Enhanced biological phosphorus removal 3470484 204994226 2008-04-11T20:28:54Z BozMo 57817 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Salvador95|Salvador95]] ([[User talk:Salvador95|talk]]) to last version by 85.178.219.87 '''Enhanced biological phosphorus removal''' (EBPR) is a [[wastewater treatment]] configuration applied to [[activated sludge]] systems for the removal of [[phosphate]]. The common element in EBPR implementations is the presence of an [[anaerobic]] tank ([[nitrate]] and [[oxygen]] are absent) prior to the [[aeration]] tank. Under these conditions a group of [[heterotroph]]ic [[bacteria]], called [[polyphosphate-accumulating organisms]] (PAO) are selectively enriched in the bacterial community within the activated sludge. These bacteria accumulate large quantities of [[polyphosphate]] within their [[cell (biology)|cell]]s and the removal of phosphorus is said to be ''enhanced''. Generally speaking, all [[bacteria]] contain a fraction (1-2%) of [[phosphorus]] in their [[biomass]] due to the its presence in cellular components, such as [[Cell membrane|membrane]] [[phospholipid]]s and [[DNA]]. Therefore as bacteria in a wastewater treatment plant consume nutrients in the wastewater, they grow and phosphorus is incorporated into the bacterial [[biomass]]. When PAOs grow they not only consume phosphorus for cellar components but also accumulate large quantities of polyphosphate within their cells. Thus, the phosphorus fraction of phosphorus accumulating biomass is 5-7%. This biomass is then separated from the treated water at end of the process and the phosphorus is thus removed. Thus if PAOs are selectively enriched by the EBPR configuration, considerably more phosphorus is removed, compared to the relatively poor phosphorus removal in conventional activated sludge systems. ==External links== * [http://www.scq.ubc.ca/?p=698 EPBR Metagenomics: The Solution to Pollution is Biotechnological Revolution] - A Review from the Science Creative Quarterly * [http://www.phosphorus-recovery.tu-darmstadt.de Website of the Technische Universität Darmstadt and the CEEP about Phosphorus Recovery] [[Category:Biotechnology]] [[Category:Microbiology]] [[Category:Waste treatment technology]]