Functionally Relevant Microoraganisms to Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Performance at Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States

Role of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in the removal of biological phosphorus at full-scale wastewater treatment plants in the United States was investigated. The candidate PAOs and GAOs studied, included Accurnulibacter phosphatis, Competibacter phosphatis, and tetrad-forming organisms (TFOs), were relevant to enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) processes in the United States. Effective phosphorus removal was achieved with coexistence and a great variation of combined PAO and GAO populations in the six full-scale EBPR plants in the United States. The presence of GAOs did not necessarily negatively affect EBPR performance, provided that the process condition favored the PAOs to uptake sufficient carbon for complete removal of influent phosphorus, leaving only the spare carbon to be sequestered by GAOs.