Treating chemical industries influent using aerobic granular sludge: Recent development

Aerobic granulation, a novel environmental biotechnological process, is increasingly drawing interest of researchers engaging work in the area of biological wastewater treatment. Developed in about one decade ago, exciting research work exploring beyond the limits of aerobic wastewater treatment such as treatment of high strength organic wastewaters, bioremediation of toxic aromatic pollutants such as phenol, toluene, dinitrotoluene, pyridine and textile dyes, removal of nitrogen, phosphate and sulphate, adsorption of heavy metals and nuclear waste has been reported. This paper provides a review on recent research development since January 2008 in aerobic biogranulation technology and applications in treating toxic industrial and municipal wastewaters.