Enhanced nutrient removal and facilitating granulation via intermittent aeration in simultaneous partial nitrification endogenous denitrification and phosphorus removal (SPNEDpr) process.

A novel simultaneous partial nitrification, endogenous denitrification and phosphorus removal (SPNEDpr) system was operated for 213 days in a sequencing batch reactor to treat real domestic sewage. The nutrient removal was achieved under an operation mode of intermittent aeration at unequal intervals with low oxygen concentrations. Through optimizing intermittent aeration conditions, the removal efficiencies of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), POP and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reached 78.40%, 98.13% and 84%, respectively. Low-oxygen (0.1-0.7 mg/L) and intermittent aeration effectively inhibited nitrite oxidation bacteria (NOB), maintaining stable partial nitrification with nitrite accumulation ratio of 96.45%. Notably, intermittent aeration promoted the formation of aerobic granular sludge, with the sludge particle size increasing from 217.2 ± 5.3 to 351.8 ± 4.8 μm, thereby enhancing the TIN loss efficiency (81.3%). The predominant genus was Candidatus_Competibacter (11.6%), which stored COD as intracellular carbon source and performed the endogenous denitrification. The SPNEDpr process provided a highly efficient and economical method for treating urban sewage.