The mechanisms responsible for the fast granulation of anaerobic sludge caused by Mg2+ and Ca2+ addition was examined in four lab-scale expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors. Results indicated that both Mg2+ and Ca2+ accelerated the sludge-granulation process and increased the amount of polysaccharides and proteins in the sludge. Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis revealed that, in a mature granule, both Mg2+ and Ca2+ composed as phosphate and calcium was distributed primarily in the periphery of the granule, while magnesium distributed mainly in the interior. The addition of Mg2+ was more favorable for the nuclei formation, whereas the addition of Ca2+ was more favorable for subgranule growth and maintaining the granules' rigid structure. Results showed that the addition of Mg2+ in the nuclei formation stage and Ca2+ in the granule-growth stage accelerated granulation more than adding only one of them in the granulation process
