LAUSR

Two sequencing batch reactors inoculated with two different kinds of industrial sludge; refinery sludge (R1) and brewery sludge (R2), were operated to observe the impact of high phenol loading (5.71 kg COD m-3 day-1) along with 100 mg L-1 of ammonia-nitrogen and thiocyanate on the granular stability and performance. R2 granules were stable and degraded all the pollutants up to an organic loading of 5.71 kg COD m-3 day-1 with the large size and high extracellular polymeric substances of 2769.94 ± 62.26 µm and 114.83 ± 1.33 mg gVSS-1, respectively, whereas R1 granules disintegrated at an organic loading of more than 3.32 kg COD m-3 day-1. At higher phenol loading, granular biomass activity was 3.43 and 16.35 mg COD removed mgVSS-1 day-1 in R1 and R2, respectively, from the initial sludge activities of 8.01 (refinery sludge) and 6.56 (brewery sludge) mg COD removed mgVSS-1 day-1.