Nutrient Removal · Biological Phosphorus Removal
What Is Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal?
Enhanced biological phosphorus removal, or EBPR, uses a selected group of microbes to store more phosphorus than ordinary cell growth requires. These phosphorus-accumulating organisms are called PAOs.
The process exposes PAOs to an anaerobic zone followed by an aerobic zone. In the anaerobic zone, PAOs take up suitable carbon and release phosphate. In the aerobic zone, they use stored carbon and take up more phosphate than they released.
The captured phosphorus leaves when phosphorus-rich waste activated sludge is removed from the system. If the solids remain too long, break down, or release phosphorus into a recycle stream, some of that removal can be lost.
EBPR stability depends on selection over time. One good release-and-uptake profile should be confirmed across normal plant conditions.
Key point: EBPR removes phosphorus by selecting PAOs, cycling conditions, and wasting phosphorus-rich biomass.
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Nutrient Removal: Nitrogen and Phosphorus for Wastewater Operators
This page comes from the course. It covers nitrification, denitrification, biological and chemical phosphorus removal, monitoring, return loads and permit limits, one step at a time, with short knowledge checks and a certificate of completion.
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