Enhanced Biological Phosphorus

Removal (EBPR)

Biological Excess Phosphorus

Removal (BEPR)
 CONTENT

 Phosphorus in Wastewaters
 Sources and Quantities
 Impact of Phosphorus
 Principles of Biological Excess Phosphorus
Removal
 Excess Phosphorus Removal Mechanism
 Microbiological Characteristics
 Phosphorus Removal Systems
 PHOSPHORUS IN WASTEWATERS

 Exists in three forms:

– Orthophosphate
– Polyphosphate } Total Inorganic
Phosphate
(condensed phosphate)

– Organically bound
phosphate
Fractions of phosphorus in domestic wastewater.

Total phosphate (TP) = Total Inorganic phosphate + Organic Phosphate

 Transformations

Acid hydrolysis
Polyphosphates orthophosphate
Total
oxidative
destruction
Organic phosphorus orthophosphate

Microorganisms use orthophosphate

 Sources and Quantities

Quite variable in domestic sewage

 Contribution by
 industrial discharges
 Nonpoint sources

 Domestic sources: The differences in phosphate

content of detergents (can contribute half the total
phosphorus )
Typical Phosphorus Levels in
Fresh Domestic Sewage

Concentration Phosphorus
generation
as P (mg/l)
(kg/ca.year)

Total 6-20 0.8-1.8

Organic 2-5 0.3-0.6

Inorganic 4-15 0.5-1.2

 Impact of Phosphorus
excessive amounts of nitrogen and/or
phosphorus in water resources
stimulate growth of algae and other photosynthetic aquatic life

EUTROPHICATION
* algal blooms
* low levels of dissolved oxygen
* fish kills
* turbidity
* shifts in plant and animal
populations in surface waters
 Eutrophication threatens:

Poorly replenished water bodies

 Natural lakes
 Artificial impoundment
 Bays
 Sluggish streams
 Eutrophication Control
Only Carbon Removal x
Why?
Heterotrophic growth (-)
Autotrophic growth (+)
(SINCE UTILIZE INORGANIC CARBON AS CARBON SOURCE)

 Nitrogen and phosphorus have the potential to support a biomass growth

 Some blue green bacteria : ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen gas

P REMOVAL
 Water Quality in Sensitive Areas

EU Directives, 1991
Parameter Concentration Minimum Removal
(mg/l) (%)
COD 125 75
BOD5 25 70-90
TSS (1) 35 90
(2) 60 70
Total N (3) 15 70-80
(4) 10

Total P (3) 2 80
(4) 1

(1) 10 000 pe

(2) 2000 - 10 000 pe
(3) 10 000- 100 000 pe
(4)  100 000 pe
Phosphorus Removal Systems
Phosphorus Removal

Chemical Biological (BEPR)

*Traditional *N+P removal
*Well known *Cheap
*Chemical sludge *not well known
production
*Expensive
*Supplement to EBPR
*Reliable
 Biological Excess Phosphorus
Removal
The P content of activated sludge
1.5-2 %

Phosphorus removal
(by wasting excess sludge with this content)
10-30 %

BEPR : recently developed technique

Facultative organisms
Biological P removal can be increased to 100 % without
chemical addition with some modifications in conventional
treatment systems
 History of EBPR

In the sixties:
85-95 % overall P removal and 2-7.3 % P
content of excess sludge
reported in some treatment plants
Common features of these plants:
 Highly loaded
 Non-nitrifying
 Plug-flow systems
 History of EBPR

These observations initiated a discussion:

Whether
The excess P removal due to a
biologically mediated precipitation
Or
A biological uptake in excess of the
normal metabolic requirements
 EBPR Mechanism

In 1965,
Levin &Shapiro biological origin

Experiments: effects of the aeration rate

insufficient aeration adverse effect

increased aeration no improvement
pH over 9 P uptake rate lower

BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA
Excess Phosphorus Removal
Mechanism
Existence of some AS organisms capable of storing
phosphorus
Anaerobic

Poly-P bacteria (PAO)

Phosphorus Accumulating
Aerobic Organisms

Conditions favoring PAO for

competition with heterotrophs
 Microbiological Characteristics

Effect of the sequence of anaerobic/aerobic conditions on their mechanism

On activated sludge samples from excess P removal achieving systems;

P storing microorganisms genus Acinetobacter

Batch tests : fed with acetate as substrate

subjected to an anaerobic/ aerobic cycle

Result : phosphorus release in the anaerobic phase

rapid phosphorus uptake in the aerobic phase

relation between P release and P uptake

Aeromonas , Pseudomonas
 Microbiological Characteristics

Importance of fermentation products!

Principal function of the anaerobic zone:

production of fermentation products such as VFA
acetate, succinate
which are utilizable by the Acinetobacter
PAO
Fermentation products (Volatile fatty acids:VFA)

Acinetobacter : utilize these fermentation

products only under anaerobic conditions Phosphate

Without an anaerobic period; Anaerobic conditions

(no electron acceptor,
those fermentation products
O2, NO3)
Nutritional Classification of Microorganisms
 P removal mechanism
VFA (acetate) PO43-

ATP ADP+Pi
energy
Reducing power

Poly-P PHA

Anaerobic

Aerobic
O2 CO2+H2O

PHA
PO4 3- energy

Poly-P + new biomass

 P removal mechanism
anaerobic aerobic
*Soluble Energy
CO2+H2O
energy
organics PO4-P
PO4-P
settling
O2

Storage material (PHB)

Polyphosphate volutine granules

* VFAs (like acetic acid)

 EBPR Mechanism
Anaerobic Phase
Fermentation Soluble organics are
converted to VFA by
facultative organisms
The utilization of VFA VFA is transferred into cell
by P storing organisms by means of the energy
(PAO) provided from the P release
and PHA is stored
Aerobic zone
P uptake Energy provided from the
oxidation of PHB stored in
anaerobic phase is used for
P uptake
New cell generation
P removal Disposal of the sludge
having high P content
 Biological Phosphorus Removal Process

INFLUENT ANAEROBIC AEROBIC

TANK TANK
SETTLER Effluent
Nitrate
recycle Returned sludge Excess sludge

Phosphorus PAO: Phosphorus

Accumulating Bacteria
Solution

ANAEROBIC
VFA Glycogen
VFA PHA
Poly-P
PO4-P
PHA
Polyphosphate
AEROBIC
AEROBIC
Biomass

Glycogen
CO2 PHA
Poly-P
Poly-P
O2 PO4-P
ANAEROBIC PHASE AEROBIC PHASE
 EBPR in Mixed Culture
SPO4
SA SPO4
XPP

XPHA XPP
XPAO
XPHA
XPAO
O2
SPO4
(as nutrient)

XS SF
hydrolysis
fermentation

XH SF
XH
SPO4
SA (as nutrient)

XS
O2
anaerobic aerobic

24
 EBPR in mixed culture
XH: heterotrophic microrganisms
XPAO: phosphorus accumulating organisms (poly-P)
XS: slowly biodegradable (particulate)substrate
SS: easily degradable (soluble) substrate

SS

SA SF
VFA(acetate) Fermentable substrate

PHA: polyhydroxyalkanoates (general name for PHB, PHV etc.)

XPP: stored polyphosphate
XPHA: stored internal organic matter
SPO4: soluble orthophosphate
 P Removal Systems
Phostrip Process
settling effluent
influent
aerobic tank
reactor

sludge recycle

anaerobic Precip. at
reactor high pH

Precip.
sludge wasting
wasting lime

Sidestream (only part of the return sludge is subjected to P release)

Hybrid (initially biological P removal, eventually chemically precipitated)
 Operationally Modified AS Process

Retrofitting of existing plug-flow activated

Sludge plants for phosphorus removal

non- aerated
aerated
 Modified Bardenpho Process

Five-Stage “Phoredox”
internal sludge recycle

Anaerobic anoxic aerobic anoxic aerobic

For biological N and P removal

 A/O Process
Two - Stage “Phoredox”(P removal)
anaerobic aerobic

When N removal is not required, anaerobic and aerobic (oxic)

 A2/O Process
Three Stage “Phoredox” (N+P removal)

Anaerobic anoxic aerobic

When partial N removal is required

 UCT/VIP Process
University of Cape Town Process/
Virginia Initiative Plant

Anaerobic anoxic aerobic

For preventing the adverse effect of nitrate recycle

to the anaerobic stage
Oxidation Ditch BNR system

anaerobic
influent
MLSS recycle Mixed liquor recycle
Return sludge
anaerobic anoxic

aerobic
Sequencing Batch Reactors

Wastewater

Mixing
fill and/or
aeration
idle
react
Treated
Wastewater

draw settle
 Process Selection

P removal efficiency in BEPR plants

depends upon
BOD/P ratio of the influent*

If BOP/P ratio is favourable

Effluent TP concentration = 0.5-2.0 mg/l
TP0.5 mg/l with secondary settling
*except for Phostrip process
 Process Selection

Effluent soluble P concentration  0.1 mg/l

achievable with P-limited BEPR process

For TP concentration limitation*

 efficient final clarification
 tertiary granular media filtration Required

*Since Effluent TP=Soluble P+ P in escaping SS

 Process Selection

Except Phostrip Process, the amount of

excess sludge produced by BEPR is not
more than conventional C removal
systems

Metal salts addition can be required to

effluent of secondary clarifier
 Process Selection
Factors in selection of a process for BEPR
 New plant or retrofit of an existing plant
 If existing plant, what type
 Nitrogen removal required in addition to
phosphorus removal
 The required effluent P (and N) levels
 The influent BOD/P ratio
 Investment costs
 Operation and maintanence requirements
 Application Criteria Matrix-Ability of Process to Remove
Phosphorus and Nitrogen

1.0 mg/l effluent TP 2.0 mg/l effluent TP Ability of

Process to
Process Alone
1
w/M.S w/F w/M.S&F Alone
1
w/M.S w/F w/M.S&F Remove N

(A) Phostrip Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y No

(B) Modified Bardenpho M Y* M Y Y Y Y Y Yes

(C) A/O M Y* M Y Y Y Y Y No

(D) SBR M Y* M Y Y Y Y Y Yes

(E) UCT/VIP M Y* M Y Y Y Y Y Yes
(F)Operationally Modified AS M Y* M Y Y Y Y Y No

(G) Metal Salts Y* - Y - Y - - - -

Alone1 : Ability of alternatives (B)-(F) to meet effluent limits alone based on TBOD/P ratio being above 20
M : Marjinal for meeting effluent limits
Y : will meet effluent limits
Y* : will meet effluent limits with highly efficient clarification
M.S. : Metal salt addition to secondary clarifier effluent
F : Filtration of secondary clarifier effluent
M.S&F. :Metal salt addition to secondary clarifier and secondary clarifier effluent filtration
Determination of Anaerobic Volume Fraction (Van/V) for EBPR

• PAO and other microorganism populations in the mixed

cultures act independently of each other. The only
significant interaction is the conversion of the readily
biodegradable complex substrate into SCFA in the
anaerobic zone by fermentation.

• Since the function of anaerobic reactor is the generation of

fermentation end products (short chain volatile fatty acids)
by normal heteretrophs, the volume fraction selection is
based on fermentation efficiency. When Van/V is between
0.1-0.2, fermentation efficiency (SF SA) varies
betweeen 60-80%.

• Non-aerated fraction of the system (Van/V + Vd/V) should

be smaller than 50%, So the Van/V is selected incompatible
with Vd/V ratio and together with the fermentaion
efficiency assumption.
 P removal in an anaerobic-aerobic system

•SA originally present in the influent or

produced in the anaerobic zone supports the
PAO growth
•The remaining biodegradable substrate is
utilized by the non-PAO.
•The P content of PAO is very high (0.30-0.38
gP/gVSS), although their fraction is very small
compared to other microorganisms (5-15% of
total sludge).
•EBPR is accomplished by wasting this high P
content sludge.