Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal

The Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) process is a biological process for efficient phosphate removal from wastewaters through intracellular storage of polyphosphate by Phosphate-Accumulating Organisms (PAO). This thesis is dedicated to two different aspects of the EBPR process. The first part of the thesis focuses on the functional diversity of PAO clades and its influence on process performance. The second part describes the salinity effects on the metabolism of PAO and their competitors, the Glycogen-Accumulating Organisms (GAO) that do not contribute to phosphorus removal. The potential implications of sudden saline shocks in wastewater treatment systems not regularly exposed to salinity are also discussed.