Aerobic granulation technology: Laboratory studies to full scale practices

Aerobic Granulation Technology for treatment of wastewater is developed in last two decades. Aerobic Granules are special type of self-immobilization of microorganisms, without any surface medium for growth of microbial film. They have compact cores and have high diffusional confrontations to external particles and, hence have high acceptance of the toxic compounds to their integral cells. Most aerobic granules are large and have a compact core, and so are recommended for use in the biological treatment of high-strength industrial wastewaters. This technology requires small foot print, 25% of the area of conventional activated sludge setup and this process can reduce up to 50% on energy-costs. This paper reviews on start-ups, advances in aerobic granulation technology from laboratory studies to pilot scale and to its full-scale application for treatment of different types of domestic and industrial wastewater. Gaps in knowledge and new ideas for future work of aerobic granulation technology are also being discussed. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.