INFLUENCE OF SLUDGE AGE ON ENHANCED PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL IN BIOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS

The phosphorus removal process was studied in a bench-scale plant for a period of 300 days. The process was observed to depend greatly on tw o parameters: the amount of volatile fatty acid (VFA) taken up in the anaerobic stage and sludge age. For a given sludge age, phosphorus rel ease versus VFA uptake in the anaerobic stage could be fitted to a str aight line, while phosphorus uptake in the non-anaerobic stages fitted a logarithmic curve. Thus, phosphorus removal occurred within a limit ed VFA uptake range. The range width and the phosphorus removal capaci ty varied with sludge age. Copyright (C) 1996 IAWQ.