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Strict anaerobic side-stream reactor: effect of the sludge interchange ratio on sludge reduction in a biological nutrient removal process

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Abstract

In order to investigate the impact of the sludge interchange ratio (IR) on both the sludge reduction process and the carbon and nutrient removal efficiencies, an anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR) at 20 °C and − 400 mV was operated for 300 days coupled to a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for urban wastewater treatment. It was found that a 100% interchange rate, corresponding to an anaerobic solid retention time (SRTASSR) of 2.5 days, was the most suitable case in terms of sludge reduction and wastewater treatment process, achieving a 66% sludge reduction compared to a control system simulated as an SBR. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, and phosphate removal efficiencies of 86.1 ± 7.2, 82.5 ± 11.2, 81.7 ± 12.0, and 62.6 ± 15.0%, respectively, were achieved. When the interchange rate was increased, more ammonium nitrogen and soluble extracellular polymeric substance concentrations were released in the ASSR. This implies that cell lysis and hydrolysis of particulate organic matter in the ASSR were processes of fundamental importance with the increasing mass of sludge cycled to the ASSR. Compared to the release of ammonia, soluble COD release was detected to a lesser extent, due to its consumption by microorganisms in the ASSR. There was also a simultaneous increase in slow-growing microorganisms which use organic carbon for metabolic activities, above all sulfate-reducing bacteria and denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms. This increase contributed significantly to sludge reduction in the SBR–ASSR system.

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  • 28 November 2017

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Acknowledgments

The first author is grateful for the financial support of the Fondazione Caritro, Trento (Research Project and Economic Development, Grant 2016). The second author was funded by a grant from the Fondazione Caritro, Trento (Young Researcher, Grant 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123, Trento, Italy

    Roberta Ferrentino, Michela Langone, Roberta Villa & Gianni Andreottola

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  1. Roberta Ferrentino
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Correspondence to Roberta Ferrentino.

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Responsible editor: Gerald Thouand

The correct Fig. 1 is shown in this paper.

The original version of this article was revised.

A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0805-5.

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Ferrentino, R., Langone, M., Villa, R. et al. Strict anaerobic side-stream reactor: effect of the sludge interchange ratio on sludge reduction in a biological nutrient removal process. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 1243–1256 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0448-6

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