Abstract
The use of saline water in urban areas for non-potable purposes to cope with fresh water scarcity, intrusion of saline water, and disposal of industrial saline wastewater into the sewerage lead to elevated salinity levels in wastewaters. Consequently, saline wastewater is generated, which needs to be treated before its discharge into surface water bodies. The objective of this research was to study the effects of salinity on the aerobic metabolism of phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO), which belong to the microbial populations responsible for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) in activated sludge systems. In this study, the short-term impact (hours) of salinity (as NaCl) was assessed on the aerobic metabolism of a PAO culture, enriched in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). All aerobic PAO metabolic processes were drastically affected by elevated salinity concentrations. The aerobic maintenance energy requirement increased, when the salinity concentration rose up to a threshold concentration of 2 % salinity (on a W/V basis as NaCl), while above this concentration, the maintenance energy requirements seemed to decrease. All initial rates were affected by salinity, with the NH4- and PO4-uptake rates being the most sensitive. A salinity increase from 0 to 0.18 % caused a 25, 46, and 63 % inhibition of the O2, PO4, and NH4-uptake rates. The stoichiometric ratios of the aerobic conversions confirmed that growth was the process with the highest inhibition, followed by poly-P and glycogen formation. The study indicates that shock loads of 0.18 % salt, which corresponds to the use or intrusion of about 5 % seawater may severely affect the EBPR process already in wastewater treatment plants not exposed regularly to high salinity concentrations.
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Acknowledgments
This research study was carried out as part of the SALINE project (http://www.salinesanitation.info/) led by UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and consortium partners KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Delft University of Technology, University of Cape Town, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The Higher Polytechnic Institute “José Antonio Echeverría” (CUJAE) and Birzeit University. The SALINE project is financed by UNESCO-IHE internal research fund with a special generous contribution from Professor George Ekama from University of Cape Town. The authors would like to gratefully thank Professor George Ekama for his contribution. Thanks to UNESCO-IHE laboratory staff for all their support during the research project.
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Welles, L., Lopez-Vazquez, C.M., Hooijmans, C.M. et al. Impact of salinity on the aerobic metabolism of phosphate-accumulating organisms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99, 3659–3672 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6287-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6287-1