title: Phosphorus release and uptake during start-up of a covered and non-aerated sequencing batch reactor with separate feeding of VFA and sulfate.
abstract: This study explored a sulfur cycle-associated biological phosphorus (P) removal process in a covered and non-aerated sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with volatile fatty acid (VFA) and sulfate separately. During the 60-day start-up, both phosphate release and uptake rates increased, while poly-phosphate cyclically increased and decreased accordingly. The P-release and P-uptake rates were associated with VFA uptake and sulfate reduction. The average ratio of potassium to phosphate during the P-uptake and P-release was also determined to be 0.29-0.31 mol K/mol P, which is close to a reported value (0.33) for biological phosphorus removal. All this evidence confirmed there was biological P removal in this reactor, in which metabolism could be different from conventional biological P removal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: M C M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: van Loosdrecht
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011188:Potassium; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D011122:Polyphosphates; D013431:Sulfates; D010758:Phosphorus; D011188:Potassium