Full scale performance of the aerobic granular sludge process for sewage treatment.

Aerobic granular sludge technology: Mechanisms of granulation and biotechnological applications

Enhancement of aerobic granulation and nutrient removal by an algal–bacterial consortium in a lab-scale photobioreactor

Denitrification performance and microbial versatility in response to different selection pressures.

Aerobic granulation of activated sludge was successfully achieved in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with 50,000 m(3) d(-1) for treating a town's wastewater. After operation for 337 days, in this full-scale SBR, aerobic granules with an average SVI30 of 47.1 mL g(-1), diameter of 0.5 mm, and settling velocity of 42 m h(-1) were obtained. Compared to an anaerobic/oxic plug flow (A/O) reactor and an oxidation ditch (OD) being operated in this wastewater treatment plant, the sludge from full-scale SBR has more compact structure and excellent settling ability. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis indicated that Flavobacterium sp., uncultured beta proteobacterium, uncultured Aquabacterium sp., and uncultured Leptothrix sp. were just dominant in SBR, whereas uncultured bacteroidetes were only found in A/O and OD. Three kinds of sludge had a high content of protein in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that metal ions and some inorganics from raw wastewater precipitated in sludge acted as core to enhance granulation. Raw wastewater characteristics had a positive effect on the granule formation, but the SBR mode operating with periodic feast-famine, shorter settling time, and no return sludge pump played a crucial role in aerobic sludge granulation.

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Aerobic sludge granulation in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor.

Aerobic granular sludge technology can be regarded as the future standard for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. As a consequence, a growing number of institutes and universities focus their scientific research on this new technology. Recently, after extensive Dutch research and development effort, an aerobic granular biomass technology has become available to the market. Full scale installations for both industrial and municipal applications are already on stream, under construction or in design. The technology is distinguished by the name ‘Nereda®’ and based on the specific characteristics of aerobic granular sludge. It can be considered as the first mature aerobic granular sludge technology applied at full scale. It improves on traditional activated sludge systems by a significantly lower use of energy and chemicals, its compactness and its favorable capital and operational costs.

Advancements in the application of aerobic granular biomass technology for sustainable treatment of wastewater

Aerobic granular sludge is seen as the future standard for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. Through a Dutch research and development program, a full-scale aerobic granular biomass technology has been developed – the Nereda ® technology – which has been implemented to treat municipal and industrial wastewater. The Nereda ® system is considered to be the first aerobic granular sludge technology applied at full-scale and more than 40 municipal and industrial plants are now in operation or under construction worldwide. Further plants are in the planning and design phase, including plants with capacities exceeding 1 million PE. Data from operational plants confirm the system9s advantages with regard to treatment performance, energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition, a new possibility for extracting alginate-like exopolysaccharides (ALE) from aerobic granular sludge has emerged which could provide sustainable reuse opportunities. The case is therefore made for a shift away from the ‘activated sludge approach’ towards an ‘aerobic granular approach’, which would assist in addressing the challenges facing the wastewater treatment industry in Asia and beyond.

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Aerobic granular biomass technology: advancements in design, applications and further developments

Aerobic granulation is seen as the future standard for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment and subsequently research efforts are quickly developing in this field. As an outcome of a concerted Dutch program, an aerobic granular biomass technology has been scaled-up and implemented for the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater. This Nereda technology is considered being the first aerobic granular sludge technology applied at full-scale. Operating data from the first municipal full-scale plant confirm the projected advantages with regard to treatment performance, energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Currently approx. 40 international aerobic granular sludge plants are at various stages of development. For example, recently Brazil planned to build at least 10 plants in the coming years. The technology, now applied at tank sizes similar to the world’s largest SBR-tanks, is considered proven and applicable for even the largest applications. During the presentation the latest results and lessons learned will be presented.

Full-scale Experiences with Aerobic Granular Biomass Technology for Treatment of Urban and Industrial Wastewater

Stringent environmental regulations and severe water pollution has divert the attention of stakeholders, water boards and ministries dealing with the water resources and environment to explore new technologies to make rivers and water bodies free from pollution. Recently an aerobic granular biomass based technology; named NEREDA ® has been gaining wide publicity around the globe. It has several advantages such as less power requirement, no need of chemicals and its compactness due to high mixed liquor suspended solids, significantly less capital and operational costs. NEREDA ® can be regarded as an alternative to conventional aerobic technology for sewage and industrial wastewater treatment. Recently NEREDA ® technology has been installed at sewage treatment plants in Europe, South Africa and few are under pipeline in parts of Latin America, Israel and India.

NEREDA®: an emerging technology for sewage treatment

Aerobic granular sludge is seen as the future standard for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. Through a Dutch research and development program, a full-scale aerobic granular biomass technology has been developed – the Nereda technology – which has been implemented to treat municipal and industrial wastewater. The Nereda system is considered to be the first aerobic granular sludge technology applied at full-scale and more than 30 municipal and industrial plants are now in operation or under construction worldwide. Further plants are in the planning and design phase, including plants with capacities exceeding 1 million PE. Data from operational plants confirm the system’s advantages with regard to treatment performance, energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition, a new possibility for extracting alginate-like exopolysaccharides (ALE) from aerobic granular sludge has emerged which could provide sustainable reuse opportunities.

Andreas Giesen

Papers

Advancements in the application of aerobic granular biomass technology for sustainable treatment of wastewater

Aerobic granular biomass technology: advancements in design, applications and further developments

Full-scale Experiences with Aerobic Granular Biomass Technology for Treatment of Urban and Industrial Wastewater

NEREDA®: an emerging technology for sewage treatment

Aerobic Granular Biomass Technology: recent performance data, lessons learnt and retrofitting conventional treatment infrastructure