (SI) in sequencing batch reactors and then stored the granules at 4 °C in five liquid media (DI water (SW), acetone (SA), acetone/isoamyl acetate mix (SAA), saline water (SS), and formaldehyde (SF)) for over 1 year. The first four granules were then successfully reactivated in 24h cultivation. The specific oxygen uptake rates (SOUR) of the granules followed SI>SS>SA>SAA>SW>SF; and the corresponding granular strengths (10 min ultrasound) followed SI>SA=SS>SAA>SW>>SF. During storage the granular cells secreted excess quantities of cyclic-diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and pentaphosphate (ppGpp) as responses to the stringent challenges. We proposed that to force cells in granules (Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Sphingobacteria, and Clostridia) entering viable but non-culturable (VBNC) status is the key of success for extended period storage of granules.