title: Enhanced aerobic granulation and nitrogen removal by the addition of zeolite powder in a sequencing batch reactor.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of zeolite powders on feasibility of rapid aerobic granulation in the column-type sequencing batch reactors. After 90 days' operation, aerobic granular sludge was formed in both reactors by altering influent chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen (COD/N) ratios. R1 with zeolite powders had better removal capabilities of COD and total nitrogen than R2, which was without zeolite powders. Mixed liquor volatile suspended solid concentrations of the two reactors were 7.36 and 5.45 g/L, while sludge volume index (SVI30) values were 34.9 and 47.9 mg/L, respectively. The mean diameters of aerobic granular sludge in the above two reactors were 2.5 and 1.5 mm, respectively. Both reactors achieved the largest simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) efficiency at an influent COD/N ratio of 8; however, R1 exhibited more excellent SND efficiency than R2. The obtained results could provide a novel technique for rapid aerobic granulation and N removal simultaneously, especially when treating nitrogen-rich industrial wastewater.
authors.affiliation: School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Shuwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yongfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liangguo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D058465:Nitrification; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017641:Zeolites / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D012722:Sewage; D017641:Zeolites; D009584:Nitrogen