Enhancing biological phosphorus removal with glycerol

摘要

An enhanced biological phosphorus removal process (EBPR) was successfully operatednin presence of acetate. When glycerol was substituted for acetate in the feed the EBPRnprocess failed. Subsequently waste activated sludge (WAS) from the reactor was removednto an off-line fermenter. The same amount of glycerol was added to the WAS fermenternwhich led to significant volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. By supplying the system withnthe VFA-enriched supernatant of the fermentate, biological phosphorus removal was enhanced.nIt was concluded that, if glycerol was to be used as an external carbon source in EBPR,nthe effective approach was to ferment glycerol with waste activated sludge.