title: Influence of substrate surface loading on the kinetic behaviour of aerobic granules.
abstract: In the aerobic granular sludge reactor, the substrate loading is related to the size of the aerobic granules cultivated. This study investigated the influence of substrate surface loading on the growth and substrate-utilization kinetics of aerobic granules. Results showed that microbial surface growth rate and surface biodegradation rate are fairly related to the substrate surface loading by the Monod-type equation. In this study, both the theoretical maximum growth yield and the Pirt maintenance coefficient were determined. It was found that the estimated theoretical maximum growth yield of aerobic granules was as low as 0.2 g biomass g(-1) chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 10-40% of input substrate-COD was consumed through the maintenance metabolism, while experimental results further showed that the unit oxygen uptake by aerobic granules was 0.68 g oxygen g(-1) COD, which was much higher than that reported in activated sludge processes. Based on the growth yield and unit oxygen uptake determined, an oxidative assimilation equation of acetate-fed aerobic granules was derived; and this was confirmed by respirometric tests. In aerobic granular culture, about 74% of the input substrate-carbon was converted to carbon dioxide. The growth yield of aerobic granules was three times lower than that of activated sludge. It is likely that high carbon dioxide production is the main cause of the low growth yield of aerobic granules, indicating a possible energy uncoupling in aerobic granular culture.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. cyliu@ntu.edu.sg
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhi-Wu
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Joo-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tay
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D003470:Culture Media; D007700:Kinetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003470:Culture Media; D012722:Sewage; D010100:Oxygen