Microbiological basis of phosphate removal in the activated sludge process for the treatment of wastewater

Fuhs, G. Wolfgang; Chen, Min

doi:10.1007/bf02010434

Cited by 445 publications

(194 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Samples from the anaerobic zone were diluted in tap water in order to obtain a phosphate concentration between ca 23 mg.1 -1 and ca 37 mg.l -1 . The homogenised mixed liquor was prepared according to a modified version of the acetate enrichment medium of Fuhs and Chen (1975) as follows: 5 g.l -1 sodium acetate (BDH); 0.5 g.1 -1 Mg SO 4 7H 2 0 (Merck) and 0.18 g.l -1 KN0 3 (Merck) were added and the pH adjusted to pH 7 with 2 N HC1 before autoclaving (121°C, 15 min). This mixed liquor medium was used in all experiments.…”

Section: Culture Medium Used For Phosphate Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It involves the addition of lime, aluminium and ferric chloride, and goes along with the cost of the mentioned chemicals and accumulation of large quantities of chemical waste sludge. This disadvantage has led to intensified investigations into biological phosphate removal, which may provide a more cost effective alternative to chemical treatment methods (Fuhs and Chen, 1975;Grady and Lim, 1980). Bio-phosphate removal is characterized by phosphate removal in excess of metabolic requirements (Comeau et al, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship of biomass to phosphate uptake by Acinetobacter junii in activated sludge mixed liquor

Momba

Cloete

1996

Water Research

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Section: Culture Medium Used For Phosphate Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship of biomass to phosphate uptake by Acinetobacter junii in activated sludge mixed liquor

Momba

Cloete

1996

Water Research

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“…More than three decades ago, a correlation between the phosphate-removal capacity of activated sludge and the acetate concentration during the anaerobic treatment was observed (Fuhs and Chen, 1975). In later studies, Comeau et al (1986) proved that addition of acetate to anoxic activated sludge triggered phosphate release, and based on this observation the authors postulated a biochemical model for enhanced biological phosphorus removal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sulfide induces phosphate release from polyphosphate in cultures of a marine Beggiatoa strain

2010

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Sulfur bacteria such as Beggiatoa or Thiomargarita have a particularly high capacity for storage because of their large size. In addition to sulfur and nitrate, these bacteria also store phosphorus in the form of polyphosphate. Thiomargarita namibiensis has been shown to release phosphate from internally stored polyphosphate in pulses creating steep peaks of phosphate in the sediment and thereby inducing the precipitation of phosphorus-rich minerals. Large sulfur bacteria populate sediments at the sites of recent phosphorite formation and are found as fossils in ancient phosphorite deposits. Therefore, it can be assumed that this physiology contributes to the removal of bioavailable phosphorus from the marine system and thus is important for the global phosphorus cycle. We investigated under defined laboratory conditions which parameters stimulate the decomposition of polyphosphate and the release of phosphate in a marine Beggiatoa strain. Initially, we tested phosphate release in response to anoxia and high concentrations of acetate, because acetate is described as the relevant stimulus for phosphate release in activated sludge. To our surprise, the Beggiatoa strain did not release phosphate in response to this treatment. Instead, we could clearly show that increasing sulfide concentrations and anoxia resulted in a decomposition of polyphosphate. This physiological reaction is a yet unknown mode of bacterial polyphosphate usage and provides a new explanation for high phosphate concentrations in sulfidic marine sediments.

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“…These systems exploit the ability of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) to assimilate large amounts of phosphorus and store it intracellularly as polyphosphate granules (Fuhs and Chen, 1975). The dominance of these PAO populations in EBPR communities is achieved by cycling the biomass through alternating anaerobic (feast) and aerobic (famine) phases (Barnard, 1975).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A metabolic model for members of the genus Tetrasphaera involved in enhanced biological phosphorus removal

Kristiansen

Nguyen²,

Saunders³

et al. 2012

The ISME Journal

203

154

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Members of the genus Tetrasphaera are considered to be putative polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from wastewater. Although abundant in Danish full-scale wastewater EBPR plants, how similar their ecophysiology is to 'Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis' is unclear, although they may occupy different ecological niches in EBPR communities. The genomes of four Tetrasphaera isolates (T. australiensis, T. japonica, T. elongata and T. jenkinsii) were sequenced and annotated, and the data used to construct metabolic models. These models incorporate central aspects of carbon and phosphorus metabolism critical to understanding their behavior under the alternating anaerobic/aerobic conditions encountered in EBPR systems. Key features of these metabolic pathways were investigated in pure cultures, although poor growth limited their analyses to T. japonica and T. elongata. Based on the models, we propose that under anaerobic conditions the Tetrasphaerarelated PAOs take up glucose and ferment this to succinate and other components. They also synthesize glycogen as a storage polymer, using energy generated from the degradation of stored polyphosphate and substrate fermentation. During the aerobic phase, the stored glycogen is catabolized to provide energy for growth and to replenish the intracellular polyphosphate reserves needed for subsequent anaerobic metabolism. They are also able to denitrify. This physiology is markedly different to that displayed by 'Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis', and reveals Tetrasphaera populations to be unusual and physiologically versatile PAOs carrying out denitrification, fermentation and polyphosphate accumulation.

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Microbiological basis of phosphate removal in the activated sludge process for the treatment of wastewater

Cited by 445 publications

References 13 publications

The relationship of biomass to phosphate uptake by Acinetobacter junii in activated sludge mixed liquor

The relationship of biomass to phosphate uptake by Acinetobacter junii in activated sludge mixed liquor

Sulfide induces phosphate release from polyphosphate in cultures of a marine Beggiatoa strain

A metabolic model for members of the genus Tetrasphaera involved in enhanced biological phosphorus removal

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