Proceedings

In the past decade, biological phosphorus removal (BPR) has become mainstay in treatment facilities across North America and Europe.  The success of BPR performance is a direct function of reactor configuration and influent wastewater characterization.  Reactor configuration has focused predominantly on the isolation of anaerobic zones from influence of nitrate and proper sizing of the anaerobic zone to optimize carbon uptake and storage coupled with the subsequent phosphorus release to optimize luxurious uptake.  Comprehensive characterization of the wastewater provides critical information on the carbon fractions necessary for optimizing the metabolism of the phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs).  Application of BPR reduces OPEX by minimizing chemical usage and the consequential excessive production of chemical sludge from conventional chemical phosphorus removal schemes, and diverts degradable carbon away from intensive aeration requirements for its oxidation in downstream processes.

This presentation overviews the basis for BPR science, and couples how the science has been applied to many BPR facilities.  Furthermore, the presentation will overview how the state-of-the-science is pushing BPR performance to higher levels based on new understandings of metabolic and biokinetic functionality of PAOs, their capacity to compete in anaerobic and anoxic environments, and how these understandings are changing our approaches to system design and operation.