Operation mode and external carbon dose as determining factors in elemental composition and morphology of aerobic granules

Abstract

The elemental composition and morphology of aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) treating high-nitrogen digester supernatant was investigated. The investigation particularly focused on the effect of the number of anoxic phases (one vs. two) in the cycle and the dose of external organics loading (450 mg COD/(L·cycle) vs. 540 mg COD/(L·cycle)) on granule characteristics.

Keywords

• anoxic phase
• sodium acetate
• granule diameter
• granule morphology
• calcium
• phosphorus