Aerobic Granular Sludge Systems:  The New Generation of Wastewater Treatment Technologies

Abstract

The paper reports the results of a laboratory investigation aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of an innovative technology, SBBGR (sequencing batch biofilter granular reactor), based on aerobic granular biomass, for treating diluted (i.e., municipal wastewater) or concentrated (i.e., municipal landfill leachates) wastewater. When this technology was applied to the treatment of municipal wastewater, the results showed that, even at maximum organic load (i.e., 7 (kg of COD)/m3·d), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the treated effluent was lower than 50 mg/L. In addition, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) removal efficiency was higher than 87% up to an organic load of 5.7 (kg of COD)/m3·d, corresponding to a nitrogen load of 0.8 (kg of TKN)/m3·d. During the treatment of a mature municipal landfill leachate, the SBBGR proved suitable for removing the entire biodegradable compound content (i.e., about 80% of the COD content of the leachate) up to an applied organic loading value of 1.1 (kg of COD)/m3·d. During the whole investigation, the process was characterized by a low sludge production, about 1 order of magnitude lower than that of conventional systems.

Performance of aerobic granular sludge in different bioreactors

“…This technology exhibits advantages in the removal of non-degradable organic matter as well as toxic and harmful substances from highly concentrated organic wastewater. [1][2][3] Granular sludge membrane bioreactors (GMBRs) are efficient sewage treatment technologies that combine the membrane separation technique and the traditional activated sludge method. [4,5] The secondary sedimentation tank is replaced, and microorganisms are completely trapped in the reactor because of the forced interception by the membranes.…”

Removal of endocrine disrupter compounds from municipal wastewater using an aerobic granular biomass reactor

“…The performances in terms of these "gross parameters" of lab-scale SBBGR are reported in Di Iaconi et al [28].…”

Preliminary study on aerobic granular biomass formation with aerobic continuous flow reactor

“…Subsequent research into the starting point of the development of AGB with SBR is conducted by Morgenroth et al, [2]. Outside the main research reactors SBR, then used another reactor configuration with Upflow Fluidized Bed, Annular Gap, Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactor (SBBGR) [8], Aerobic granular membrane bioreactor (AGMBR) [9], and biomass Continues Granular with Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) [10].…”