Study on reducing CANON sludge loss by strengthening protein of EPS through variable influent strategies

LI Dong; WANG Yuan-xin; FU Si-bo; ZHANG Jie

PDF(1533 KB)

China Environmental Science ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5) : 2481-2489.

Water Pollution Control

Study on reducing CANON sludge loss by strengthening protein of EPS through variable influent strategies

LI Dong¹, WANG Yuan-xin¹, FU Si-bo¹, ZHANG Jie^1,2

Author information +

History +

Abstract

The effects of three different influent strategies on the protein content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were investigated to assess their impact on sludge retention capacity of the CANON process. R1was operated under conventional influent strategy as the control group, while R2 and R3 were subjected to different variable influent strategies. After 90 days of operation, the SVI values in R1, R2, and R3 were 62.93, 53.10, and 57.59mL/g respectively indicating that the variable influent strategies could improve sludge settleability. The PN/PS ratios were significantly higher in R2 (8.21) and R3 (7.61) compared to R1 (5.56). Three-dimensional fluorescence analysis revealed that the proportion of aromatic proteins in TB-EPS was highest in R2 (32.47%), much higher than in R1 (11.58%) and R3 (10.5%). This indicated that the variable influent strategy promoted the formation of aromatic proteins in TB-EPS, enhancing the hydrophobicity of the sludge and improving settleability. The specific anaerobic ammonium oxidation activity (SAA) increased to 4.03, 4.68 and 4.36mg N/ (g VSS· h) in R1, R2, and R3, respectively. Notably, the SAA in R2 and R3 exceeded that of the seed sludge, indicating the successful formation of mature CANON granular sludge. Although microbial activity in R2 and R3 was initially inhibited by loading fluctuations during early operation, the microbial communities gradually adapted to environmental fluctuations and regained stable metabolic activity, successfully operating the CANON process on day 54 and day 51, respectively. Total nitrogen removal efficiencies reached approximately 72.54%, 70.14%, and 73.75% in R1, R2 and R3 by day 90, demonstrating effective nitrogen removal performance.

Key words

CANON / composition of protein / granular sludge / intermittent aeration / variable influent

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

LI Dong, WANG Yuan-xin, FU Si-bo, ZHANG Jie. Study on reducing CANON sludge loss by strengthening protein of EPS through variable influent strategies[J]. China Environmental Science. 2025, 45(5): 2481-2489

References

[1] Lackner S, Gilbert E M, Vlaeminck S E, et al. Full-scale partial nitritation/anammox experiences - an application survey [J]. Water Research, 2014,55:292-303.
[2] Siegrist H, Salzgeber D, Eugster J, et al. Anammox brings WWTP closer to energy autarky due to increased biogas production and reduced aeration energy for n-removal [J]. Water Science and Technology, 2008,57(3):383-388.
[3] Mulder A. The quest for sustainable nitrogen removal technologies [J]. Water Science and Technology, 2003,48(1):67-75.
[4] Strous M, Heijnen J J, Kuenen J G, et al. The sequencing batch reactor as a powerful tool for the study of slowly growing anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms [J]. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 1998,50(5):589-596.
[5] Niu Q G, Zhang Y L, Ma H Y, et al. Reactor kinetics evaluation and performance investigation of a long-term operated uasb-anammox mixed culture process [J]. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad, 2016,108:24-33.
[6] Reino C, Carrera J. Low-strength wastewater treatment in an anammox uasb reactor: Effect of the liquid upflow velocity [J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2017,313:217-225.
[7] 李冬,苏庆岭,梁瑜海等.机械搅拌对CANON污泥快速颗粒化的影响[J]. 中国环境科学, 2015,35(1):72-79. Li D, Su Q L, Liang Y H, et al. Influence of mechanical stirring on the rapid granulation of CANON sludge [J]. China Environmental Science, 2015,35(1):72-79.
[8] Tang X, Liu S T, Zhang Z T, et al. Identification of the release and effects of ahls in anammox culture for bacteria communication [J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2015,273:184-191.
[9] Lv L Y, Chen J R, Liu X Y, et al. Roles and regulation of quorum sensing in anaerobic granular sludge: Research status, challenges, and perspectives [J]. Bioresource Technology, 2023,387:129644.
[10] Fernandez I, Vazquez-Padin J R, Mosquera-Corral A, et al. Biofilm and granular systems to improve anammox biomass retention [J]. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2008,42(3):308-313.
[11] Zhang Y, Ma H, Lin L, et al. Enhanced simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance by anammox-hap symbiotic granules in the attached film expanded bed reactor [J]. Acs Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2018,6(8):10989-10998.
[12] Cui C, Liu W. Recent advances in wet adhesives: Adhesion mechanism, design principle and applications [J]. Progress in Polymer Science, 2021,116:101388.
[13] Sheng G, Yu H, Li X. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of microbial aggregates in biological wastewater treatment systems: A review [J]. Biotechnology Advances, 2010,28(6):882-894.
[14] Wang B B, Liu X T, Chen J M, et al. Composition and functional group characterization of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in activated sludge: The impacts of polymerization degree of proteinaceous substrates [J]. Water Research, 2018,129:133-142.
[15] Kang D, Lin Q, Xu D, et al. Color characterization of anammox granular sludge: Chromogenic substance, microbial succession and state indication [J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2018,642: 1320-1327.
[16] 王泓,吴莎,刘珂,等.氮负荷提升方式强化ANAMMOX反应器的性能研究[J]. 中国给水排水, 2021,37(9):90-96. Wang H, Wu S, Liu K, et al. Performance of ANAMMOX reactor enhanced by nitrogen load lifting method [J]. China Water & Wastewater, 2021,37(9):90-96.
[17] 李冬,曹正美,张杰,等.常温低基质启动AAOB颗粒污泥性能分析[J]. 哈尔滨工业大学学报, 2020,52(11):10-17. Li D, Cao Z M, Zhang J, et al. Performance analysis of AAOB granular sludge started at room temperature and low substrate [J]. Journal of Harbin Institute of Technology, 2020,52(11):10-17.
[18] 彭永臻,王锦程,李翔晨,等.氮负荷对短程反硝化耦合厌氧氨氧化生物膜系统脱氮性能的影响[J]. 北京工业大学学报, 2021,47(12): 1367-1376. Peng Y Z, Wang J C, Li X C, et al. Effect of nitrogen loading rates on nitrogen removal performance of partial-denitrification coupling with anammox biofilm system [J]. Journal of Beijing University of Technology, 2021,47(12):1367-1376.
[19] 宋成康,王亚宜,韩海成,等.温度降低对厌氧氨氧化脱氮效能及污泥胞外聚合物的影响[J]. 中国环境科学, 2016,36(7):2006-2013. Song C K, Wang Y Y, Han H C, et al. Effect of decreasing temperature on the performance and extracellularpolymer substance of anaerobic ammonia oxidation sludge [J]. China Environmental Science, 2016, 36(7):2006-2013.
[20] 王弄潮,王建芳,骆子琛,等.氮负荷波动对厌氧氨氧化/反硝化协同脱氮效能影响[J]. 工业水处理, 2023,43(1):68-75. Wang N C, Wang J F, Luo Z C, et al. Effect of nitrogen load fluctuation on the synergistic denitrification efficiency of anammox/ denitrification [J]. Industrial Water Treatment, 2023,43(1):68-75.
[21] deGraaf A A V, deBruijn P, Robertson L A, et al. Autotrophic growth of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing micro-organisms in a fluidized bed reactor [J]. Microbiology-Uk, 1996,142:2187-2196.
[22] Li X, Yang S. Influence of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the flocculation, sedimentation and dewaterability of activated sludge [J]. Water Research, 2007,41(5):1022-1030.
[23] Liu H, Fang H H P. Extraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of sludges [J]. Journal of Biotechnology, 2002,95(3):249-256.
[24] Liu X, Pei Q, Han H, et al. Functional analysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) during the granulation of aerobic sludge: Relationship among EPS, granulation and nutrients removal [J]. Environmental Research, 2022,208:112692.
[25] Vlaeminck S E, Terada A, Smets B F, et al. Aggregate size and architecture determine microbial activity balance for one-stage partial nitritation and anammox [J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010,76(3):900-909.
[26] Ma B, Bao P, Wei Y, et al. Suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria growth to achieve nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater via anammox using intermittent aeration with low dissolved oxygen [J]. Scientific Reports, 2015,5(1):13048.
[27] Vázquez-Padín J, Mosquera-Corral A, Campos J L, et al. Microbial community distribution and activity dynamics of granular biomass in a CANON reactor [J]. Water Research, 2010,44(15):4359-4370.
[28] Chen R, Takemura Y, Liu Y, et al. Using partial nitrification and anammox to remove nitrogen from low-strength wastewater by coimmobilizing biofilm inside a moving bed bioreactor [J]. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019,7(1):1353-1361.
[29] Cao Y, van Loosdrecht M C M, Daigger G T. Mainstream partial nitritation-anammox in municipal wastewater treatment: Status, bottlenecks, and further studies [J]. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2017,101(4):1365-1383.
[30] Chen R, Ji J, Chen Y, et al. Successful operation performance and syntrophic micro-granule in partial nitritation and anammox reactor treating low-strength ammonia wastewater [J]. Water Research, 2019,155:288-299.
[31] Jia X S, Furumai H, Fang H H P. Extracellular polymers of hydrogenutilizing methanogenic and sulfate-reducing sludges [J]. Water Research, 1996,30(6):1439-1444.
[32] Liu X, Liu J, Deng D, et al. Investigation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in four types of sludge: Factors influencing EPS properties and sludge granulation [J]. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2021,40:101924.
[33] Chen W, Westerhoff P, Leenheer J A, et al. Fluorescence excitation- emission matrix regional integration to quantify spectra for dissolved organic matter [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2003,37(24): 5701-5710.
[34] Tu X, Su B, Li X, et al. Characteristics of extracellular fluorescent substances of aerobic granular sludge in pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor [J]. Journal of Central South University of Technology, 2010, 17(3):522-528.
[35] Zhu L, Zhou J, Lv M, et al. Specific component comparison of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in flocs and granular sludge using EEM and SDS-PAGE [J]. Chemosphere, 2015,121:26-32.
[36] Her N, Amy G, McKnight D, et al. Characterization of DOM as a function of MW by fluorescence EEM and HPLC-SEC using UVA, DOC, and fluorescence detection [J]. Water Research, 2003,37(17): 4295-4303.
[37] McSwain B S, Irvine R L, Hausner M, et al. Composition and distribution of extracellular polymeric substances in aerobic flocs and granular sludge [J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2005, 71(2):1051-1057.
[38] Sliekers A O, Derwort N, Campos-Gomez J L, et al. Completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite in one single reactor [J]. Water Research, 2002,36(10):2475-2482.
[39] Akaboci T R V, Gich F, Ruscalleda M, et al. Effects of extremely low bulk liquid DO on autotrophic nitrogen removal performance and NOB suppression in side- and mainstream one-stage PNA [J]. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2018,93(10):2931-2941.
[40] Laureni M, Weissbrodt D G, Villez K, et al. Biomass segregation between biofilm and flocs improves the control of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in mainstream partial nitritation and anammox processes [J]. Water Research, 2019,154:104-116.
[41] Chen H, Wang H, Yu G, et al. Key factors governing the performance and microbial community of one-stage partial nitritation and anammox system with bio-carriers and airlift circulation [J]. Bioresource Technology, 2021,324:124668.
[42] Xu Z Z, Zhang L, Gao X J, et al. Optimization of the intermittent aeration to improve the stability and flexibility of a mainstream hybrid partial nitrification-anammox system [J]. Chemosphere, 2020,261: 127670.
[43] Yang Y, Li X, Yang X, et al. Enhanced nitrogen removal by membrane-aerated nitritation-anammox in a bioelectrochemical system [J]. Bioresource Technology, 2017,238:22-29.
[44] Gong S Y, Qin Y J, Zheng S H, et al. The rapid start-up of CANON process through adding partial nitration sludge to anammox system [J]. Journal of Environmental Management, 2023,338:117821.
[45] Lotti T, Kleerebezem R, van Loosdrecht M C M. Effect of temperature change on anammox activity [J]. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2015,112(1):98-103.
[46] Zhu G, Wang S, Ma B, et al. Anammox granular sludge in lowammonium sewage treatment: Not bigger size driving better performance [J]. Water Research, 2018,142:147-158.