New Advances in Aerobic Granular Sludge Technology Using Continuous Flow Reactors: Engineering and Microbiological Aspects
Metadatos
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Rosa Masegosa, Aurora; Muñoz Palazón, Barbara; González Martínez, Alejandro; González López, Jesús JuanEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Aerobic granular sludge Continuous flow reactor Granular stability Microbial community Reactor design
Fecha
2021-06-29Referencia bibliográfica
Rosa-Masegosa, A... [et al.]. New Advances in Aerobic Granular Sludge Technology Using Continuous Flow Reactors: Engineering and Microbiological Aspects. Water 2021, 13, 1792. [https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131792]
Patrocinador
Institute of Water Research of the University of Granada, Spain; Universita degli Studi della Tuscia, ItalyResumen
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) comprises an aggregation of microbial cells in a tridimensional
matrix, which is able to remove carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous as well as other pollutants
in a single bioreactor under the same operational conditions. During the past decades, the feasibility
of implementing AGS in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for treating sewage using fundamentally
sequential batch reactors (SBRs) has been studied. However, granular sludge technology using
SBRs has several disadvantages. For instance, it can present certain drawbacks for the treatment
of high flow rates; furthermore, the quantity of retained biomass is limited by volume exchange.
Therefore, the development of continuous flow reactors (CFRs) has come to be regarded as a more
competitive option. This is why numerous investigations have been undertaken in recent years in
search of different designs of CFR systems that would enable the effective treatment of urban and
industrial wastewater, keeping the stability of granular biomass. However, despite these efforts,
satisfactory results have yet to be achieved. Consequently, it remains necessary to carry out new
technical approaches that would provide more effective and efficient AGS-CFR systems. In particular,
it is imperative to develop continuous flow granular systems that can both retain granular biomass
and efficiently treat wastewater, obviously with low construction, maintenance and exploitation cost.
In this review, we collect the most recent information on different technological approaches aimed at
establishing AGS-CFR systems, making possible their upscaling to real plant conditions. We discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of these proposals and suggest future trends in the application
of aerobic granular systems. Accordingly, we analyze the most significant technical and biological
implications of this innovative technology.