Glucose induced break down of enhanced biological phosphate removal

Abstract

Two laboratory anaerobic‐aerobic activated sludge reactors were operated to study enhanced biological phosphate removal. They differed only in organic substrate composition. Reactor F was fed with acetate, reactor G with an acetate‐glucose mixture. Both reactors were started with identical activated sludge which had an enhanced biological phosphate removal ability. During the adaptation period this ability increased several fold in reactor F but it was completely lost in reactor G. In spite of this fact, organic substrate also disappeared from the solution during anaerobic stage in reactor G. Interferences due to electron acceptors such as dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, sulphates etc. were too low to explain this phenomenon.