TY - JOUR
T1 - Moving forward in the use of aerobic granular sludge for municipal wastewater treatment
T2 - an overview
AU - Sepúlveda-Mardones, Mario
AU - Campos, José Luis
AU - Magrí, Albert
AU - Vidal, Gladys
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer Nature B.V.
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - Activated sludge is one of the most widely implemented technologies for municipal wastewater treatment. Yet, more restrictive environmental standards demand for more efficient technologies. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a promising alternative in this context since this technology has shown potential for simultaneous organic matter and nutrient removal using smaller bioreactors and consuming less energy. However, despite such engaging claims, only ca. 40 full-scale AGS systems have been installed worldwide after 30 years of development. This reduced implementation suggests the existence of significant bottlenecks for this technology, which currently only have partially been overcome. This overview aims to analyze the recent progress in R&D concerning aerobic sludge granulation for municipal wastewater treatment via the analysis of research articles and invention patents as well as to elucidate exiting technological gaps and development opportunities. Culturing methods aiming at fast granulation, long-term stability and excellent process performance are of utmost interest for promoting massive implementation of full-scale AGS systems. Moreover, the recovery of biomaterials from waste sludge could contribute to the implementation of the biorefinery paradigm in wastewater treatment plants.
AB - Activated sludge is one of the most widely implemented technologies for municipal wastewater treatment. Yet, more restrictive environmental standards demand for more efficient technologies. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a promising alternative in this context since this technology has shown potential for simultaneous organic matter and nutrient removal using smaller bioreactors and consuming less energy. However, despite such engaging claims, only ca. 40 full-scale AGS systems have been installed worldwide after 30 years of development. This reduced implementation suggests the existence of significant bottlenecks for this technology, which currently only have partially been overcome. This overview aims to analyze the recent progress in R&D concerning aerobic sludge granulation for municipal wastewater treatment via the analysis of research articles and invention patents as well as to elucidate exiting technological gaps and development opportunities. Culturing methods aiming at fast granulation, long-term stability and excellent process performance are of utmost interest for promoting massive implementation of full-scale AGS systems. Moreover, the recovery of biomaterials from waste sludge could contribute to the implementation of the biorefinery paradigm in wastewater treatment plants.
KW - Aerobic granular sludge
KW - Domestic sewage
KW - Full-scale
KW - Wastewater treatment plant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074351046&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11157-019-09518-9
DO - 10.1007/s11157-019-09518-9
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85074351046
SN - 1569-1705
VL - 18
SP - 741
EP - 769
JO - Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology
JF - Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology
IS - 4
ER -