Resource Recovery from Aerobic Granular Sludge: Potential, Methodologies and State of the Art
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Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) represents a promising alternative to the conventional activated sludge process for wastewater treatment, owing to its advantages in reducing land area requirements, operational costs, and carbon footprint. With the increasing global implementation of full-scale AGS systems, recent research has increasingly focused on the recovery of valuable resources from waste AGS. AGS has been identified as an effective carrier for a variety of valuable substances, including alginate-like exopolymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates, phosphorus, tryptophan, xanthan, curdlan, and cellulose. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the recovery potential, extraction methodologies and current state of knowledge regarding each of these materials. To improve economic viability, future research should prioritize the development of strategies for the sequential recovery of multiple resources from AGS. Furthermore, integrating AGS with other emerging technologies, such as microalgal treatment and partial nitritation/anammox process, may enhance the reclamation of organic carbon from wastewater.