Research Progress of EPS Recovery: Component Identification and Content Regulation

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the recovery of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from traditional and cutting-edge biological wastewater treatment systems in academia and industry, especially aerobic granular sludge (AGS), which has attracted wide attention due to its rich and diverse EPS components. Numerous studies have shown that EPS extracted from AGS has broad application potential. However, the conversion of EPS from laboratory research to practical engineering applications still faces many challenges and a long way to go. In order to bring EPS to the market, it is necessary to accurately identify its components and regulate its content. This paper aims to introduce the latest progress in the identification and content control of EPS components. In this paper, the research trends of EPS recovery from aerobic granular sludge are reviewed by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis methods. Firstly, the existing identification and characterization techniques of EPS and the currently known EPS components are summarized. Subsequently, the regulatory factors affecting the production of EPS are discussed, and an outlook on the future research direction of EPS resourcing is presented, aiming to provide recommendations for the transition of wastewater treatment plants to resourcing.