Biological release of phosphorus is more efficient from activated than from aerobic granular sludge

Sewage sludge is a rich source of phosphorus. The kinetics of orthophosphate release and the efficiency of phosphorus recovery from aerobic granular sludge (GS) and activated sludge (AS) were compared at external organics (F) to biomass (M) ratios that ranged from 0 to 0.10. Changes in the F/M ratio affected orthophosphates release from AS to a greater extent than their release from GS. On average, increasing the F/M ratio by 0.02 increased the rate of phosphorus release from AS and GS by 2.12 and 1.75 mg P/(L h), respectively. Phosphorus release was highest at an F/M ratio of 0.04 (114.03 and 60.71 mg P/L from AS and GS, respectively). The efficiency of phosphorus recovery from AS ranged from 51.3 to 56.1%; the efficiency of its recovery from GS ranged from 32.8 to 37.5%. From GS, mostly inorganic phosphorus was released (about 8.5 mg/g MLSS), most of which was NAIP, i.e. phosphorus bound to Fe, Mn and Al. At a stoichiometric dose of MgO to PO(4)(3−), the precipitation efficiency was 30.13% ± 4.51 with uncontrolled pH and reached 81.73% ± 0.17 at a controlled pH of 10.