Title: Porous structure and spatial characteristics of aerobic granules

Authors: Z.H. Li, X.C. Wang, T. Kuba, T. Kusuda

Addresses: Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No. 13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710055, China. ' Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No. 13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710055, China. ' Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan. ' Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan

Abstract: Cryosectioned granules were observed in microstructure, Extracellur Polymeric Substances (EPS) and metal distribution. Aerobic granules composed of pores and channels that were not plugged by EPS, with rather open structure. Microorganisms proliferated mainly on the surface of granule and on the wall of channels, carbohydrate EPS mainly distributed on the surface of granules, and protein EPS mainly distributed in the interior part of granules. Also, aerobic granules accumulated considerable calcium and phosphorus, which increase the ash solid fraction of granules and thus improve the settleability. Additionally, iron was neither temporally accumulated nor heterogeneously spatially distributed.

Keywords: ash solid fraction; calcium; cryosection; EPS; extracellular polymeric substances; phosphorus removal; spatial distribution; porous structure; spatial characteristics; aerobic granules; porosity; microstructure; microorganisms; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.039082

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.45 No.1/2/3, pp.25 - 35

Published online: 29 Apr 2015 *

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