ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the effect of substrate carbon source and its concentration on the formation and characteristics of aerobic granules. Glucose-fed granules had a filaments-dominant outer surface, whereas the acetate-fed granules showed a very compact bacterial structure, in which rod bacteria, tightly linked cell to cell, were found to be predominant. Aerobic granules would be powerful bioagents for the removal of inhibitory or toxic organic compounds present in industrial wastewater. The physical characteristics of aerobic granules were more compact compared with the sludge flocs, while the microbial activity was comparable or somewhat lower compared with sludge flocs, depending on the size and structure of the granules. The settleability of aerobic granules was much better than the sludge flocs of a conventional activated sludge process. The most beneficial aspect of aerobic granules is their excellent physical characteristics, which could lead to a high biomass concentration in the reactor, and subsequently smaller footprint for the reactor system.
