The results from this study support the potential application of the AGS technology for textile wastewater treatment as an effective alternative to the conventional anaerobic/aerobic SBR technology based on floc-forming bacteria.
In fact, the excellent settling properties of AGS allow shorter SBR cycles with similar colorremoval and higher COD removal yields than those attained with flocculent biomass with the additional advantage of increased tol-erance to toxicity and to high organic loads.
Also, the excellentbiomass retention of AGS systems allows bioreactor operation at SRT values higher than those typically attained in flocculent SBR,possibly favoring the establishment of a more diverse microbialpopulation with the potential ability to biodegrade recalcitrant aromatic compounds such as aromatic amines.