Research Progress on Aerobic Starvation Treatment of Wastewater: Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Applications

Abstract

Aerobic starvation, as a low-cost and easy-to-operate regulatory strategy in biological wastewater treatment, modulates microbial metabolism and community structure by constructing a substrate-depleted environment, thereby altering wastewater treatment performance. Studies have demonstrated that the efficacy of aerobic starvation exhibits significant pollutant specificity and complexity: there is no unified and precise temporal definition for short-term versus long-term aerobic starvation, with most literature defaulting to a treatment duration exceeding 30 days as long-term, while short-term refers to a relatively brief phase of substrate scarcity. Regarding pollutant removal effects, most studies indicate that both short-term and long-term aerobic starvation generally inhibit phosphorus (P) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. However, only a single early study suggested the potential promotional effect of short-term starvation, and recent investigations have further confirmed its enhancement effect on biological phosphorus removal systems, providing additional evidence for the feasibility of short-term promotion. For nitrogen (N) removal, inhibitory effects dominate irrespective of duration. The differential responses of functional microorganisms are the core drivers of performance variations: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) exhibit relatively strong tolerance to short-term starvation, whereas nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and conventional denitrifying bacteria are susceptible to inhibition. This review systematically summarizes relevant domestic and international studies, focusing on advances in multiple dimensions, including the classification characteristics of aerobic starvation, wastewater treatment performance responses, functional microbial mechanisms, applications of microbiome technologies, and practical engineering implications. Furthermore, existing studies still have gaps in the application of advanced omics technologies, verification of the promotional effects of long-term starvation, and standardization of engineering parameters. Multidisciplinary integration is required to drive the optimization, improvement, and large-scale application of the technical system.