Issue 4, 2021

Monitoring the stability of aerobic granular sludge using fractal dimension analysis

Abstract

Cyclic episodes of granules formation and disintegration took place in two lab-scale aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors, one fed with synthetic wastewater (COD: 0.6 g L−1 and NH4+–N: 0.06 g L−1) and operated at a constant organic loading rate (2.5 g COD per L d), and the other fed with real wastewater (soluble COD: 0.27–1.37 and NH4+–N: 0.02–0.16 g L−1) and with a variable loading rate (between 1.1 and 5.5 g CODsoluble per L d). The sludge volume index, density and diameter (mean value and relative standard deviation) of the granular biomass showed great fluctuations, without any clear tendency during the operational period. However, changes in granules fractal dimension values (both mean and relative standard deviation) matched with the formation and disintegration dynamics of the granular biomass. Statistical data analysis showed that the relative standard deviation of the granules fractal dimension could be a useful parameter for monitoring the granules status. Indeed, an increase of its value during the maturation or steady-state granulation stages is an early warning of disintegration episodes. A control strategy to maintain granules integrity based on this parameter is proposed.

Graphical abstract: Monitoring the stability of aerobic granular sludge using fractal dimension analysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
07 yan 2021
Accepted
01 mar 2021
First published
02 mar 2021

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021,7, 706-713

Monitoring the stability of aerobic granular sludge using fractal dimension analysis

J. P. Pavissich, N. Camus, J. L. Campos, Ó. Franchi, A. Pedrouso, P. Carrera, Á. Val del Rio and A. Mosquera-Corral, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021, 7, 706 DOI: 10.1039/D1EW00015B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements