Biomass fermentation to augment biological phosphorus removal

A combination of a lab scale biological phosphorus removal sequencing batch reactor (called mother reactor) and a side-stream biomass fermenter was setup. It was found that when fermented biomass was recirculated back into the mother reactor as volatile fatty acid (VFA) supplement, the phosphate concentration in the effluent decreased from 6 in the control reactor to 4.5 mg L−1 in the effluent from mother reactor. The addition of the fermentation effluent into the mother reactor increased the phosphate and ammonium loads and resulted in deterioration of nitrification. Phosphorus removal and nitrification improved when the fermented biomass was separated from the liquid phase using an up-flow system, followed by the addition of MgO to the supernatant to precipitate phosphate and ammonium. Phosphorus removal was further improved by delaying the time of VFA addition into mother reactor during the anaerobic period as soon as denitrification ceased. Biomass fermentation was found to generate 157 mg VFA-COD by fermenting 1 g of biomass at a solids retention time of 5 d. Acetate (78% of generated COD) and propionic acid (10%) were the major components of the produced VFA. It was concluded that biomass fermentation to augment a biological nutrient removal process can be effective if generated phosphate and ammonia are removed, e.g. through struvite precipitation.