2026-10-13T13:39:23Z https://www.scidb.cn/oai

10.57760/sciencedb.j00204.00042 2026-08-19T15:48:00Z

2026-08-19 Construction of pyrite-enhanced algal-bacterial granular sludge and its pollutant removal performance doi:10.57760/sciencedb.j00204.00042 en The sustainability of algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) technology has attracted significant attention, but slow start-up and structural instability remain key bottlenecks limiting its application. To improve granulation efficiency and system stability, this study systematically explored the effect of natural pyrite on ABGS formation and wastewater treatment performance. The results indicated that pyrite with a medium particle size (0.02~0.045 mm) exhibited the best performance, achieving successful granulation within 60 days. After 120 days of operation, the formed ABGS appeared dark green with a smooth surface, reaching a chlorophyll-a content of (17.6±0.1) mg/g VSS, an average particle size of (932±73) μm, and an SVI₅ of (57.2±0.8) mL/g, demonstrating excellent settleability. In the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of ABGS, the contents of polysaccharides and proteins were (58.4±1.0) mg/g VSS and (183.7±2.4) mg/g VSS, respectively. Interfacial property analysis revealed a zeta potential of (-22.1±0.6) mV and a water contact angle of 93.9°, indicating significantly enhanced surface electronegativity and hydrophobicity of ABGS. Energy calculations further showed that the free energy water adhesion (ΔGadh) was -167.41 mJ/m², and the total interaction energy (WTOT) was 356.49 kT, confirming that pyrite effectively reduced the aggregation energy barrier between microorganisms. This system exhibited excellent performance in wastewater treatment, achieving removal efficiencies of (97.2±0.9)% for NH₃-N and (96.7±1.3)% for COD. This study confirms that pyrite effectively promotes microbial aggregation by modulating interfacial charge and hydrophobicity, and transforms itself into an "active skeleton" supporting the ABGS structure, thereby achieving rapid nucleation, structural stability, and enhanced performance. The findings provide a theoretical basis and technical reference based on mineral regulation for the engineering application of ABGS technology. Algal-bacterial granular sludge; natural pyrite; microbial aggregation; interface thermodynamics; extracellular polymeric substances Ouyang Rui Wang Shulian EMBARGO https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ dataset Science Data Bank