The adsorption process during inorganic phosphorus removal by cultured periphyton

To explain the detailed process involved in phosphorus removal by periphyton, the periphyton dominated by photoautotrophic microorganisms was employed in this study to remove inorganic phosphorus (P (i) ) from wastewater, and the removal kinetics and isotherms were then evaluated for the P (i) removal process. Results showed that the periphyton was capable of effectively removing P (i) that could completely remove the P (i) in 24 h at an initial P (i) concentration of 13 mg P L-1. Furthermore, the P (i) removal process by the periphyton was dominated by adsorption at initial stage (similar to 24 h), which involved physical mechanistic process. However, this P (i) adsorption process was significantly influenced by environmental conditions. This work provides an insight into the understanding of phosphorus adsorption by periphyton or similar microbial aggregates.