Microstructure and granulation cycle mechanisms of anammox-HAP coupled granule in the anammox EGSB reactor

Insights into the influence of organic and salinity on the two-stage partial nitritation/anammox process in treating food waste digestate

ABSTRACTFood waste digestate (FWD), which contains significant levels of ammonium, organic matter, and salinity, can interfere with treatment performance of the anammox process. In this study, a two-stage partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process was established to investigate nitrogen removal and microbial response in treating FWD at a nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 0.27 ± 0.02 gN/L/d. High concentrations of free ammonia (58 mg/L) and free nitrous acid (0.3 mg/L) facilitated the initiation of the partial nitritation (PN) process, achieving an average NO2-/NH4+ ratio of 1.28 ± 0.08. For the anammox process, a nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 0.72 ± 0.13 gN/L/d was achieved. Free ammonia (NH3) stripping, Anammox pathway, and denitrification pathway contributed 4.1 ± 0.3%, 5.1 ± 0.2%, and 84.0 ± 1.5% of the total nitrogen removal, respectively. Nitrosomonas, a salt-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), was enriched to 1.0%, while Nitrospira, a nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), was effectively suppressed to 0.003%. The salt-tolerant anammox genera unclassified_f__Brocadiaceae (13.9%) and Candidatus_Kuenenia (4.8%) dominated the nitrogen removal pathway. The high enrichment of unclassified_f__Brocadiaceae ensured stable operation of the anammox process at 0.62 ± 0.11% salinity, even with a high initial FA inhibition concentration of 40 mg/L. Additionally, norank_f_A4b (1.34%) and norank_f_norank_o_SBR1031 (52.1%) facilitated the hydrolysis of refractory organic matter. Denitrifying bacteria, including Hyphomicrobium, Truepera, and unclassified_c__Alphaproteobacteria, played significant roles in nitrate removal, with a CODconsumed/NO3-removed ratio of 2.7 ± 0.2. This study highlights the application of a two-stage PN/A process for rapid startup and effective nitrogen removal from FWD.

Feasibility of coagulation-biological treatment of toxic herbal wastewater: Process performance, alkaloid removal and microbial characterization

Coagulation, anaerobic Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB) and Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), which are widely used in wastewater treatment, have important position in conventional wastewater treatment. However, these conventional processes have rarely been applied in special wastewater treatment such as toxic herbal wastewater. Can these conventional treatment processes be applied to the treatment of special wastewaters? In this study, coagulation-EGSB-SBR was used to treat a toxic herbal wastewater, and the change of microbial communities and the toxicity reduction in the process were analyzed. Under the optimal parameters, the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and suspended substance (SS) by the combined process were 81.26 ± 1.60 %, 96.24 ± 0.76 %, and 97.13 ± 1.26 %. The removal of aconitine, hypaconitine, mesaconitine, and benzoylmesaconine were 80.94 ± 26.96 %, 100.00 ± 0.00 %, and 89.12 ± 0.89 %. During the domestication of sludge, the microorganisms inside the SBR gradually changed from Flavobacterium to Propioniciclava and Niabella, which degraded some refractory organics. In the EGSB, the dominant bacteria changed from Propioniciclava to Bacteroides. The results of this study demonstrated that the combined process effectively removed organic pollutants and alkaloids from the wastewater.

Bioinduced phosphorus precipitation in granular sludge undergoing denitrifying biological phosphorus removal: Phosphorus recovery from sewage as hydroxyapatite

Recovering phosphorus from mainstream wastewater treatment systems by leveraging microbial metabolism without the addition of extra chemicals effectively streamlines the steps involved in phosphorus recovery from low-strength wastewater, thereby increasing the economic feasibility of the phosphorus recovery process. Hydroxyapatite (HAP, Ca5(PO4)3OH) can be formed directly via bioinduction in biological treatment systems, serving as a potential substitute for phosphate rock. HAP formation in sewage with low phosphate and Ca2+ concentrations is challenging. Denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) can regulate phosphate ions and pH to facilitate HAP formation in sewage. In this study, the denitrifying biological phosphorus removal (DPR) system was established, achieving phosphorus and nitrate removal efficiencies of 99.3 % and 45.1 %, respectively. In the anaerobic and anoxic sections, the saturation index for HAP was greater than zero, indicating favourable conditions for HAP formation. Inorganic cores, identified as HAP through chemical composition and structural features, were formed in the DPR granular sludge, contributing approximately 66 % to phosphorus removal. The HAP‒DPR granular sludge, located at the bottom of the reactor, consisted of 80 wt % inorganic matter and 15.4 wt % total phosphorus, 86.1 % of which was chemical phosphorus precipitation. Microstructural analysis of HAP cores revealed poly-pellet structures with nanoscale wires. The growth of HAP minerals was not inhibited by intracellular polyphosphates. The presence of HAP cores promoted a differentiated spatial distribution of granular sludge and contributed to a differentiated microbial community structure. DPAOs were located mainly in small-sized granular sludge (Type A), whereas denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms were found mainly in large-sized granular sludge (Type B), where HAP formation primarily occurred. Granular sludge with higher inorganic and chemical phosphorus contents (Type C) likely originated from the disintegration of Type B. In conclusion, the HAP‒DPR system has potential for phosphorus recovery in the form of HAP directly from low-strength wastewater.

Recent advances in isolation and physiological characterization of planktonic anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) is widely regarded as an efficient biological nitrogen removal technology and is increasingly applied in wastewater treatment processes. However, the long doubling time and sensitivity to environmental pressures of anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) often lead to unstable nitrogen removal performance. Various combined processes are being explored to overcome these limitations, providing insights into the ecological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of AnAOB. Nevertheless, due to the lack of AnAOB pure cultures, the mechanisms of nitrogen metabolism, growth regulation, and cell communication remain unclear. This review highlights the unique physiological structures of AnAOB, current techniques for isolating and enriching planktonic AnAOB, and the associated challenges. A deeper understanding of these aspects offers guidance for improving planktonic AnAOB enrichment and incubation.

Start-up of Anammox-HAP in IC reactors: Revelation of sludge characteristics and microbial community structure

The scarcity of seed sludge poses a significant barrier to the advancement of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) process. In this investigation, two alternative sludge (anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) and activated flocculent sludge (AFS)) were employed to start up the anammox process in internal circulation (IC) reactors with the hydroxyapatite (HAP) strategy. Both reactors achieved rapid start-up on days 83 and 53, respectively. Subsequently, a nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 1.34 gN/L/d was attained at a nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 1.39 gN/L/d on days 107 and 81 correspondingly. The analysis of granular properties revealed that the anammox granular sludge (AMXGS) transformed from AGS exhibited superior granular size distribution and settling performance. Furthermore, the assessment of microbial community structure demonstrated that inoculating AFS was capable of enriching anammox bacteria (AnAOB) in a shorter time. Last but most importantly, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the distinct granulation routes of AGS and AFS. AGS predominantly underwent a "broken-adsorption-granulation" process, whereas AFS exhibited not only a typical "adsorption-granulation" process but also a "biofilm growth-granulation" cycle process. The findings of this study offer a novel approach for quickly initiating anammox process when inoculating alternative sludge.

The response to shock loads of Ni-MOF and NiO NPs on aerobic granular sludge and algal-bacterial aerobic granular sludge

Currently, the increasing use of nickel metal-organic frameworks (Ni-MOF) and nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) has raised concerns regarding their potential environmental impact on wastewater treatment systems. Herein, the responses of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and algal-bacterial aerobic granular sludge (AB-AGS) to Ni-MOF and NiO NPs were investigated. The results showed that Ni-MOF concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 mg/L significantly reduced nutrient removal in both systems, particularly affecting ammonia, nitrite, and phosphorus removal, while denitrification processes remained stable. AB-AGS exhibited greater tolerance to nickel than AGS, likely due to its higher content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), in which the algae were embedded, indicating a robust bacterial-algal symbiotic system. Conversely, NiO NPs had no adverse effects on bioreactor performance, likely due to their insolubility and integration into the sludge matrix. This research provides valuable insights into the potential future applications of AGS and AB-AGS technologies for treating wastewater contaminated with nickel and other heavy metals, highlighting the superior resilience of AB-AGS to nickel exposure.

Changes in activity and microbial community composition of Anammox-HAP granules during long-term preservation under different conditions

Preservation of anammox granular sludge is important for anammox technology applications. Although previous studies have explored preservation methods, their long-term effects on microbial communities and functional genes remain underexplored. This study investigated the long-term preservation of anammox-hydroxyapatite (HAP) granules with storage durations of up to six years and examined the effects of different preservation methods. Results show that 4°C with 5 mM molybdate not only prevented the blackening of granules but also maintained a lower decay rate of specific anammox activity, preserving >50% after 6 months and 10% after 1 year. Functional gene analysis revealed an increase in sulfur-reducing genes such as dcyD and NADPH, particularly in samples without molybdate. These changes may result in hydrogen sulfide production, which contributes to sludge blackening. This study provides critical insights into optimizing the preservation conditions for anammox-HAP granules, facilitating rapid reactor start-up, and offering a viable solution for long-term storage.

Effects of nanoparticles on anaerobic, anammox, aerobic, and algal-bacterial granular sludge: A comprehensive review

Nanoparticles (NPs) are of significant interest due to their unique properties, such as large surface area and high reactivity, which have facilitated advancements in various fields. However, their increased use raises concerns about environmental impacts, including on wastewater treatment processes. This review examines the effects of different nanoparticles on anaerobic, anammox, aerobic, and algal-bacterial granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. CeO2 and Ag NPs demonstrated adverse effects on aerobic granular sludge (AGS), reducing nutrient removal and cellular function, while anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) and anammox granular sludge (AxGS) showed greater resilience due to their higher extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content. TiO2 NPs had fewer negative effects on algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) than on AGS, as algae played a crucial role in enhancing EPS production and stabilizing the granules. The addition of Fe3O4 NPs significantly enhanced both aerobic and anammox granulation by reducing granulation time, promoting microbial interactions, improving granule stability, and increasing nitrogen removal efficiency, primarily through increased EPS production and enzyme activity. However, Cu and CuO NPs exhibited strong inhibitory effects on aerobic, anammox, and anaerobic systems, affecting EPS structure, cellular integrity, and microbial viability. ZnO NPs demonstrated dose-dependent toxicity, with higher concentrations inducing oxidative stress and reducing performance in AGS and AnGS, whereas AxGS and ABGS were more tolerant due to enhanced EPS production and algae-mediated protection. The existing knowledge gaps and directions for future research on NPs are identified and discussed.

Synergetic association of hydroxyapatite-mediated biofilm and suspended sludge enhances resilience of partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) system treating high-strength anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) permeate

A single-stage partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) system with biocarriers was used to treat the permeate from an anaerobic membrane reactor (AnMBR) processing organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. The suitable Ca/P ratio and high pH in the AnMBR permeate facilitated hydroxyapatite (HAP) formation, enhancing the biofilm attachment and the settleability of suspended sludge. This maintained sufficient biomass and a stable microbial structure after flushing to mitigate the free nitrous acid inhibition. Robust anammox bacteria in the biofilm and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the suspended sludge ensured that the PN/A system achieved an 87.3 % nitrogen removal efficiency at an influent NH4+-N concentration of 1802 mg/L. This study demonstrates that AnMBR permeate with high Ca, P and NH4+-N content is suitable for single-stage PN/A system with biocarriers due to the high resilience enhanced by HAP, offering a reference for the treatment of high-strength AnMBR permeate.

Fimbriimonadales performed dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in an anammox reactor

Bacteria belonging to the order Fimbriimonadales are frequently detected in anammox reactors. However, the principal functions of these bacteria and their potential contribution to nitrogen removal remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to systematically validate the roles of Fimbriimonadales in an anammox reactor fed with synthetic wastewater. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria (HDB) were the most abundant bacterial group at the initial stage of reactor operation and the abundance of Fimbriimonadales members gradually increased to reach 38.8 % (day 196). At the end of reactor operation, Fimbriimonadales decreased to 0.9 % with an increase in anammox bacteria. Correlation analysis demonstrated nitrate competition between Fimbriimonadales and HDB during reactor operation. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, the Fimbriimonadales sequences acquired from the reactor were clustered into three distinct groups, which included the sequences obtained from other anammox reactors. Metagenome-assembled genome analysis of Fimbriimonadales allowed the identification of the genes narGHI and nrfAH, responsible for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), and nrt and nasA, responsible for nitrate and nitrite transport. In a simulation based on mass balance equations and quantified bacterial groups, the total nitrogen concentrations in the effluent were best predicted when Fimbriimonadales was assumed to perform DNRA (R2 = 0.70 and RMSE = 18.9). Moreover, mass balance analysis demonstrated the potential contribution of DNRA in enriching anammox bacteria and promoting nitrogen removal. These results prove that Fimbriimonadales compete with HDB for nitrate utilization through DNRA in the anammox reactor under non-exogenous carbon supply conditions. Overall, our findings suggest that the DNRA pathway in Fimbriimonadales could enhance anammox enrichment and nitrogen removal by providing substrates (nitrite and/or ammonium) for anammox bacteria.

Competitive bio-augmentation overcoming unusual direct inhibitor inefficacy in mainstream nitrite-oxidizing bacteria suppression: Unveiling the underpinnings in microbial and nitrogen metabolism aspects

The long-stabilized mainstream partial nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) process continues to encounter significant challenges from nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Therefore, this study aimed to determine an efficient, rapid, and easily implementable strategy for inhibiting NOB. A laboratory-scale reactor was operated continuously for 325 days, experiencing NOB outbreak in mainstream and recovery with simulated sidestream support. The results show that direct inhibitory strategies including intermittent aeration and approximately 35 mg/L free ammonia had unusual weak inhibitory effects on NOB activity. Subsequently, the exogenous Anammox from sidestream employed as a competitive bio-augmentation approach rapidly inhibited NOB dynamics. Evidence suggests that the damaged hydroxyapatite granules under low pH conditions might have contributed to NOB dominance by diminishing Anammox bacteria activity, thereby creating a substrate-rich environment favoring NOB survival. In contrast, the introduction of exogenous Candidatus Kuenenia facilitated the nitrogen removal efficiency from 32.5 % to over 80 %. This coincided with a decrease in the relative abundance of Nitrospira from 16.5 % to 2.7 % and NOB activity from 0.34 to 0.07 g N/(g mixed liquor volatile suspended solid)/d. Metagenomic analysis reveals a decrease in the functional potential of most nitrite transport proteins, coupled with a significant increase in eukaryotic-like serine/threonine-protein kinase involved in cellular regulation, during the Anammox activity recovery. This study's findings reveal the feasibility of the bio-augmentation based on substrate competition, wherein sidestream processes support the mainstream PN/A integration, offering significant potential for practical applications.

Rapid start-up of an innovative pilot-scale staged PN/A continuous process for enhanced nitrogen removal from mature landfill leachate via robust NOB elimination and efficient biomass retention

The start-up and stable operation of partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A) treatment of mature landfill leachate (MLL) still face challenges. This study developed an innovative staged pilot-scale PN/A system to enhance nitrogen removal from MLL. The staged process included a PN unit, an anammox upflow enhanced internal circulation biofilm (UEICB) reactor, and a post-biofilm unit. Rapid start-up of the continuous flow PN process (full-concentration MLL) was achieved within 35 days by controlling dissolved oxygen and leveraging free ammonia and free nitrous acid to selectively suppress nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The UEICB was equipped with an annular flow agitator combined with the enhanced internal circulation device of the guide tube, which achieved an efficient enrichment of Candidatus Kuenenia in the biofilm (relative abundance of 33.4 %). The nitrogen removal alliance formed by the salt-tolerant anammox bacterium (Candidatus Kuenenia) and denitrifying bacteria (unclassified SBR1031 and Denitratisoma) achieved efficient nitrogen removal of UEICB (total nitrogen removal percentage: 90.8 %) and at the same time effective treatment of the refractory organic matter (ROM). The dual membrane process of UEICB fixed biofilm combined with post-biofilm is effective in sludge retention, and can stably control the effluent suspended solids (SS) at a level of less than 5 mg/L. The post-biofilm unit ensured that effluent total nitrogen (TN) remained below the 40 mg/L discharge standard (98.5 % removal efficiency). Compared with conventional nitrification-denitrification systems, the staged PN/A process substantially reduced oxygen consumption, sludge production, CO2 emissions and carbon consumption by 22.8 %, 67.1 %, 87.1 % and 87.1 %, respectively. The 195-day stable operation marks the effective implementation of the innovative pilot-scale PN/A process in treating actual MLL. This study provides insights into strategies for rapid start-up, robust NOB suppression, and anammox biomass retention to advance the application of PN/A in high-ammonia low-carbon wastewater.

Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal through an integrated partial-denitrification/anammox process in a single UAFB system

With the aim of obtaining enhanced nitrogen removal and phosphate recovery in mainstream sewage, we examined an integrated partial-denitrification/anaerobic ammonia oxidation (PD/A) process over a period of 189 days to accomplish this goal. An up-flow anaerobic fixed-bed reactor (UAFB) used in the integrated PD/A process was started up with anammox sludge inoculated and the influent composition controlled. Results showed that the system achieved a phosphorus removal efficiency of 82% when the influent concentration reached 12.0 mg/L. Batch tests demonstrated that stable and efficient removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, and phosphorus was achieved at a COD/NO3--N ratio of 3.5. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that hydroxyapatite was the main crystal in the biofilm. Furthermore, substrate variation along the axial length of UAFB indicated that partial denitrification and anammox primarily took place near the reactor's bottom. According to a microbiological examination, 0.4% of the PD/A process's microorganisms were anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB). Ca. Brocadia, Ca. Kuenenia, and Ca. Jettenia served as the principal AnAOB generals in the system. Thauera, Candidatus Accumulibacter, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter, which together accounted for 27% of the denitrifying and phosphorus-accumulating bacteria, were helpful in advanced nutrient removal. Therefore, the combined PD/A process can be a different option in the future for sewage treatment to achieve contemporaneous nutrient removal.

Enhancing start-up strategies for anammox granular sludge systems: A review

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process has been developed as one of the optimal alternatives to the conventional biological nitrogen removal process because of its high nitrogen removal capacity and low energy consumption. However, the slow growth rate of anammox bacteria and its high sensitivity to environmental changes have resulted in fewer anammox sludge sources for process start-up and a lengthy start-up period. Given that anammox microorganisms tend to aggregate, granular-anammox sludge is a frequent byproduct of the anammox process. In this study, we review state-of-the-art strategies for promoting the formation of anammox granules and the start-up of the anammox process based on the literature of the past decade. These strategies are categorized as the transformation of alternative sludge, the addition of accelerators, the introduction of functional carriers, and the implementation of other physical methods. In addition, the formation mechanism of anammox granules, the operational performance of various strategies, and their promotion mechanisms are introduced. Finally, prospects are presented to indicate the gaps in contemporary research and the potential future research directions. This review functions as a summary guideline and theoretical reference for the cultivation of granular-anammox sludge, the start-up of the anammox process, and its practical application.

Characteristics variations of size-fractionated anammox granules and identification of the potential effects on these evolutions

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) granulation which contributed to system stabilization and performance improvement has great potential in the field of wastewater nitrogen removal. The researchers fractionated anammox granules into small-size (0.5-0.9 mm), medium-size (1.8-2.2 mm), and large-size (2.8-3.5 mm) categories to examine their properties and mechanisms. Various analyses, including high-throughput sequencing, determination of inorganic elements and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and microbial function prediction, were conducted to characterize these granules and understand their impact. The results revealed distinct characteristics among the different-sized granules. Medium-size granules exhibited the highest sphericity, EPS content, and anammox abundance. In contrast, large-size granules had the highest specific surface area, heme c content, specific anammox activity, biodiversity, and abundance of filamentous bacteria. Furthermore, the precipitates within the granules were identified as CaCO3 and MgCO3, with the highest inorganic element content found in the large-size granules. Microbial community and function annotation also varied with granule size. Based on systematic analysis, the researchers concluded that cell growth, chemical precipitation, EPS secretion, and interspecies interaction all played a role in granulation. Small-size granules were primarily formed through cell growth and biofilm formation. As granule size increased, EPS secretion and chemical precipitation became more influential in the granulation process. In the large-size granules, chemical precipitation and interspecies interaction, including synergistic effects with nitrifying, denitrifying, and filamentous bacteria, as well as metabolic cross-feeding, played significant roles in aggregation. This interplay ultimately contributed to higher anammox activity in the large-size granules. By fully understanding the mechanisms involved in granulation, this study provides valuable insights for the acclimation of anammox granules with optimal sizes under different operational conditions.

Anammox granule destruction and reconstruction in a partial nitrification/anammox system under hydroxylamine stress

Nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) outcompeting anammox bacteria (AnAOB) poses a challenge to the practical implementation of the partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) process for municipal wastewater. A granules-based PN/A bioreactor was operated for 260 d with hydroxylamine (NH2OH) added halfway through. qPCR results detected the different amounts of NOB among granules and flocs and the dynamic succession during operation. CLSM images revealed a unique layered structure of granules that NOB located inside led to the inhibition effect of NH2OH delayed. Besides, the physical and morphological characteristics revealed that anammox granules experienced destruction. AnAOB took the broken granules as an initial biofilm aggregate to reconstruct new granules. RT-qPCR and high throughput sequencing results suggested that functional gene expression and community structure were regulated for the AnAOB metabolism process. Correspondingly, the rapid proliferation (0.52 → 1.99%) of AnAOB was realized, and the nitrogen removal rate achieved a nearly quadruple improvement (0.21 → 0.83 kg-N/m3·d). This study revealed that anammox granules can self-reconstruct in the PN/A system when granules are disintegrated under NH2OH stress, broadening the feasibility of applying PN/A process.

Reduced sulfide and methane in rising main sewer via calcium peroxide dosing: Insights from microbial physiological characteristics, metabolisms and community traits

Although the biocidal effect of calcium peroxide (CaO2) has attracted increasing attention in wastewater and sludge management, its potential in the reduction of sulfide and methane from sewer is not tapped. This study aims to fill this gap through the long-term operated sewer reactors. Results showed one-time dose of 0.2% (w/v) CaO2 with 12-h exposure decreased the average sulfide and methane production by 80% during one week. The electron paramagnetic resonance and free radical quenching tests indicated free radicals from CaO2 decomposing posed a major contribution on sewer biofilms (•OH>•O2->alkali). Mechanistic analysis revealed extracellular polymeric matrix breakdown (e.g., protein secondary structure) and cell membrane damage were caused by the increased lipid peroxidation of cells and exacerbated intracellular reactive oxygen species under CaO2 stress. Moreover, the intracellular metabolic pathways, such as electrons provision and transfer, as well as pivotal enzymatic activities (e.g., APS reductase, sulfite reductase and coenzymes F420) were significantly impaired. RT-qPCR analysis unveiled the absolute abundances of dsrA and mcrA were decreased by 7.53-40.37% and 67.00-74.85%, respectively. Although this study broadens the application scope of CaO2 and provides in-depth understanding of advanced oxidation-based technology in sewer management, the pipe scale risk due to the release of calcium ions warrants further investigation.

Towards advanced simultaneous nitrogen removal and phosphorus recovery from digestion effluent based on anammox-hydroxyapatite (HAP) process: Focusing on a solution perspective

In this paper, the state-of-the-art information on the anammox-HAP process is summarized. The mechanism of this process is systematically expounded, the enhancement of anammox retention by HAP precipitation and the upgrade of phosphorus recovery by anammox process are clarified. However, this process still faces several challenges, especially how to deal with the ∼ 11% nitrogen residues and to purify the recovered HAP. For the first time, an anaerobic fermentation (AF) combined with partial denitrification (PD) and anammox-HAP (AF-PD-Anammox-HAP) process is proposed to overcome the challenges. By AF of the organic impurities of the anammox-HAP granular sludge, organic acid is produced to be used as carbon source for PD to remove the nitrogen residues. Simultaneously, pH of the solution drops, which promotes the dissolution of some inorganic purities such as CaCO₃. In this way, not only the inorganic impurities are removed, but the inorganic carbon is supplied for anammox bacteria.

Anammox-based granulation cycle for sustainable granular sludge biotechnology from mechanisms to strategies: A critical review

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) granular sludge is a promising biotechnological process for treating low-carbon nitrogenous wastewater, and is featured with low energy consumption and footprint. Previous theoretical and experimental research on anammox granular sludge processes mainly focused on granulation (flocs → granules), but pay little attention to the granulation cycle including granulation and regeneration. This work reviewed the previous studies from the perspective of anammox granules lifecycle and proposed various sustainable formation mechanisms of anammox granules. By reviewing the anaerobic, aerobic, and anammox granulation mechanisms, we summarize the mechanisms of thermodynamic theory, heterogeneous growth, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)-based adhesion, quorum sensing (QS)-based regulation, biomineralization-based growth, and stratification of microorganisms to understand anammox granulation. In the regeneration process, the formation of precursors for re-granulation is explained by the mechanisms of physical crushing, quorum quenching and dispersion cue sensing. Based on the granulation cycle mechanism, the rebuilding of the normal regeneration process is considered essential to avoid granule floatation and the wash-out of granules. This comprehensive review indicates that future research on anammox granulation cycle should focus on the effects of filamentous bacteria in denitrification-anammox granulation cycle, the role of QS/ quorum quenching (QQ)-based autoinducers, development of diversified mechanisms to understand the cycle and the cycle mechanisms of stored granules.

Nitrogen contribution and microbial community of size-fractionated anammox sludge in continuous stirred-tank reactors

In this study, the microbial diversity of size-fractionated anammox sludge in a well-mixed system and their contribution to nitrogen transformation were investigated. Results showed that small granules (0.2-1.0 mm) contributed to the major part of the nitrogen removal rate (56 %) due to its largest mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (1240 ± 80 mg·L^-1). However, large granules (>1.0 mm) possessed the highest relative abundances of Ca. Kuenenia stuttgartiensis and specific anammox activity, representing 49.34 % and 24.45 ± 0.01 mg-N·g^-1-mixed liquor volatile suspended solids·h^-1, respectively. The microbial diversity decreased as the increase of granular size, resulting in microbial community shifting to a simpler model. Metagenomic analysis showed that fine sludge might be the potential major for NO/N₂O production in the mature well-mixed system under inorganic conditions. This study provides guidance for the evaluation of nitrogen contribution by anammox size-fractionated sludge and the inhibition of the potential NO/N₂O emission in anammox processes.

Encapsulation of bacteria in different stratified extracellular polymeric substances and its implications for performance enhancement and resource recovery

Simultaneous recovery of biopolymers and enhanced bio-reactor performance are promising options for sustainable wastewater treatment, and the bioactivity of sludge after biopolymer extraction is thus critical for the performance of the system. To this end, stratified extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including slime, loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), were extracted, and the bioactivities of the consequent extraction residues were assessed using aerobic respirogram, kinetic, and flow cytometry (FCM). After the initial weak extraction of slime, the particle size distribution of the sludge significantly decreased, and subsequent extractions of LB-EPS and TB-EPS produced an equivalent size distribution. In contrast, the fractal dimension decreased after each extraction, suggesting that LB-EPS and TB-EPS affected the compactness of flocs rather than the size. The aerobic bacteria distribution estimated using respirogram shows that slime mainly encapsulated heterotrophs while LB-EPS mainly encapsulated nitrifiers. In addition, the ammonia-nitrogen affinity coefficient decreased from 1.79 to 0.28 mg/L when slime was removed, thereby encouraging the activities of autotrophic nitrifiers. Further removal of LB-EPS induced high energy dispersion as the maintenance coefficient m and the metabolic dispersion index μ/m increased from 0.11 to 0.22 and 0.44 to 0.63, respectively. Meanwhile, the yield rate decreased from 0.77 to 0.66. Although pellets that resulted from TB-EPS extraction were not aerobically active as described by respirogram and growth curves, they were still metabolically active as measured by live/dead cell counting and redox sensor green signal. These pellets used more energy for maintenance as indicated by the high maintenance coefficient than those residual after either slime or LB-EPS extraction. In addition, the variation in bacteria community distribution across flocs was related to the variation in temperatures, suggesting that the inner part of a floc might be hotter than the outer side. Therefore, compared to bacteria in the raw sludge, the viable bacteria bounded in LB-EPS and TB-EPS convert more energy to heat rather than growth. These results indicate that energy was dispersed as metabolic heat for the LB-EPS extracted sludge, and removal of LB-EPS favored thermogenesis and sludge reduction. Based on the above findings, a simultaneously EPS-recovery and performance enhancement configuration is thus proposed, which holds great promise for the integration of next-generation wastewater treatment plants.

Biofilm growth characterization and treatment performance in a single stage partial nitritation/anammox process with a biofilm carrier

Biofilm carriers can avoid microorganism washout while maintaining a high amount of biomass, but are also associated with a long biofilm formation period and biofilm aging. A single stage partial nitritation/anammox process (single stage PN/A) reactor was setup to study the biofilm growth characterization and treatment performance under an NLR of 0.53 to 0.90 gN/L/d over one year. Biofilm growth was divided into three stages: the formation stage, maturation stage and aging stage. The initial biofilm was observed at day 84. A nitrogen removal efficiency of 83.4% was achieved at an NLR of 0.90 gN/L/d during the mature biofilm stage. Starvation, nitrogen gas accumulation and hydroxyapatite formation resulted in biofilm aging. After mechanical stirring treatment, biofilm reactivation was achieved by biofilm re-formation within one month. There is clear potential for phosphorus recovery, as indicated by the 5.24% - 6.29% phosphorus content in the biofilm (similar to the 5%-7% phosphorus content in enhanced biological phosphate removal sludge). The AnAOB genera abundance in the biofilm maintained at a high level of 18.25%-32.31%, while the abundance of AnAOB increased from the initial 4.10% to 13.78% after mechanical stirring treatment in the suspended sludge ensured biofilm reactivation. The results of this study clearly show that mechanical stirring treatment can be used to achieve the biofilm reactivation as the biofilm fills with the hollow cylindrical carrier. This study has potential as a useful reference for the realization of the wide application of the biofilm single stage PN/A process in the future.