Biological phosphorus removal

4.1 Introduction and principles of the process

4.1.1 Development of technology

In 1940s, the research about the biological phosphorus removal on activated sludge
plants was introduce by Sawyer (1944) and Rudolf (Balmr & Hultman 1988) and in 1955
by Greenburg et al. (EPA 1987). Other than that, these authors also state that the progression
on biological phosphorus removal started with Levin & Shapiro (1965) who proclaimed on
extensive investigations into phosphorus uptake and release. The observed high phosphorus
removal was known as luxury uptake. Therefore, the uptake and removal of phosphorus
was a reversible processes.

4.1.2 Brief explanation about the effect of phosphorus

Nowadays, eutrophication is a nutrient enrichment due to human activities causes by

the excessive amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the surface water and natural water
bodies. The excessive amount of phosphorus in the surface water or known as anthropogenic
phosphorus addition in micrograms per litre level can generate algal blooms that occur during
summer, a numerous process was made to decrease the amount of phosphorus to the lowest
level would become an important trigger. The low dissolved oxygen (DO), fish kills, cloudy
and murky water, depletion of desirable flora and fauna are the effect from the over-nutrient
enrichment.

Besides that, the microsystis is one of the toxic algae that usually found in algal
bloom. Therefore, the higher levels disinfection by-products is the effects from the increase
of algae that make the doses of drinking water is increases the chlorine intake (Fisher et al,
2004; Jack et al., 2002) that have been shown to increase the risk of the cancer (Wang et al,
2007). The activity of harmful microbes such as Pfisteria was trigger by the disproportionate
amount of nutrients (Hasselgren et al., 2008).

In addition, the range of amount of phosphorus that could trigger the algal blooms
over a long period in part of natural lake are 0.1-5.6 g/L Bowman et al., (2007) and the
phosphorus is the key and controlling nutrient and that nitrogen could show negative effect
such as encouragement of some group of algae.
4.2 The EBPR Process Description

4.2.1 Development of Enhanced Biological Phosphate Removal (EBPR) Process

Based on the new concept that proposed by James Barnard (1975), the introduction of
an absolute anaerobic stage at the influent end of aeration tank facilities the production of
activated sludge with high phosphate removal capability. Thus anaerobic stage may function
as a biological selector to facilitate the proliferation of phosphate accumulating organisms
with high P content.

4.2.2 The mechanism underlying EBPR

The EBPR process has been the greatest recent and present interest in phosphorus
removal investigation. This is because this process can achieve low or even very low ( <0.1
mg/L) effluent P levels at the modest cost and with minimum additional sludge production.

Figure 1: A Typical EBPR Reactor Configuration

Based on the findings by (Strom, 2006a and 2006b), the EBPR process basically
consists of consequent anaerobic and aerobic zone, the former zone followed by the later,
instead of an aeration tank in a conventional sludge process. In biological WWTPs,
polyphosphate was stored as an energy reserved in intracellular granules by the phosphate
accumulating organisms (PAOs). In order to utilize the energy to accumulate simple organics
and store them as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) such as poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB), the
PAOs will release orthophosphate in anaerobic conditions. Thus in aerobic conditions, the
PAOs organisms will then grow on the stored organic material, will use some energy to take
up orthophosphate and stored it as polyphosphate. The PAOs can contend with different
aerobes under these conditions due to their capacity to sequester a small amount of the
accessible natural material under the initial anaerobic conditions, while out-competing the
anaerobes because of the much higher energy yield from aerobic versus fermentative
metabolism.

The ability of the microorganism in the EBPR sludge is differentiating by their

capability or incapability to accumulate phosphorus as PAOs or non-PAOs. If they respire
nitrate, the PAOs are further classified as denitrifying PAOs (DPAOs). Among non-PAOs,
glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) are notable in the published literature for
chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (Oehmen et al., 2007; Seviour and Mcllory, 2008),
because they are able to recycle carbon in similar fashion as PAOs and aerobically
accumulate glycogen instead of polyphosphate.

Typically, PAOs action is different compared to other microorganisms. The PAOs will
mostly take up carbon source such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and accumulate them
intracellularly as PHAs in anaerobic conditions. For the bio-transformations, the cleavage of
poly-P and release of phosphate from the cell supply the required energy to the PAOs.
Besides, the glycolysis of internally stored glycogen also can provide reducing power for
PHA formation (Mino et al., 1998). Either, neither PAOs nor GAOs the metabolic pathways
are still unclear to some extent, so is indirect role that GAOs play in P-removal.

4.2.3 Overview about PAOs in Aerobic and Anaerobic Zone

Anaerobic Zone

In the anaerobic zone, the Phosphorus Accumulating Organisms (PAOs) use poly-
phosphate and glycogen stored in their cells as energy sources to enable them to uptake VFA.
VFA are converted to Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and stored in the cells of PAOs. As they
take up VFA, the PAOs release orthophosphate into the mixed liquor. PAOs do not grow in
the anaerobic zone but their ability to uptake food in the form of VFAs gives them a
competitive advantage over other bacteria.

Figure 2: Cycle of PAOs in Anaerobic Zone

Aerobic Zone

The PAOs in aerobic zone use PHA as a source of carbon and energy for metabolism
and cell growth. PAOs will also restore their supplies of glycogen and poly-phosphate in the
aerobic zone. To replenish their stored poly-phosphate, PAOs will take up excess phosphate
from the mixed liquor which is the mechanism of biological phosphorus removal.

Figure 3: Cycle of PAOs in Aerobic Zone

4.2.3 Factors affecting the EBPR and constraints

The factors that affecting in the EBPR successful process are the numerous
environmental and/or the operational factors. One of the major constraints of sustaining
EBPR system operation is maintaining the favourable aerobic/anaerobic state for the EBPR
bacteria. The capacity overcome anaerobic stress is influenced by the capacity for the
substrate uptake by the aerobic EBPR bacteria. Figure 4 below showed numerous factors that
affect the EBPR and constraints.
 Figure 4: Factors affecting the EBPR and constraints

REFERENCES

Adam, C., Kraume, M., Gnirss, R., Lesjean, B., 2003. Membrane bioreactor configurations
for enhanced biological phosphorus removal. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply
3, 237244.

Zuthi, M. F. R., Guo, W. S., Ngo, H. H., Nghiem, L. D. & Hai, F. I. (2013). Enhanced
biological phosphorus removal and its modeling for the activated sludge and membrane
bioreactor processes. Bioresource Technology, 139 363-374