摘要：Efforts to produce aerobic granular sludge (AGS) for high-efficient and stable nutrient removal in high saline wastewaters have gained much attention recently. This study was undertaken to describe the phase-related characteristics of the rapid formation of glucose-fed salt-tolerant AGS (SAGS) generated from common municipal activated sludge using metagenomic approaches. The time needed for SAGS formation is about 11 days in a multi-ion matrix salinity of 3%. There were three distinct developmental phases during sludge maturation which were designated: I) the salinity adaptation phase (days 1–2), II) the particle-size transition phase (days 3–5) and III) the maturation and steady-state phase (days 6–11), respectively. Genome-based analysis revealed that during the phase I, members of the genus Mangrovibacter , which has the potential to secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), dominated during the formation of initial SAGS aggregates. During phase II, fungi of the class Saccharomycetes , in particular the genus Geotrichum , became dominant and provided a matrix for bacterial attachment. This mutualistic interaction supported the rapid development and maintenance of mature SAGS. This work characterizes a robust approach for the rapid development of SAGS for efficient saline sewage treatment and provides unique insight into the granulation mechanism occurring during the development process.
