Non-denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organisms obviate requirement for anaerobic condition.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is a widely used process in wastewater treatment that requires anaerobic/aerobic or anaerobic/anoxic cycling. Surprisingly, phosphorus (P) release was observed in the presence of nitrate in the anoxic compartment of the activated sludge tank in a full-scale treatment plant with the Modified Ludzack Ettinger configuration. We therefore studied the potential of this full-scale activated sludge community to perform EBPR under anoxic/aerobic cycling.

Integrative microbial community analysis reveals full-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal under tropical conditions.

Management of phosphorus discharge from human waste is essential for the control of eutrophication in surface waters. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is a sustainable, efficient way of removing phosphorus from waste water without employing chemical precipitation, but is assumed unachievable in tropical temperatures due to conditions that favour glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) over polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). Here, we show these assumptions are unfounded by studying comparative community dynamics in a full-scale plant following systematic perturbation of operational conditions, which modified community abundance, function and physicochemical state.