Integrating enhanced biological phosphorus removal in adsorption-stage to treat real domestic sewage

Wastewater treatment innovation toward resource recovery raises concerns about the adsorption and biological process . An A stage sequencing batch reactor employing the short sludge retention time approach to capture carbon and remove phosphorus simultaneously was conducted in this study. The SBR demonstrated remarkable phosphorus, inhibited ammonia, and steady chemical oxygen demand removal over a 102 day operational period. The process resulted in increased sludge yield and organic matter content, which benefitted subsequent anaerobic digestion by enhancing energy recovery efficiency by 1.68 times. The enrichment of phosphorus-accumulating organisms facilitated microbial activities associated with phosphorus metabolism, thereby increasing the phosphorus fractions related to biological accumulation. Biological adsorption significantly contributed to the efficient phosphorus removal, with high phosphorus content found in extracellular polymeric substances. The SBR provides the short sludge retention time an effective strategy for carbon and phosphorus capture in the A stage.