Organic loading rate (OLR) regulation for enhancement of aerobic sludge granulation: Role of key microorganism and their function.

According to unique growth characteristics of various environmental microorganism specially with different substrates and their levels, aerobic sludge granulation are studied under different operation mode of influent organic loading rate (OLR), and the EPS component, sludge surface characters and functional microbes are analyzed to achieve a novel process for stable sludge granulation. Results showed that activated sludge cultivated under gradient influent OLR decreasing from 5.5 to 3.5 kgCOD m-3 d-1 achieved complete granulation with average size of 438 µm and exopolysaccharide (PS) to protein (PN) ratio over 2.0. Meanwhile, these granules had excellent flocculability and hydrophobicity with Zeta potential and contact angle of -15 mV and 110°, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated that microbes with function of EPS secretion enriched with decreased OLR regulation for their suitable specific growth characteristics, then promoted other microbes aggregation and sludge granulation along with the improvement of cellular surface characters and microbial niche.