Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal in SBR Using Glucose as a Single Organic Substrate

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal(EBPR) was investigated in an anaerobic/aerobic sequencing batch reactor(SBR) supplied with glucose as a single organic substrate.The results illustrated that EBPR process could also occur successfully with glucose other than short chain fatty acids(SCFAs).High phosphorus release and poly-hydroxyalkanoate(PHA) accumulation in the anaerobic phase was found vital for the removal of phosphorus during the aerobic phase.The measurement of intracellular reserves revealed that glycogen had a higher chance to replace the energy role of poly-P under anaerobic conditions.Moreover,glycogen was also utilized as the carbon source for PHA synthesis,as well as a reducing power as reported earlier.The accumulated PHA in this system was mainly in the form of poly-hydroxyvalerate(PHV) instead of poly-hydroxybutyrate(PHB),and was inferred to be caused by the excess reducing power contained in glucose.Lactate as a fermentation product was also found released into the bulk solution.Applying fundamental biochemistry knowledge to the experimental results,a conceptual biochemical model was developed to explain the metabolism of the glucose-induced EBPR.