Phosphorus Removal from Dairy Wastewater in Batch Systems under Simultaneous Aerobic/Anaerobic Conditions: Application of Response Surface Methodology

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate phosphorus removal from a dairy wastewater in a batch system with simultaneous aerobic and anaerobic process. The system consists of a granular sequencingbatch reactor (SBR) working under alternating aerobic/anaerobic conditions. In order to analyze theprocess, four significant variables viz. MLSS, COD/N ratio, aeration time and cycling time and four dependent parameters as the process responses were studied. The experiments were designed using acentral composite design (CCD) and the data were processed under response surface methodology(RSM). The optimal removal percentage of PO4 3- obtained 98.34% at SVI, MLSS, and MLVSS of 44.03 ml/g, 5645.97 mg/l and 4435.99 mg/l, respectively. High-magnification SEM showed themorphological diversity of the microorganisms that inhabited the SCNP (Simultaneous carbon,nitrogen and phosphorous removal) in batch conditions, which included spherical, rod and long filamentous-shape bacteria microorganisms. This study showed a successful high phosphorus removal from dairy wastewater with microbial granules cultivated under the alternating aerobic–anaerobic conditions in batch regime

Keywords:

Phosphors Removal Percentage , Dairy Wastewater Treatment , Batch Systems , RSM