LABORATORY OBSERVATION ON Bacillus cereus ENHANCED BIOLOGICAL PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL (EBPR) PERFORMANCE UNDER ANOXIC AND AEROBIC CONDITIONS

Only two groups of microorganisms are currently accepted as classic polyphosphate-accumulating microorganisms (PAOs) per the strictly defined physiological model for PAOs in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process. However, numerous other microorganisms can also contribute to EBPR, and there is no absolute necessity for a microorganism to behave exactly as the classic PAOs in order to be considered as a PAO. In this study, the anoxic and aerobic EBPR performance of a denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating strain of Bacillus cereus was explored. Results showed that this strain can perform EBPR function in the same way as the defined classic models for PAOs under both anoxic and aerobic conditions. Impact from pH, temperature, and NO3-N concentrations on its aerobic and anoxic phosphorus uptake rates were observed.