Characterization of a bioflocculant from potato starch wastewater and its application in sludge dewatering.

A bioflocculant was produced by using potato starch wastewater; its potential in sludge dewatering and potato starch wastewater treatment was investigated. Production of this bioflocculant was positively associated with cell growth, and a highest value of 0.81 g/L was obtained. When incubated with this bioflocculant, dry solids (DS) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of typical wastewater activated sludge reached 20.8% and 3.9 × 10(12) m/kg, respectively, which were much better than the ones obtained with conventional chemical flocculants. Sludge dewatering was further improved when both the bioflocculant and conventional polyacrylamide (PAM) were used simultaneously. With potato starch wastewater, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity removal rates could reach 52.4 and 81.7%, respectively, at pH value of 7.5 when the bioflocculant dose was adjusted to 30 mg/L; from a practical standpoint, the removal of COD and turbidity reached 48.3 and 72.5%, respectively, without pH value adjustment.