Mechanisms Affecting Water Distribution and Dewatering Potential of Aerobic Granular Sludge

Biosolids handling of aerobic granular sludge must be considered as this technology is adopted at full-scale. The aim of this project is to investigate the mechanisms affecting the dewatering potential of aerobic granular sludge. The impact of the physicochemical properties, particularly extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and particle size, on the water distribution within granular sludge was investigated. The results of this study indicated that higher tightly-bound EPS (TB-EPS) content played a key role in enhancing the overall sludge-water separation process, which is not the case with high amounts of EPS in the form of loosely-bound (LB). The outcomes of this study were similar to dewatering mechanisms observed for activated sludge. This can help researchers and utilities take a closer look at the complex relationship between water and sludge, consequently providing additional insight to select the appropriate sludge handling methods for granular sludge dewatering.