Skip to main content
Log in

Ca2+ augmentation for enhancement of aerobically grown microbial granules in sludge blanket reactors

  • Published:
Biotechnology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two sequential aerobic sludge blanket reactors were concurrently operated to examine the effect of Ca2+ augmentation on aerobic granulation. Augmentation with 100 mg Ca2+ l−1 significantly decreased the time to cultivate aerobically grown microbial granules from 32 d to 16 d. Ca2+-fed granules were denser and more compact, showed better settling and strength characteristics, and had higher polysaccharide contents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APHA (1998) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th edn. Washington, D.C.: American Public Health Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beun JJ, Hendriks A, van Loosdrecht MCM, Morgenroth E, Wilderer PA, Heijnen JJ (1999) Aerobic granulation in a sequencing batch reactor. Water Res. 33: 2283–2290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruus JH, Nielsen PH, Keiding K (1992) On the stability of activated sludge flocs with implications to dewatering. Water Res. 26: 1597–1604.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen BE (1989) The role of extracellular polysaccharides in biofilm. J. Biotechnol. 10: 181–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costerton JW, Cheng KJ, Geesey GG, Ladd TI, Nickel JC, Dasgupta M, Marrie TJ (1987) Bacterial biofilm in nature and disease. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 41: 435–464.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubois M, Gilles KA, Hamilton JK, Rebers PA, Smith F (1956) Colorimetrix method for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal. Chem. 28: 350–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher M, Floodgate GD (1973) An electron-microscopic demonstration of an acid polysaccharide involved in the adhesion of a marine bacterium on solid surface. J. Gen. Microbiol. 74: 325–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frolund B, Palmgren R, Keiding K, Nielsen PH (1996) Extraction of extracellular polymers from activated sludge using a cation exchange resin. Water Res. 30: 1749–1758.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grotenhuis JTC, van Lier JB, Plugge CM, Stams AJM, Zehnder AJB (1991) Effect of ethylene glycol-bis (β-aminoethyl ether)-N, N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) on stability and activity of methanogenic granular sludge. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 36: 109–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang J, Pinder KL (1995) Effects of Ca2+ on development of anaerobic acidogenic biofilms. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 45: 212–218. Lettinga G (1995) Anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment systems. Anton. Leeuw. Int. J. G. 67: 3–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney EM, Varangu LK, Cairns WL, Kosaric N, Murray RGE (1987) Effect of Ca2+ on microbial aggregation during UASB reactor start-up. Water Sci. Technol. 19: 249–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan JW, Forster CF, Evison LW (1990) Comparative study of the nature of biopolymers extracted from anaerobic and activated sludges. Water Res. 24: 743–750.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgenroth E, Sherden T, van Loosdrecht MCM, Heijnen JJ, Wilderer PA (1997) Aerobic granular sludge in a sequencing batch reactor. Water Res. 31: 3191–3194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moy BYP, Tay JH, Toh SK, Liu Y, Tay STL (2002) High organic loading influences the physical characteristics of aerobic sludge granules. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 34: 407–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi A, Harada H (1994) Adhesion strength of biofilm developed in an attached growth reactor. Water Sci. Technol. 29: 281–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt JE, Ahring BK (1996) Granular sludge formation in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 49: 229–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seviour RJ, Blackall LL (1999) The Microbiology of Activated Sludge. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen CF, Kosaric N, Blaszczyk R (1993) The effect of selected heavy metals (Ni, Co and Fe) on anaerobic granules and their extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Water Res. 27: 25–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland IW (2001) Biofilm exopolysaccharides: a strong and sticky framework. Microbiology 147: 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tay JH, Liu QS, Liu Y (2001) The effects of shear force on the formation, structure and metabolism of aerobic granules. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 57: 227–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teo KC, Xu HL, Tay JH (2000) Molecular mechanism of granulation: proton translocation activity. J. Environ. Eng. 126: 411–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Loosdrecht MCM, Lyklema J, Norde W, Schraa G, Zehnder AJB (1987) Electrophoretic mobility and hydrophobicity as a measure to predict the initial steps of bacterial adhesion. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53: 1898–1901.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veiga MC, Jain MK, Wu WM, Hollingsworth RI, Zeikus JG (1997) Composition and role of extracellular polymers in methanogenic granules. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63: 403–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan YG, Tay JH (1997) Characterization of the granulation process during UASB start-up. Water Res. 31: 1573–1580.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu HQ, Tay JH, Fang HHP (2001) The roles of Ca2+ in sludge granulation during UASB reactor start-up. Water Res. 35: 1052–1060.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang TC, Bishop PL (1994) Density, porosity, and pore structure of biofilms. Water Res. 28: 2267–2277.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen Tiong-Lee Tay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jiang, HL., Tay, JH., Liu, Y. et al. Ca2+ augmentation for enhancement of aerobically grown microbial granules in sludge blanket reactors. Biotechnology Letters 25, 95–99 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021967914544

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021967914544

Navigation