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Yan Y, Lee J, Han IL, Wang Z, Li G, McCullough K, Klaus S, Kang D, Wang D, Patel A, McQuarrie J, Stinson BM, deBarbadillo C, Dombrowski P, Bott C, Gu AZ. Comammox and unknown ammonia oxidizers contribute to nitrite accumulation in an integrated A-B stage process that incorporates side-stream EBPR (S2EBPR). WATER RESEARCH 2024; 253:121220. [PMID: 38341969 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
A novel integrated pilot-scale A-stage high rate activated sludge, B-stage short-cut biological nitrogen removal and side-stream enhanced biological phosphorus removal (A/B-shortcut N-S2EBPR) process for treating municipal wastewater was demonstrated with the aim to achieve simultaneous and carbon- and energy-efficient N and P removal. In this studied period, an average of 7.62 ± 2.17 mg-N/L nitrite accumulation was achieved through atypical partial nitrification without canonical known NOB out-selection. Network analysis confirms the central hub of microbial community as Nitrospira, which was one to two orders of magnitude higher than canonical aerobic oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in a B-stage nitrification tank. The contribution of comammox Nitrospira as AOB was evidenced by the increased amoB/nxr ratio and higher ammonia oxidation activity. Furthermore, oligotyping analysis of Nitrospira revealed two dominant sub-clusters (microdiveristy) within the Nitrospira. The relative abundance of oligotype II, which is phylogenetically close to Nitrospira_midas_s_31566, exhibited a positive correlation with nitrite accumulation in the same operational period, suggesting its role as comammox Nitrospira. Additionally, the phylogenetic investigation suggested that heterotrophic organisms from the family Comamonadacea and the order Rhodocyclaceae embedding ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidase may function as heterotrophic nitrifiers. This is the first study that elucidated the impact of integrating the S2EBPR on nitrifying populations with implications on short-cut N removal. The unique conditions in the side-stream reactor, such as low ORP, favorable VFA concentrations and composition, seemed to exert different selective forces on nitrifying populations from those in conventional biological nutrient removal processes. The results provide new insights for integrating EBPR with short-cut N removal process for mainstream wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yan
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - Jangho Lee
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - I L Han
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - Zijian Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - Guangyu Li
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - Kester McCullough
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States; Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, United States; modelEAU, Département de génie civil et de génie des eaux, Université Laval, 1065 av. de la Médecine, Québec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Klaus
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, United States
| | - Da Kang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States; Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Dongqi Wang
- Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710048, China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Anand Patel
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
| | - Jim McQuarrie
- Denver Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Denver, CO 80229, United States
| | | | - Christine deBarbadillo
- District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, District of Columbia, 5000 Overlook Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20032, United States
| | | | - Charles Bott
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, United States.
| | - April Z Gu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States.
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Nguyen Quoc B, Peng B, De Clippeleir H, Winkler MKH. Case study: Bioaugmenting the comammox dominated biomass from B-stage to enhance nitrification in A-stage at Blue Plains AWWTP. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2024; 96:e11005. [PMID: 38407520 DOI: 10.1002/wer.11005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
A comprehensive case study was undertaken at the Blue Plains wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to explore the bioaugmentation technique of introducing nitrifying sludge into the non-nitrifying stage over the course of two operational years. This innovative approach involved the return of waste activated sludge (WAS) from the biological nutrient removal (BNR) system to enhance the nitrification in the high carbon removal rate system. The complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) Nitrospira Nitrosa was identified as the main nitrifier in the system. Bioaugmentation was shown to be successful as nitrifiers returned from BNR were able to increase the nitrifying activity of the high carbon removal rate system. There was a positive correlation between returned sludge from the BNR stage and the specific total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) removal rate in A stage. The bioaugmentation process resulted in a remarkable threefold increase in the specific TKN removal rate within the A stage. Result suggested that recycling of WAS is a simple technique to bio-augment a low SRT system with nitrifiers and add ammonia oxidation to a previously non-nitrifying stage. The results from this case study hold the potential for applicable implications for other WWTPs that have a similar operational scheme to Blue Plains, allowing them to reuse WAS from the B stage, previously considered waste, to enhance nitrification and thus improving overall nitrogen removal performance. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Comammox identifying as main nitrifier in the B stage. Comammox enriched sludge from B stage successfully bio-augmented the East side of A stage up to threefold. Bioaugmentation of comammox in the West side of A stage was potentially inhibited by the gravity thickened overflow. Sludge returned from B stage to A stage can improve nitrification with a very minor retrofits and short startup times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Bo Peng
- DC Water and Sewer Authority, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Mari-Karoliina H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Macêdo WV, Schmidt JS, Jensen SB, Biller P, Vergeynst L. Is nitrification inhibition the bottleneck of integrating hydrothermal liquefaction in wastewater treatment plants? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119046. [PMID: 37832286 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Sewage sludge management poses challenges due to its environmental impact, varying composition, and stringent regulatory requirements. In this scenario, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising technology for producing biofuel and extracting phosphorus from sewage sludge. However, the toxic nature of the resulting process water (HTL-PW) raises concerns about integrating HTL into conventional wastewater treatment processes. This study investigated the inhibitory effects of HTL-PW on the activity of the main microbial functions in conventional activated sludge. Upon recirculation of the HTL-PW from the excess sludge into the wastewater treatment plant, the level of COD in the influent is expected to increase by 157 mgO2⋅L-1, resulting in 44% nitrification inhibition (IC50 of 197 mg⋅L-1). However, sorption of inhibitory compounds on particles can reduce nitrification inhibition to 27% (IC50 of 253 mg⋅L-1). HTL-PW is a viable carbon source for denitrification, showing nearly as high denitrification rates as acetate and only 17% inhibition at 157 mgO2⋅L-1 COD. Under aerobic conditions, heterotrophic organic nitrogen and organic matter conversion remains unaffected up to 223 mgO2⋅L-1 COD, with COD removal higher than 94%. This study is the first to explore the full integration of HTL in wastewater treatment plants for biofuel production from the excess activated sludge. Potential nitrification inhibition is concerning, and further long-term studies are needed to fully investigate the impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Williane Vieira Macêdo
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 36, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Jennie Spicker Schmidt
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 36, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Sara Brorson Jensen
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 36, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Patrick Biller
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 36, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Leendert Vergeynst
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 36, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Xu J, Gao Y, Bi X, Li L, Xiang W, Liu S. Positive effects of lignocellulose on the formation and stability of aerobic granular sludge. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1254152. [PMID: 37670989 PMCID: PMC10475587 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1254152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Lignocellulose is one of the major components of particulate organic matter in sewage, which has a significant influence on biological wastewater treatment process. However, the effect of lignocellulose on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system is still unknown. Methods In this study, two reactors were operated over 5 months to investigate the effect of lignocellulose on granulation process, structure stability and pollutants removal of AGS. Results and discussion The results indicated that lignocellulose not only promoted the secretion of tightly bound polysaccharide in extracellular polymeric substances, but also acted as skeletons within granules, thereby facilitating AGS formation, and enhancing structural strength. Lignocellulose imposed little effect on the removal efficiency of pollutants, with more than 95, 99, and 92% of COD, NH4+-N, and PO43--P were removed in both reactors. However, it did exhibit a noticeable influence on pollutants conversion processes. This might be due to that the presence of lignocellulose promoted the enrichment of functional microorganisms, including Candidatus_Accumulibacter, Candidatus_Competibacter, Nitrosomonas, and Nitrospira, etc. These findings might provide valuable insights into the control strategy of lignocellulose in practical AGS systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuejun Bi
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Lin Li
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjuan Xiang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Shichang Liu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
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Li B, Godfrey BJ, RedCorn R, Wang Z, Goel R, Winkler MKH. Simultaneous anaerobic carbon and nitrogen removal from primary municipal wastewater with hydrogel encapsulated anaerobic digestion sludge and AOA-anammox coated hollow fiber membrane. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 883:163696. [PMID: 37100124 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a one-stage continuous-flow membrane-hydrogel reactor integrating both partial nitritation-anammox (PN-anammox) and anaerobic digestion (AD) was designed and operated for simultaneous autotrophic nitrogen (N) and anaerobic carbon (C) removal from mainstream municipal wastewater. In the reactor, a synthetic biofilm consisting of anammox biomass and pure culture ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were coated onto and maintained on a counter-diffusion hollow fiber membrane to autotrophically remove nitrogen. Anaerobic digestion sludge was encapsulated in hydrogel beads and placed in the reactor to anaerobically remove COD. During the pilot operation at three operating temperature (25, 16 and 10 °C), the membrane-hydrogel reactor demonstrated stable anaerobic COD removal (76.2 ± 15.5 %) and membrane fouling was successfully suppressed allowing a relatively stable PN-anammox process. The reactor demonstrated good nitrogen removal efficiency, with an overall removal efficiency of 95.8 ± 5.0 % for NH4+-N and 78.9 ± 13.2 % for total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) during the entire pilot operation. Reducing the temperature to 10 °C caused a temporary reduction in nitrogen removal performance and abundances of AOA and anammox. However, the reactor and microbes demonstrated the ability to adapt to the low temperature spontaneously with recovered nitrogen removal performance and microbial abundances. Methanogens in hydrogel beads and AOA and anammox on the membrane were observed in the reactor by qPCR and 16S sequencing across all operational temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
| | - Bruce J Godfrey
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Raymond RedCorn
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Zhiwu Wang
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, 1230 Washington St. SW, VA 24061, Blacksburg, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ramesh Goel
- The University of Utah, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, 110 S. Central Campus Drive, 2000MCE, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Mari-K H Winkler
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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Jang D, Won J, Jo Y, Kim Y, Jang A. The effect of biocarriers on the nitrification and microbial community in moving bed biofilm reactor for anaerobic digestion effluent treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023:116350. [PMID: 37290619 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The performance of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) depends largely on the type of biofilm carrier used. However, how different carriers affect the nitrification process, particularly when treating anaerobic digestion effluents, is not completely understood. This study aimed to evaluate the nitrification performance of two distinct biocarriers in MBBRs over a 140-d operation period, with a gradually decreasing hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 20 to 10 d. Reactor 1 (R1) was filled with fiber balls, whereas a Mutag Biochip was used for reactor 2 (R2). At an HRT of 20 d, the ammonia removal efficiency of both reactors was >95%. However, as the HRT was reduced, the ammonia removal efficiency of R1 gradually declined, ultimately dropping to 65% at a 10-d HRT. In contrast, the ammonia removal efficiency of R2 consistently exceeding 99% throughout the long-term operation. R1 exhibited partial nitrification, whereas R2 exhibited complete nitrification. Analysis of microbial communities showed that the abundance and diversity of bacterial communities, particularly nitrifying bacteria such as Hyphomicrobium sp. And Nitrosomonas sp., in R2 was higher than that in R1. In conclusion, the choice of biocarrier significantly impact the abundance and diversity of microbial communities in MBBR systems. Therefore, these factors should be closely monitored to ensure the efficient treatment of high-strength ammonia wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duksoo Jang
- Department of Global Smart City, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongyeob Won
- Department of Global Smart City, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeadam Jo
- R&D Division, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Youngoh Kim
- R&D Division, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Am Jang
- Department of Global Smart City, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Xiong W, Wang S, Jin Y, Wu Z, Liu D, Su H. Insights into nitrogen and phosphorus metabolic mechanisms of algal-bacterial aerobic granular sludge via metagenomics: Performance, microbial community and functional genes. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 369:128442. [PMID: 36470490 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Aiming to propose the potential mechanism for the enhancement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal of algal-bacterial aerobic granular sludge (A-AGS), metagenomic analysis was applied to identify the metabolic pathways. The results showed that chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total N, and total P removal of A-AGS could reach to 94.5%, 97.5%, 78.1%, and 88.5%, respectively. Algae enriched the content of extracellular polymeric substance, which significantly promoted the formation of A-AGS. Further investigations in functional genes suggested that nitrification process (amo, nxr, hao, etc.), denitrification process (nir, nap, nor, etc.), and polyphosphate accumulation (ppk, ppk2, etc.) were enhanced greatly in A-AGS. Notably, genus Thauera was the dominant source of functional genes, which penetrated both in N and P metabolism. The higher N and P removal performance in A-AGS could be attributed to synergistic effect between bacteria and microalgae, which may provide the basic for the application in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Haijia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China.
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Ouyang L, Qiu B. Positive effects of magnetic Fe 3O 4@polyaniline on aerobic granular sludge: Aerobic granulation, granule stability and pollutants removal performance. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 368:128296. [PMID: 36370942 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic material has been determined to have a positive effect on sludge granulation and wastewater treatment performance. In this study, the effect of magnetic Fe3O4@polyaniline (Fe3O4@PANI) on aerobic granulation, granule stability, and pollutants removal performance was evaluated by adding it into a sequencing batch reactor to cultivate aerobic granular sludge (AGS). The results indicated that the composite combined the advantages of PANI and Fe3O4 to promote the formation of AGS during the granulation period. The Fe3O4@PANI stimulated the granules to secrete extracellular polymeric substances with a higher proteins/polysaccharides ratio, thus enhancing the stability of the AGS. In addition, microbial community analysis revealed that the great performance of the AGS on denitrification and phosphorus removal could be attributed to the enrichment of denitrifying bacteria, phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAO), and denitrifying PAO by Fe3O4@PANI. Thus, Fe3O4@PANI has been demonstrated to have a positive effect on the formation and stability of AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfeng Ouyang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Bin Qiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Kowal P, Mehrani MJ, Sobotka D, Ciesielski S, Mąkinia J. Rearrangements of the nitrifiers population in an activated sludge system under decreasing solids retention times. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113753. [PMID: 35772505 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to the key role of nitrite in novel nitrogen removal systems, nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) have been receiving increasing attention. In this study, the coexistence and interactions of nitrifying bacteria were explored at decreasing solids retention times (SRTs). Four 5-week washout experiments were carried out in laboratory-scale (V = 10 L) sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with mixed liquor from two full-scale activated sludge systems (continuous flow vs SBR). During the experiments, the SRT was gradually reduced from the initial value of 4.0 d to approximately 1.0 d. The reactors were operated under limited dissolved oxygen conditions (set point of 0.6 mg O2/L) and two process temperatures: 12 °C (winter) and 20 °C (summer). At both temperatures, the progressive SRT reduction was inefficient for the out-selection of both canonical NOB and comammox Nitrospira. However, the dominant NOB switched from Nitrospira to Ca. Nitrotoga, whereas the dominant AOB was always Nitrosomonas. The results of this study are important for optimizing NOB suppression strategies in the novel N removal processes, which are based on nitrite accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemyslaw Kowal
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Mohamad-Javad Mehrani
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dominika Sobotka
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sławomir Ciesielski
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Ul. Sloneczna 45G, 10-709, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jacek Mąkinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland
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Zhang Q, Han P, Xu H, Wang Q, Xu G. Survival strategies of Nitrospira in a stable nitritation-denitritation system treating low-strength fermented wastewater. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Chen Y, Geng N, Hu T, Baeyens J, Wang S, Su H. Adaptive regulation of activated sludge's core functional flora based on granular internal spatial microenvironment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 319:115714. [PMID: 35839647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A great deal of efforts has been put into studying the influence of the external macroenvironment for activated sludge to survive on microbial community succession, while granular internal spatial microenvironment should be given equal attention, because it is more directly involved in the information exchange and material transfer among microorganisms. This study systematically investigated the effects of granular microenvironment on spatial colonization and composition of sludge's core functional flora, and the corresponding difference of biological treatment performance. High content of extracellular-proteins (67.53 mg/gVSS) or extracellular-polysaccharide (65.02 mg/gVSS) stimulated the microbial flocculation and aggregation of 0.5-1.5 mm granules (GS) or 1.5-3.0 mm granules (GM), respectively, which was resulted from excellent cell hydrophobicity (59.26%) or viscosity (3.47 mPa s), therefore, constituted relatively dense porous frame. More hollow space existed in 3.0-5.0 mm granules (GL), which formed loose skeleton with 0.213 mL/g of total pore volume and 17.21 nm of average pore size. Combining scanning electron microscope images and fluorescent in-situ hybridization based microbiological analysis, aerobic nitrifiers were observed to wrap or surround anaerobic bacteria, or facultative/anaerobic bacteria were self-encapsulated, which created granule's unique microenvironment with alternating aerobic and anaerobic zones. GS has the most rich organic matter degrading bacteria and anaerobic heterotrophic denitrifiers, while GM and GL presented the greatest relative abundance of facultative and aerobic denitrifiers, respectively. The activity of dehydrogenase and nitrogen invertase of GM showed be 1.32-3.09 times higher than those of GS and GL, contributing to its higher carbon and nitrogen removal. These findings highlight the importance of granular microenvironment to adaptive regulation of activated sludge's core functional flora and corresponding pollutant removal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Nanfei Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Tenghui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jan Baeyens
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haijia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
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Li D, Wei Z, Li S, Zeng H, Zhang J. Insight into dead space effects in granular anammox process with organic stress. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 359:127504. [PMID: 35738318 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the dead space was demonstrated to enhance the robustness of anammox nitrogen (N)-removal under organic stress. Different from the "yellow aggregates" that inhabit in mixing space were assembled by anammox and heterotrophic micro-colonies, the "red granules" that inhabit in dead space were formed by initial anammox aggregates that growing outward with higher anammox-activity, settleability and sludge stability, which endowed the dead space the role of "anammox-stabilizer" with prominent anammox N-removal contribution (63.8%) especially under high organic stress. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) dynamic balance test revealed that the high and stable EPS contents in dead space were attributed to the low EPS degradation rate and low proportion of heterotrophic bacteria (HB)-produced EPS, respectively. The weak hydrodynamic forces were the key to less HB-colonization and high granular stability in dead space. Retaining a certain dead space is necessary to prevent anammox bacteria (AnAOB) loss under organic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Li
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
| | - Ziqing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Shuai Li
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Huiping Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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13
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Sabba F, McNamara P, Redmond E, Ruff C, Young M, Downing L. Lab-scale data and microbial community structure suggest shortcut nitrogen removal as the predominant nitrogen removal mechanism in post-aerobic digestion (PAD). WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2022; 94:e10762. [PMID: 35809034 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Implementing an aerobic digestion step after anaerobic digestion, referred to as "post aerobic digestion" (PAD), can remove ammonia without the need for an external carbon source and destroy volatile solids. While this process has been documented at the lab-scale and full-scale, the mechanism for N removal and the corresponding microbial community that carries out this process have not been established. This research gap is important to fill because the nitrogen removal pathway has implications on aeration requirements and carbon demand, that is, short-cut N-removal requires less oxygen and carbon than simultaneous nitrification-denitrification. The aims of this research were to (i) determine if nitrite (NO2 - ) or nitrate (NO3 - ) dominates following ammonia removal and (ii) characterize the microbial community from PAD reactors. Here, lab-scale PAD reactors were seeded with biomass from two different full-scale PAD reactors. The lab-scale reactors were fed with biomass from full-scale reactors and operated in batch mode to quantify nitrogen species concentrations (ammonia, NH4 + , NO2 - , and NO3 - ) over time. Experimental results revealed that NO2 - production rates were several orders of magnitude greater than NO3 - production rates. Indeed, nitrite accumulation rate (NAR) was greater than 90% at most temperatures, confirming that shortcut nitrogen removal was the dominant NH4 + removal mechanism in PAD. Microbial community analysis via 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were much more abundant than nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Overall, this study suggests that aeration requirements for post-aerobic digestion should be based on NO2 - shunt and not complete simultaneous nitrification denitrification. PRACTITIONER POINTS: AOB are a key feature of PAD microbial communities NOB are present, but in much lower abundance than AOB High nitrite accumulation ratio suggests shortcut nitrite as the main mechanism for nitrogen removal Nitritation in PAD reactors is sustained at temperatures as high as 40°C No ammonia oxidation occurred at 50°C implying different mechanisms of nitrogen removal including ammonia stripping.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick McNamara
- Black & Veatch, Overland Park, Kansas, USA
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | - Mike Young
- Trinity River Authority of Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA
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14
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Mavriou Ζ, Alexandropoulou I, Melidis P, Karpouzas DG, Ntougias S. Bioprocess performance, transformation pathway, and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating fludioxonil-contaminated wastewater under microaerophilic conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:29597-29612. [PMID: 34542817 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16452-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fludioxonil is a post-harvest fungicide contained in effluents produced by fruit packaging plants, which should be treated prior to environmental dispersal. We developed and evaluated an immobilized cell bioreactor, operating under microaerophilic conditions and gradually reduced hydraulic retention times (HRTs) from 10 to 3.9 days, for the biotreatment of fludioxonil-rich wastewater. Fludioxonil removal efficiency was consistently above 96%, even at the shortest HRT applied. A total of 12 transformation products were tentatively identified during fludioxonil degradation by using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight Mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Fludioxonil degradation pathway was initiated by successive hydroxylation and carbonylation of the pyrrole moiety and disruption of the oxidized cyanopyrrole ring at the NH-C bond. The detection of 2,2-difluoro-2H-1,3-benzodioxole-4-carboxylic acid verified the decyanation and deamination of the molecule, whereas its conversion to the tentatively identified compound 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid indicated its defluorination. High-throughput amplicon sequencing revealed that HRT shortening led to reduced α-diversity, significant changes in the β-diversity, and a shift in the bacterial community composition from an initial activated sludge system typical community to a community composed of bacterial taxa like Clostridium, Oligotropha, Pseudomonas, and Terrimonas capable of performing advanced degradation and/or aerobic denitrification. Overall, the immobilized cell bioreactor operation under microaerophilic conditions, which minimizes the cost for aeration, can provide a sustainable solution for the depuration of fludioxonil-contaminated agro-industrial effluents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ζografina Mavriou
- Laboratory of Wastewater Management and Treatment Technologies, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67132, Xanthi, Greece
| | - Ioanna Alexandropoulou
- Laboratory of Wastewater Management and Treatment Technologies, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67132, Xanthi, Greece
| | - Paraschos Melidis
- Laboratory of Wastewater Management and Treatment Technologies, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67132, Xanthi, Greece
| | - Dimitrios G Karpouzas
- Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Viopolis, 41500, Larissa, Greece
| | - Spyridon Ntougias
- Laboratory of Wastewater Management and Treatment Technologies, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67132, Xanthi, Greece.
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15
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Determination of 15N/ 14N of Ammonium, Nitrite, Nitrate, Hydroxylamine, and Hydrazine Using Colorimetric Reagents and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0241621. [PMID: 35285242 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02416-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the nitrogen (N) cycle, nitrogenous compounds are chemically and biologically converted to various aqueous and gaseous N species. The 15N-labeling approach is a powerful culture-dependent technique to obtain insights into the complex nitrogen transformation reactions that occur in cultures. In the 15N-labeling approach, the fates of supplemented 15N- and/or unlabeled gaseous and aqueous compounds are tracked by mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, whereas MS analysis of aqueous N species requires laborious sample preparation steps and is performed using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry, which requires an expensive mass spectrometer. We developed a simple and high-throughput MS method for determining the 15N atoms percent of NH4+, NO2-, NO3-, NH2OH, and N2H4, where liquid samples (<0.5 mL) were mixed with colorimetric reagents (naphthylethylenediamine for NO2-, indophenol for NH4+, and p-aminobenzaldehyde for N2H4), and the mass spectra of the formed N complex dyes were obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS. NH2OH and NO3- were chemically converted to NO2- by iodine oxidation and copper/hydrazine reduction reaction, respectively, prior to the above colorimetric reaction. The intensity of the isotope peak (M + 1 or M + 2) increased when the N complex dye was formed by coupling with a 15N-labeled compound, and a linear relationship was found between the determined 15N/14N peak ratio and 15N atom% for the tested N species. The developed method was applied to bacterial cultures to examine their N-transformation reactions, enabling us to observe the occurrence of NO2- oxidation and NO3- reduction in a hypoxic Nitrobacter winogradskyi culture. IMPORTANCE 15N/14N analysis for aqueous N species is a powerful tool for obtaining insights into the global N cycle, but the procedure is cumbersome and laborious. The combined use of colorimetric reagents and MALDI-TOF MS, designated color MALDI-TOF MS, enabled us to determine the 15N atom% of common aqueous N species without laborious sample preparation and chromatographic separation steps; for instance, the 15N atom% of NO2- can be determined from >1,000 liquid samples daily at <$1 (U.S.) per 384 samples for routine analysis. This convenient MS method is a powerful tool that will advance our ability to explore the N-transformation reactions that occur in various environments and biological samples.
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16
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Manirakiza B, Sirotkin AC. Bioaugmentation of nitrifying bacteria in up-flow biological aerated filter's microbial community for wastewater treatment and analysis of its microbial community. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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17
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Friedrich KL, Souza ADR, Fia R, Leal CD, Araújo JCD, Siniscalchi LAB. Nitratation in pilot-scale bioreactors fed with effluent from a submerged biological aerated filter used in the treatment of dog wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 42:3852-3862. [PMID: 32167421 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1742796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitrification is a biochemical process that allows oxidation of ammonium ion to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate in a system. Aerobic processes, such as use of submerged biological aerated filter (SBAF), enable nitrification. However, some variables that are entirely unavailable or not available at the required concentration range may hamper the process. In this study, nitratation under high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations was evaluated in laboratory-scale bioreactors containing 10% inoculum (0.5 kg kg-1) fed with affluent from a SBAF that receive the sewage generated from washing the bays of a dog kennel. The following variables were monitored over time: ammoniacal nitrogen (12.44-29.62 mg L-1), nitrite (0.28-0.54 mg L-1), nitrate (1.75-3.55 mg L-1), pH (8.11 ± 0.62), temperature (21.61 ± 1.24°C) and DO (9.69 ± 0.36 mg L-1). Quantification of nitrifying bacteria by the multiple tube technique showed the value of 1.4 × 1012 MPN mL-1for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and 9.2 × 1014 MPN mL-1 for nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. These values were higher than those found in a synthetic medium, which can be explained by the greater availability of ammonium and nitrite in the effluent. By the extraction of genomic DNA, and PCR, with specific primers, the presence of the AmoA (Ammonia monooxygenase) gene for AOB and of the Nitrobacter was detected in the bioreactor samples. By PCR-DGGE, the sequenced bands showed high similarity with denitrifying bacteria, such as Pseudomonas, Limnobacter, Thauera, Rhodococcus, and Thiobacillus. Thus, the saturation of dissolved oxygen in the system resulted in improvement in the nitratation step and allowed detection of bacterial genera involved in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Lydia Friedrich
- Department of Water Resource and Sanitation, Universidade Federal Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Lavras, Brazil
| | - Aline Dos Reis Souza
- Department of Water Resource and Sanitation, Universidade Federal Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Lavras, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Fia
- Department of Water Resource and Sanitation, Universidade Federal Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Lavras, Brazil
| | - Cíntia Dutra Leal
- Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Juliana Calábria de Araújo
- Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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18
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Bueno RDF, Faria JK, Uliana DP, Liduino VS. Simultaneous removal of organic matter and nitrogen compounds from landfill leachate by aerobic granular sludge. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 42:3756-3770. [PMID: 32148171 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2020.1740798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the treatment of landfill leachate using the aerobic granular sludge process in a lab-scale sequential batch reactor (SBR-AGS). The leachate from a giant sanitary landfill localized in the State of São Paulo (Brazil) exhibited high concentration of organic matter (COD 5,300 ± 78 mg L-1) and total nitrogen (TKN 2,630 ± 355 mg L-1). Comparatively, the leachate was added to wastewater in three different volumetric ratios (5, 10 and 20%) and the mixtures were characterized over treatment. The results indicated that there were no significant changes in the behaviour of the biological process even at the highest leachate ratio. The granulation of the aerobic sludge occurred after 90 days of operation and the granules had a diameter of 485-1585 μm. SBR-AGS exhibited removal efficiency of 87-89% for organic matter and at least 98% for total nitrogen, regardless of the leachate ratio. The treated effluent that received 20% of leachate showed 2.7 mg L-1 ammonia and 1.1 mg L-1 nitrate. This study shows that SBR-AGS was able to form large granules, thus promoting a simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process. We highlighted that SND occurred in low dissolved oxygen concentrations (< 1.5 mg L-1) for 120 days, without compromising aerobic granule integrity. These results suggest that the aerobic granular sludge process is a promising alternative for the co-treatment of landfill leachate and domestic wastewater under tropical climate conditions and its use should be encouraged.
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19
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Téllez-Pérez SK, Wyffels S, KleinJan H, Meunier C, Gerards R. Advanced nitrogen removal from anaerobically pre-treated potato wastewater via partial nitritation-anammox in a continuous fed SBR. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 280:130716. [PMID: 33965866 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Partial nitritation-anammox was carried out successfully in a continuous fed Sequencing Batch Reactor (cf-SBR), composed of 3 compartments operated in continuous mode. The reactor was operated with floccular biomass (flocs) and biofilm to remove nitrogen from the anaerobic effluent from the potato industry at different nitrogen loading rates (0.16 g TN L-1 d-1 - 0.8 g TN L-1 d-1). At the maximum nitrogen loading rate (NLR) evaluated the nitrogen removal and ammonia oxidation achieved were 62% and 74% respectively. During the evaluation of the NLR, it was observed an improvement of the characteristics of the sludge, improving the Sludge Volumetric Index (SVI) from 228 to 63 mL g-1 MLSS. Moreover, molecular analysis (qPCR) confirmed the presence of anammox bacteria on the flocs and in the biofilm from the cf-SBR. The results showed the capability of the reactor to carry out the partial nitritation-anammox in the same reactor at pilot scale. The cf-SBR was presented as a suitable and feasible technology for advanced nitrogen removal under partial nitritation and anammox conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Téllez-Pérez
- Research and Development Department, Waterleau Group NV, Wespelaar, 3150, Belgium.
| | - S Wyffels
- Research and Development Department, Waterleau Group NV, Wespelaar, 3150, Belgium
| | - H KleinJan
- CEBEDEAU, Research and Expertise Center for Water, Allée de La Découverte, 11 (B53), Quartier Polytech 1, Liège, 4000, Belgium
| | - C Meunier
- CEBEDEAU, Research and Expertise Center for Water, Allée de La Découverte, 11 (B53), Quartier Polytech 1, Liège, 4000, Belgium
| | - R Gerards
- Research and Development Department, Waterleau Group NV, Wespelaar, 3150, Belgium
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20
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Different Engineering Designs Have Profoundly Different Impacts on the Microbiome and Nitrifying Bacterial Populations in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Bioreactors. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0104421. [PMID: 34232710 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01044-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous wastewater treatment processes are designed by engineers to achieve specific treatment goals. However, the impact of these different process designs on bacterial community composition is poorly understood. In this study, 24 different municipal wastewater treatment facilities (37 bioreactors) with various system designs were analyzed by sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. Although a core microbiome was observed in all of the bioreactors, the overall microbial community composition (analysis of molecular variance; P = 0.001) as well as that of a specific population of Nitrosomonas spp. (P = 0.04) was significantly different between A/O (anaerobic/aerobic) systems and conventional activated sludge (CAS) systems. Community α-diversity (number of observed operational taxonomic units [OTUs] and Shannon diversity index) was also significantly higher in A/O systems than in CAS systems (Wilcoxon; P < 2 × 10-16). In addition, wastewater bioreactors with short mean cell residence time (<2 days) had very low community α-diversity and fewer nitrifying bacteria compared to those of other system designs. Nitrospira spp. (0.71%) and Nitrotoga spp. (0.41%) were the most prominent nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB); because these two genera were rarely prominent at the same time, these populations appeared to be functionally redundant. Weak evidence (AOB:NOB « 2; substantial quantities of Nitrospira sublineage II) was also obtained suggesting that complete ammonia oxidation by a single organism was occurring in system designs known to impose stringent nutrient limitation. This research demonstrates that design decisions made by wastewater treatment engineers significantly affect the microbiome of wastewater treatment bioreactors. IMPORTANCE Municipal wastewater treatment facilities rely on the application of numerous "activated sludge" process designs to achieve site-specific treatment goals. A plethora of microbiome studies on municipal wastewater treatment bioreactors have been performed previously; however, the role of process design on the municipal wastewater treatment microbiome is poorly understood. In fact, wastewater treatment engineers have attempted to control the microbiome of wastewater bioreactors for decades without sufficient empirical evidence to support their design paradigms. Our research demonstrates that engineering decisions with respect to system design have a significant impact on the microbiome of wastewater treatment bioreactors.
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21
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Ronan E, Aqeel H, Wolfaardt GM, Liss SN. Recent advancements in the biological treatment of high strength ammonia wastewater. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:158. [PMID: 34420110 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-021-03124-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The estimated global population growth of 81 million people per year, combined with increased rates of urbanization and associated industrial processes, result in volumes of high strength ammonia wastewater that cannot be treated in a cost-effective or sustainable manner using the floc-based conventional activated sludge approach of nitrification and denitrification. Biofilm and aerobic granular sludge technologies have shown promise to significantly improve the performance of biological nitrogen removal systems treating high strength wastewater. This is partly due to enhanced biomass retention and their ability to sustain diverse microbial populations with juxtaposing growth requirements. Recent research has also demonstrated the value of hybrid systems with heterogeneous bioaggregates to mitigate biofilm and granule instability during long-term operation. In the context of high strength ammonia wastewater treatment, conventional nitrification-denitrification is hampered by high energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Anammox-based processes such as partial nitritation-anammox and partial denitrification-anammox represent more cost-effective and sustainable methods of removing reactive nitrogen from wastewater. There is also growing interest in the use of photosynthetic bacteria for ammonia recovery from high strength waste streams, such that nitrogen can be captured and concentrated in its reactive form and recycled into high value products. The purpose of this review is to explore recent advancements and emerging approaches related to high strength ammonia wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Ronan
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Hussain Aqeel
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.,School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Gideon M Wolfaardt
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Steven N Liss
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada. .,School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada. .,Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
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22
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Kim T, Hite M, Rogacki L, Sealock AW, Sprouse G, Novak PJ, LaPara TM. Dissolved oxygen concentrations affect the function but not the relative abundance of nitrifying bacterial populations in full-scale municipal wastewater treatment bioreactors during cold weather. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 781:146719. [PMID: 33812097 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to understand the effect of different dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations on the abundance and performance of nitrifying bacteria in full-scale wastewater treatment bioreactors, particularly during the winter when nitrifying bacterial activity is often negligible. Biomass samples were collected from three parallel full-scale bioreactors with low DO concentrations (<1.3 mg/ L) and from two full-scale bioreactors with higher DO concentrations (~4.0 and ~2.3 mg/ L). The relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria was determined by sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. In the three bioreactors with low DO concentrations, effluent ammonia concentrations sharply increased with a decline in temperature below approximately 17 °C, while the bioreactors with high DO concentrations showed stable nitrification regardless of temperature. Even with the decline in nitrification during the winter in the three low DO bioreactors, the relative abundance of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (mostly Nitrosomonas spp.) was curiously maintained. The relative abundance of nitrite oxidizing bacteria was similarly maintained, although there were substantial seasonal fluctuations in the relative abundance values of Nitrospira spp. versus Nitrotoga spp. This research suggests that nitrification activity can be controlled during the winter via DO to produce better effluent quality with high DO concentrations or to reduce aeration costs with a concomitant decline in nitrification activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taegyu Kim
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 500 Pillsbury Drive S.E., Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Molly Hite
- Water Resources Science Graduate Program, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 173 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Larry Rogacki
- Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 2400 Childs Road, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Adam W Sealock
- Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 2400 Childs Road, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - George Sprouse
- Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 2400 Childs Road, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Paige J Novak
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 500 Pillsbury Drive S.E., Minneapolis, MN, USA; Water Resources Science Graduate Program, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 173 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN, USA; Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Timothy M LaPara
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 500 Pillsbury Drive S.E., Minneapolis, MN, USA; Water Resources Science Graduate Program, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 173 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN, USA; Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, USA.
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23
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Burut-Archanai S, Ubertino D, Chumtong P, Mhuantong W, Powtongsook S, Piyapattanakorn S. Dynamics of Microbial Community During Nitrification Biofilter Acclimation with Low and High Ammonia. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 23:671-681. [PMID: 34414527 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-021-10056-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The acclimation of a nitrifying biofilter is a crucial and time-consuming task for setting up a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of the microbial community during the acclimation period in the system could be useful for the development of mature nitrifying biofilters. In this study, high-throughput DNA sequencing was applied to monitor the microbial communities on a biofilter during the acclimation period (7 weeks) in high (100 mg N/L) and low (5 mg N/L) total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) treatments. Both treatments were successful for developing a mature nitrifying biofilter, dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Nitrospirae. Complete nitrification was found after 7 days of biofilter acclimation as indicated by decreasing TAN concentration, increasing nitrate concentration, and high abundances of the nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomonadaceae and Nitrospiraceae. The beta diversity analysis of microbial communities showed different clustering of the samples between high and low TAN treatment groups. A greater abundance of nitrifying bacteria was found in the high TAN treatments (27-51%) than in the low TAN treatment (15-29%). The bacterial diversity in biofilters acclimated at high TAN concentration (Shannon's index 5.40-6.15) were lower than those found at low TAN treatment levels (Shannon's index 6.40-7.01). The higher diversity in biofilters acclimated at low TAN concentrations, consisting of Planctomycetes and Archaea, might benefit the nutrient recycling in the system. Although nitrification activity was observed from the first week of the acclimation period, the acclimation period should be taken as at least 6 weeks for full development of nitrifying biofilm. Moreover, the reduction of potentially pathogenic Vibrio on biofilters was found at that period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surachet Burut-Archanai
- Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Marine Biotechnology Research Team, Integrative Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Déborah Ubertino
- University of Clermont Auvergne, 49 bd Francois Mitterrand, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Parichat Chumtong
- Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Marine Biotechnology Research Team, Integrative Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Wuttichai Mhuantong
- Enzyme Technology Research Team, Biorefinery and Bioproduct Technology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, 12120, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sorawit Powtongsook
- Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Marine Biotechnology Research Team, Integrative Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Sanit Piyapattanakorn
- Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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24
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Lima P, Inacio A, Moreira Y, César D, Dias R, Dezotti M, Bassin J. Upgrade of a suspended biomass reactor with limited nitrification to a biofilm system: Addressing critical parameters and performance in different reactor configurations. Biochem Eng J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.107987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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25
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Kleerebezem R, Lücker S. Cyclic Conversions in the Nitrogen Cycle. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:622504. [PMID: 33859625 PMCID: PMC8043111 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.622504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclic nature of specific conversions in the nitrogen cycle imposes strict limitations to the conversions observed in nature and explains for example why anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria can only use nitrite – and not nitrate – as electron acceptor in catabolism, and why nitrite is required as additional electron donor for inorganic carbon fixation in anabolism. Furthermore, the biochemistry involved in nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation excludes the feasibility of using nitrate as electron acceptor. Based on the cyclic nature of these nitrogen conversions, we propose two scenarios that may explain the ecological role of recently discovered complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira spp., some of which were initially found in a strongly oxygen limited environment: (i) comammox Nitrospira spp. may actually catalyze an anammox-like metabolism using a biochemistry similar to intra-oxic nitrite-dependent methane oxidation, or (ii) scavenge all available oxygen for ammonia activation and use nitrate as terminal electron acceptor. Both scenarios require the presence of the biochemical machinery for ammonia oxidation to nitrate, potentially explaining a specific ecological niche for the occurrence of comammox bacteria in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbert Kleerebezem
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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26
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Park Y, Yu J, Nguyen VK, Park S, Kim J, Lee T. Understanding complete ammonium removal mechanism in single-chamber microbial fuel cells based on microbial ecology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:144231. [PMID: 33385649 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The removal of organics and ammonium from domestic wastewater was successfully achieved by a flat-panel air-cathode microbial fuel cell (FA-MFC). To elucidate the reason for complete ammonium removal in the single-chamber MFCs, microbial communities were analyzed in biofilms on the surface of each anode, separator, and cathode of separator-electrode assemblies (SEAs). The spatial distribution of bacterial families related to the nitrogen cycle varied based on local conditions. Since oxygen diffusing from the air-cathode created a locally aerobic condition, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonadacea and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) Nitrospiraceae were present near the cathode. NOB (~12.1%) was more abundant than AOB (~4.4%), suggesting that the nitrate produced by NOB may be reduced back to nitrite by heterotrophic denitrifiers such as Rhodocyclaceae (~21.7%) and Comamonadaceae (~5%) in the anoxic zone close to the NOB layer. Near that zone, the "nitrite loop" also substantially enriched two nitrite-reducing bacterial families: Ignavibacteriaceae (~18.1%), facultative heterotrophs, and Brocadiaceae (~11.2%), anaerobic ammonium oxidizing autotrophs. A larger inner area of biofilm contained abundant heterotrophic denitrifiers and fermentation bacteria. These results indicate that the large-surface SEA of FA-MFC allows counter-diffusion between substrates and oxygen, resulting in interactions of bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle for complete ammonium removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younghyun Park
- Korea Testing & Research Institute, Ulsan 44412, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaecheul Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Van Khanh Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonghwan Park
- Future Environmental Research Center, Gyeongnam Department of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Jinju 52834, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongmi Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeho Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
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27
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Yu J, Widyaningsih E, Park Y, Lee T. Nitrogen removal and microbial community diversity in single-chamber electroactive biofilm reactors with different ratios of the cathode surface area to reactor volume. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143677. [PMID: 33288255 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Removal of nitrogen compounds is particularly important domestic wastewater treatment. Our recent study reported the successful removal of nitrogen in single-chamber electroactive biofilm reactors (EBRs) under aeration-free conditions. We hypothesized that the oxygen diffused from the air-cathode is a key factor in the removal of nitrogen in the EBR. If so, the effect of the penetrated oxygen would vary according to the ratio of the air-cathode surface area to the reactor volume (AV ratio) and the hydraulic retention time (HRT). In this study, single-chamber EBRs with three different AV ratios: 125 m2/m3 (EBR-125), 250 m2/m3 (EBR-250), and 500 m2/m3 (EBR-500) were evaluated for the removal of nitrogen under different HRTs of 0.5-6 h. The higher the AV ratio, the greater the increase in nitrification. The total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of EBR-125 and EBR-250 decreased as the HRT decreased, while that of EBR-500 increased. EBR-250 showed the highest TN removal (62.0%) with well-balanced nitrification (83.9%) and denitrification (75.1%) at an HRT of 6 h. However, EBR-500 appeared to be superior for practical application because it showed a comparable TN removal (59%) at a substantially short HRT of 1 h. The microbial communities that were involved in the nitrogen cycle varied according to whether the biofilms were located on the anodes, separators, and cathodes but were similar among EBRs with different AV ratios. Nitrifying bacteria were detected in the biofilms that were presented on the cathodes (approximately 7.8% of the total phylotypes), while denitrifying bacteria were mainly found in biofilm that were located on the anodes (approximately 23.3%). Anammox bacteria were also detected on the anode (approximately 3.7%) and in the separator biofilms (approximately 1.9%) of all the EBRs. These results suggest that both the A/V ratio and the HRT could affect the counter diffusion of substrates (NH4+ and organic compounds) and oxygen in the biofilms and allow interactions between a diversity of microorganisms for the successful removal of nitrogen in EBRs. These findings are expected to aid in the development of new applications using EBR for energy-saving wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaecheul Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Evy Widyaningsih
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghyun Park
- Korea Testing & Research Institute, Ulsan 44412, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeho Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Xiao R, Ni BJ, Liu S, Lu H. Impacts of organics on the microbial ecology of wastewater anammox processes: Recent advances and meta-analysis. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 191:116817. [PMID: 33461083 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) represents a promising technology for wastewater nitrogen removal. Organics management is critical to achieving efficient and stable performance of anammox or integrated processes, e.g., denitratation-anammox. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the state-of-the-art knowledge on the multifaceted impacts of organics on wastewater anammox community structure and function. Both exogenous and endogenous organics are discussed with respect to their effects on the biofilm/granule structure and function, as well as the interactions between anammox bacteria (AnAOB) and a broad range of coexisting functional groups. A global core community consisting of 19 taxa is identified and a co-occurrence network is constructed by meta-analysis on the 16S rDNA sequences of 149 wastewater anammox samples. Correlations between core taxa, keystone taxa, and environmental factors, including COD, nitrogen loading rate (NLR) and C/N ratio are obtained. This review provides a holistic understanding of the microbial responses to different origins and types of organics in wastewater anammox reactors, which will facilitate the design and operation of more efficient anammox-based wastewater nitrogen removal process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Environmental Safety, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Sitong Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huijie Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Environmental Safety, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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29
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Thwaites BJ, Stuetz R, Short M, Reeve P, Alvarez-Gaitan JP, Dinesh N, Philips R, van den Akker B. Analysis of nitrous oxide emissions from aerobic granular sludge treating high saline municipal wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 756:143653. [PMID: 33310220 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conventional activated sludge (CAS)-based wastewater treatment processes have the potential to emit high concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O) during nitrification and denitrification, which can significantly impact the environmental performance and carbon footprint of wastewater treatment operations. While N2O emissions from CAS have been extensively studied, there is little knowledge of N2O emissions from aerobic granular sludge (AGS) which is now an increasingly popular secondary treatment alternative. The N2O emissions performance of AGS needs to be investigated to ensure that the positive benefits of AGS, such as increased capacity and stable nutrient removal, are not offset by higher emissions. This study quantified N2O emissions from a pilot-scale AGS reactor operated under a range of organic loading rates. A second CAS pilot plant was operated in parallel and under identical loading rates to allow for side-by-side comparison of N2O emissions from floc-based activated sludge. Under low loadings of <0.6 kg COD/m3/d the N2O emission factor from AGS and CAS were similar, at around 1.46 ± 0.1% g N2Oemitted/g ammonium loaded. A step increase in the organic loading rate increased N2O emissions from AGS more so than CAS which appeared to be attributed to the reactor feeding strategy that was required for AGS formation. The use of a separate anaerobic feeding phase which was followed by the aeration phase, resulted in extended periods of low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations combined with an initial high biomass ammonium loading rate, which favours N2O production and was exacerbated at higher organic loads. Conversely, the combined feeding plus aeration operation (aerobic feed) employed by the CAS system enabled a more even biomass ammonium loading rate and DO supply. This work has shown that while AGS has many operational benefits, the impacts that aeration profile, loading rate and feeding strategy have on N2O emissions must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Thwaites
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Richard Stuetz
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Short
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095, South Australia, Australia
| | - Petra Reeve
- South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Juan-Pablo Alvarez-Gaitan
- UNSW Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nirmala Dinesh
- South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Renae Philips
- South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ben van den Akker
- South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia; Health and Environment Group, School of the Environment, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, South Australia, Australia; School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095, South Australia, Australia
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30
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Agrawal S, Weissbrodt DG, Annavajhala M, Jensen MM, Arroyo JMC, Wells G, Chandran K, Vlaeminck SE, Terada A, Smets BF, Lackner S. Time to act-assessing variations in qPCR analyses in biological nitrogen removal with examples from partial nitritation/anammox systems. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 190:116604. [PMID: 33279744 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is broadly used as the gold standard to quantify microbial community fractions in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Benchmarking efforts to ensure the comparability of qPCR data for environmental bioprocesses are still scarce. Also, for partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) systems systematic investigations are still missing, rendering meta-analysis of reported trends and generic insights potentially precarious. We report a baseline investigation of the variability of qPCR-based analyses for microbial communities applied to PN/A systems. Round-robin testing was performed for three PN/A biomass samples in six laboratories, using the respective in-house DNA extraction and qPCR protocols. The concentration of extracted DNA was significantly different between labs, ranged between 2.7 and 328 ng mg-1 wet biomass. The variability among the qPCR abundance data of different labs was very high (1-7 log fold) but differed for different target microbial guilds. DNA extraction caused maximum variation (3-7 log fold), followed by the primers (1-3 log fold). These insights will guide environmental scientists and engineers as well as treatment plant operators in the interpretation of qPCR data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelesh Agrawal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences, Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Engineering, Technical University of Darmstadt, Franziska-Braun-Straße 7, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - David G Weissbrodt
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Medini Annavajhala
- Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Marlene Mark Jensen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Microbial Ecology & Technology Laboratory, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningtorvet, Bldg 115, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - George Wells
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Kartik Chandran
- Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Siegfried E Vlaeminck
- Department of Bioscience Engineering, Research Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Akihiko Terada
- Institute of Global Innovation Research and Department of Chemical Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Microbial Ecology & Technology Laboratory, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningtorvet, Bldg 115, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Susanne Lackner
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences, Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Engineering, Technical University of Darmstadt, Franziska-Braun-Straße 7, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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31
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Zheng M, Wang Z, Meng J, Hu Z, Liu Y, Yuan Z, Hu S. Inactivation kinetics of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria by free nitrous acid. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 752:141876. [PMID: 32889285 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that free nitrous acid (FNA, i.e., HNO2) is biocidal to many microorganisms, promoting the development of FNA-based technology in biological wastewater treatment. Suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) is a critical step for autotrophic nitrogen removal via anammox. In this study, the biocidal effect of FNA on NOB was determined by developing a model methodology combined with NOB incubation. Sixteen groups of FNA exposure tests were conducted at five different FNA concentrations from 0 to 4 mg HNO2-N/L, obtained from three pH values (5.0, 5.5 and 6.0) with nitrite ranged from 21 to 1680 mg NO2--N/L, with one as a control. Nitrate production curves were tracked during incubations of the FNA-exposed sludge, and then used to estimate active NOB concentrations by the kinetic model-based fitting. The results showed that with 24-hour exposure to FNA at a level of over 1 mg HNO2-N/L, the active NOB decreased around two orders of magnitude compared with that in the primordial sludge. The Weibull model can well describe the biocidal effect, which would be useful for the optimization of FNA conditions. The maximum NOB growth rate was increased after FNA exposure. This result suggests that long-term implementation of FNA-based technology can select fast-growing NOB in activated sludge, causing a 'NOB adaptation' issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zheng
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiyao Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jia Meng
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Road, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Zhetai Hu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yanchen Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shihu Hu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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32
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Nguyen Quoc B, Wei S, Armenta M, Bucher R, Sukapanpotharam P, Stahl DA, Stensel HD, Winkler MKH. Aerobic granular sludge: Impact of size distribution on nitrification capacity. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 188:116445. [PMID: 33039834 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between ammonia oxidation rate, nitrifiers population, and modelled aerobic zone volume in different granule sizes was investigated using aerobic granular sludge from a pilot-scale reactor. The pilot was fed with centrate and secondary effluent amended with acetate as the main carbon source. The maximum specific ammonia oxidation rates and community composition of different aerobic granular sludge size fractions were evaluated by batch tests, quantitative PCR, and genomic analysis. Small (331µm) granules had a 4.72 ± 0.09 times higher maximum specific ammonia oxidizing rate per 1 gVSS, and a 4.05 ± 0.17 times higher specific amoA gene copy number than large (2225µm) granules per 1 gram of wet biomass. However, when related to surface area, small granules had 1.43 ± 0.01 times lower maximum specific ammonia oxidation rate and a 1.66 ± 0.04 times lower specific amoA gene copy number per unit surface than large granules. Experimental results aligned with modeling results in which smaller granules had a higher specific aerobic zone volume to biomass and lower specific aerobic zone volume to surface area. Aerobic granular sludge reactors having the same average diameter of granules may have very different proportions of granule size fractions and hence possess different nitrification rates. Therefore, instead of the commonly reported average granule diameter, a new method was proposed to determine the aerobic volume density per sample, which correlated well with the nitrification rate. This work provides a roadmap to control nitrification capacity by two methods: (a) crushing larger granules into smaller fractions, or (b) increasing the mixed liquor suspended solid concentration to increase the total aerobic zone volume of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Stephany Wei
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Maxwell Armenta
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Robert Bucher
- Resource Recovery, Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, WA, USA.
| | - Pardi Sukapanpotharam
- Resource Recovery, Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, WA, USA.
| | - David A Stahl
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - H David Stensel
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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33
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Dos Reis Souza A, Batista AMM, Leal CD, Fia R, de Araújo JC, Siniscalchi LAB. Evaluation of nitrogen removal and the microbial community in a submerged aerated biological filter (SABF), secondary decanters (SD), and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF-CW) for the treatment of kennel effluent. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:43125-43137. [PMID: 32729043 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10263-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To ensure microbial activity and a reaction equilibrium with efficiency and energy saving, it is important to know the factors that influence microbiological nitrogen removal in wastewater. Thus, it was investigated the microorganisms and their products involved in the treatment of kennel effluents operated with different aeration times, phase 1 (7 h of continuous daily aeration), phase 2 (5 h of continuous daily aeration), and phase 3 (intermittent aeration every 2 h), monitoring chemical and physical parameters weekly, monthly microbiological, and qualitative and quantitative microbiological analyzes at the end of each applied aeration phase. The results showed a higher mean growth of nitrifying bacteria (NB) (106) and denitrifying bacteria (DB) (1022) in phase with intermittent aeration, in which better total nitrogen (TN) removal performance, with 33%, was achieved, against 21% in phase 1 and 17% in phase 2, due to the longer aeration time and lower carbon/nitrogen ratio (15.7), compared with the other phases. The presence of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), the genus Nitrobacter nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and DB were detected by PCR with specific primers at all phases. The analysis performed by 16S-rRNA DGGE revealed the genres Thauera at all phases; Betaproteobacteria and Acidovorax in phase 3; Azoarcus in phases 2 and 3; Clostridium, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Turicibacter, Rhodopseudomonas, and Saccharibacteria in phase 1, which are related to the nitrogen removal, most of them by denitrifying. It is concluded that, with the characterization of the microbial community and the analysis of nitrogen compounds, it was determined, consistently, that the studied treatment system has microbiological capacity to remove TN, with the phase 3 aeration strategy, by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). Due to the high density of DB, most of the nitrification occurred by heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic. And denitrification occurred by heterotrophic and autotrophic forms, since the higher rate of oxygen application did not harm the DB. Therefore, the aeration and carbon conditions in phase 3 favored the activity of the microorganisms involved in these different routes. It is considered that, in order to increase autotrophic nitrification-aerobic, it is necessary to exhaust the volume of sludge in the secondary settlers (SD), further reducing the carbon/nitrogen ratio, through more frequent cleaning, whose periodicity should be the object of further studies. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Dos Reis Souza
- Department of Water Resource and Sanitation, Federal University Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Moreira Batista
- State University of Minas Gerais, João Monlevade Unit, Brasília Avenue, 1304 - Bau, João Monlevade, Minas Gerais, 35930-314, Brazil
| | - Cíntia Dutra Leal
- Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-90, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Fia
- Department of Water Resource and Sanitation, Federal University Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Juliana Calábria de Araújo
- Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Antônio Carlos Avenue, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-90, Brazil
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34
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Faria JK, Conceição ACS, Kohatsu MY, Okamoto AB, Coelho LH, Subtil EL, de Freitas Bueno R. Effect of Amoxicillin on Nitrogen Oxidation Bacteria Present in Activated Sludge: Respirometry Investigation. Curr Microbiol 2020; 78:167-178. [PMID: 33247309 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02287-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Amoxicillin (AMX) is one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world and its presence in wastewater is of great concern for its potential to bacteria selection. However, there is still a gap about the toxicity effect of AMX in nitrifier biomass from activated sludge (AS). This study is based on the implementation of respirometric tests in batches in order to evaluate the toxic effluent toxicity in the nitrification process of AS. The tests were conducted by comparing respiration rates with effluent containing ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) called "reference" and batches containing toxic effluent doped with different concentrations of AMX here called "process." Results with effluent containing concentrations greater than 100 mg L-1 showed that AMX negatively affected the specific growth rate (μm) of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) (from 0.50 d-1 to 0.13 d-1) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) (from 0.64 d-1 to 0.15 d-1). Although there is no total inhibition of populations, these μm values are limiting for a feasible development of the nitrification process in AS systems. The removal of AMX decreased from 99 to 37% (liquid phase) when the concentration of AMX increased (20 mg L-1 to 200 mg L-1). A decrease in the microbial community AOB and NOB was observed through fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), corroborating the results of respirometry. In summary, the study showed that the inhibition of the AS nitrification process occurs in the presence of high concentrations of AMX and the most susceptible group are the NOB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Kersul Faria
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Santana Conceição
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Márcio Yukihiro Kohatsu
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Borges Okamoto
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Lúcia Helena Coelho
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Lucas Subtil
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo de Freitas Bueno
- Central of Engineering, Modeling and Applied Social Sciences, Federal University of ABC, Av. dos Estados, 5.001, Santo André - SP, 09210-580, Brazil.
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Rui M, Chen H, Ye Y, Deng H, Wang H. Effect of Flow Configuration on Nitrifiers in Biological Activated Carbon Filters for Potable Water Production. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:14646-14655. [PMID: 33118354 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Up-flow biological activated carbon (BAC) filters have been empirically employed in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) to address the challenges of its down-flow counterparts (e.g., high head loss and insufficient use of BAC beds), yet their performances and mechanisms toward ammonia removal are not fully evaluated. This study characterized the occurrence, distribution, and diversities of nitrifiers in up-flow and down-flow BAC filters by investigating 18 full-scale drinking water treatment trains in different geographic locations. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of gene markers of target microorganisms demonstrated higher numbers of total bacteria, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and Nitrospira in the up-flow filters relative to the down-flow filters (P < 0.05), implying enhanced biological activities and nitrification potential within up-flow filters. The dominance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) over AOB (i.e., 1.3-4.0 log10 gene copies higher) in 17 BAC filters illustrated the critical role of AOA in drinking water nitrification. Stratification of biomass was mainly found in the down-flow filters rather than the up-flow filters, suggesting better mixing of filter media across up-flow filter beds. Analysis of similarity results revealed that the AOA and Nitrospira community compositions were mainly affected by water sources and locations (P < 0.05) but not flow configurations. These results provide insight into nitrification mechanisms in BAC filters with different flow configurations in real-world DWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Rui
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Haoshen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yinyin Ye
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Huiping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
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Barrios-Hernández ML, Buenaño-Vargas C, García H, Brdjanovic D, van Loosdrecht MCM, Hooijmans CM. Effect of the co-treatment of synthetic faecal sludge and wastewater in an aerobic granular sludge system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 741:140480. [PMID: 32886969 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The co-treatment of two synthetic faecal sludges (FS-1 and FS-2) with municipal synthetic wastewater (WW) was evaluated in an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) reactor. After characterisation, FS-1 showed the following concentrations, representative for medium-strength FS: 12,180 mg TSS L-1, 24,300 mg total COD L-1, 93.8 mg PO3-P L-1, and 325 mg NH4-N L-1. The NO3-N concentration was relatively high (300 mg L-1). For FS-2, the main difference with FS-1 was a lower nitrate concentration (18 mg L-1). The recipes were added consecutively, together with the WW, to an AGS reactor. In the case of FS-1, the system was fed with 7.2 kg total COD m-3d-1 and 0.5 kg Nitrogen m-3d-1. Undesired denitrification occurred during feeding and settling resulting in floating sludge and wash-out. In the case of FS-2, the system was fed with 8.0 kg total COD m-3d-1 and 0.3 kg Nitrogen m-3d-1. The lower NO3-N concentration in FS-2 resulted in less floating sludge, a more stabilised granular bed and better effluent concentrations. To enhance the hydrolysis of the slowly biodegradable particulates from the synthetic FS, an anaerobic stand-by period was added and the aeration period was increased. Overall, when compared to a control AGS reactor, a lower COD consumption (from 87 to 35 mg g-1 VSS h-1), P-uptake rates (from 6.0 to 2.0 mg P g VSS-1 h-1) and NH4-N removal (from 2.5 to 1.4 mg NH4-N g VSS-1 h-1) were registered after introducing the synthetic FS. Approximately 40% of the granular bed became flocculent at the end of the study, and a reduction of the granular size accompanied by higher solids accumulation in the reactor was observed. A considerable protozoa Vorticella spp. bloom attached to the granules and the accumulated particles occurred; potentially contributing to the removal of the suspended solids which were part of the FS recipe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Luz Barrios-Hernández
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands; Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Ingeniería Ambiental, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 159-7050, Costa Rica.
| | - Claribel Buenaño-Vargas
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Hector García
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Damir Brdjanovic
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands; Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Mark C M van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Christine M Hooijmans
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands
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Lukumbuzya M, Kristensen JM, Kitzinger K, Pommerening-Röser A, Nielsen PH, Wagner M, Daims H, Pjevac P. A refined set of rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for in situ detection and quantification of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 186:116372. [PMID: 32916620 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) of the betaproteobacterial genera Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira are key nitrifying microorganisms in many natural and engineered ecosystems. Since many AOB remain uncultured, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes has been one of the most widely used approaches to study the community composition, abundance, and other features of AOB directly in environmental samples. However, the established and widely used AOB-specific 16S rRNA-targeted FISH probes were designed up to two decades ago, based on much smaller rRNA gene sequence datasets than available today. Several of these probes cover their target AOB lineages incompletely and suffer from a weak target specificity, which causes cross-hybridization of probes that should detect different AOB lineages. Here, a set of new highly specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was developed and experimentally evaluated that complements the existing probes and enables the specific detection and differentiation of the known, major phylogenetic clusters of betaproteobacterial AOB. The new probes were successfully applied to visualize and quantify AOB in activated sludge and biofilm samples from seven pilot- and full-scale wastewater treatment systems. Based on its improved target group coverage and specificity, the refined probe set will facilitate future in situ analyses of AOB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lukumbuzya
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jannie Munk Kristensen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Pommerening-Röser
- University of Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Per Halkjær Nielsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Wagner
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger Daims
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Petra Pjevac
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Aqeel H, Liss SN. Autotrophic Fixed-Film Systems Treating High Strength Ammonia Wastewater. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:551925. [PMID: 33013783 PMCID: PMC7506033 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.551925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was enrichment of nitrifying bacteria and to investigate the potential of autotrophic fixed-film and hybrid bioreactors to treat high strength ammonia wastewater (up to 1,000 mg N/L). Two types of fixed-film systems [moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and BioCordTM] in two different configurations [sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR)] were operated for 306 days. The laboratory-scale bioreactors were seeded with activated sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and fed synthetic wastewater with no organics. Strategies for acclimation included biomass reseeding (during bioreactor start-up), and gradual increase in the influent ammonia concentration [from 130 to 1,000 mg N/L (10% every 5 days)]. Stable ammonia removal was observed up to 750 mg N/L from 45 to 145 days in the MBBR SBR (94-100%) and CSTR (72-100%), and BioCordTM SBR (96-100%) and CSTR (92-100%). Ammonia removal declined to 87% ± 6, in all bioreactors treating 1,000 mg N/L (on day 185). Following long-term operation at 1,000 mg N/L (on day 306), ammonia removal was 93-94% in both the MBBR SBR and BioCordTM CSTR; whereas, ammonia removal was relatively lower in MBBR CSTR (20-35%) and BioCordTM SBR (45-54%). Acclimation to increasing concentrations of ammonia led to the enrichment of nitrifying (Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, and Nitrobacter) and denitrifying (Comamonas, OLB8, and Rhodanobacter) bacteria [16S rRNA gene sequencing (Illumina)] in all bioreactors. In the hybrid bioreactor, the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were relatively more abundant in flocs and biofilms, respectively. The presence of dead cells (in biofilms) suggests that in the absence of an organic substrate, endogenous decay is a likely contributor of nutrients for denitrifying bacteria. The nitrite accumulation and abundance of denitrifying bacteria indicate partial denitrification in fixed-film bioreactors operated under limited carbon conditions. Further studies are required to assess the contribution of organic material produced in autotrophic biofilms (by endogenous decay and soluble microbial products) to the overall treatment process. Furthermore, the possibility of sustaining autotrophic nitrogen in high strength waste-streams in the presence of organic substrates warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain Aqeel
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Steven N Liss
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Hu J, Zhao Y, Yang W, Wang J, Liu H, Zheng P, Hu B. Surface ammonium loading rate shifts ammonia-oxidizing communities in surface water-fed rapid sand filters. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5899051. [PMID: 32860687 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrification is important in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) for ammonia removal and is widely considered as a stepwise process mediated by ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms. The recent discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) has challenged the long-held assumption that the division of metabolic labor in nitrification is obligate. However, little is known about the role of comammox Nitrospira in DWTPs. Here, we explored the relative importance of comammox Nitrospira, canonical ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in 12 surface water-fed rapid sand filters (RSFs). Quantitative PCR results showed that all the three ammonia-oxidizing guilds had the potential to dominate nitrification in DWTPs. Spearman's correlation and redundancy analysis revealed that the surface ammonium loading rate (SLR) was the key environmental factor influencing ammonia-oxidizing communities. Comammox Nitrospira were likely to dominate the nitrification under a higher SLR. PCR and phylogenetic analysis indicated that most comammox Nitrospira belonged to clade A, with clade B comammox Nitrospira almost absent. This work reveals obvious differences in ammonia-oxidizing communities between surface water-fed and groundwater-fed RSFs. The presence of comammox Nitrospira can support the stability of drinking water production systems under high SLR and warrants further investigation of their impact on drinking water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Hu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuxiang Zhao
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiling Yang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Baolan Hu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Environmental Safety, Hangzhou, China
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Jiang R, Wang JG, Zhu T, Zou B, Wang DQ, Rhee SK, An D, Ji ZY, Quan ZX. Use of Newly Designed Primers for Quantification of Complete Ammonia-Oxidizing (Comammox) Bacterial Clades and Strict Nitrite Oxidizers in the Genus Nitrospira. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e01775-20. [PMID: 32826214 PMCID: PMC7531962 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01775-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) bacteria play key roles in environmental nitrogen cycling and all belong to the genus Nitrospira, which was originally believed to include only strict nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (sNOB). Thus, differential estimation of sNOB abundance from that of comammox Nitrospira has become problematic, since both contain nitrite oxidoreductase genes that serve as common targets for sNOB detection. Herein, we developed novel comammox Nitrospira clade A- and B-specific primer sets targeting the α-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) and a sNOB-specific primer set targeting the cyanase gene (cynS) for quantitative PCR (qPCR). The high coverage and specificity of these primers were checked by use of metagenome and metatranscriptome data sets. Efficient and specific amplification with these primers was demonstrated using various environmental samples. Using the newly designed primers, we successfully estimated the abundances of comammox Nitrospira and sNOB in samples from two chloramination-treated drinking water systems and found that, in most samples, comammox Nitrospira clade A was the dominant type of Nitrospira and also served as the primary ammonia oxidizer. Compared with other ammonia oxidizers, comammox Nitrospira had a higher abundance in process water samples in these two drinking water systems. We also demonstrated that sNOB can be readily misrepresented by an earlier method, calculated by subtracting the comammox Nitrospira abundance from the total Nitrospira abundance, especially when the comammox Nitrospira proportion is relatively high. The new primer sets were successfully applied to comammox Nitrospira and sNOB quantification, which may prove useful in understanding the roles of Nitrospira in nitrification in various ecosystems.IMPORTANCENitrospira is a dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacterium in many artificial and natural environments. The discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers in the genus Nitrospira prevents the use of previously identified primers targeting the Nitrospira 16S rRNA gene or nitrite oxidoreductase (nxr) gene for differential determination of strict nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (sNOB) in the genus Nitrospira and among comammox bacteria in this genus. We designed three novel primer sets that enabled quantification of comammox Nitrospira clades A and B and sNOB with high coverage, specificity, and accuracy in various environments. With the designed primer sets, sNOB and comammox Nitrospira were differentially estimated in drinking water systems, and we found that comammox clade A predominated over sNOB and other ammonia oxidizers in process water samples. Accurate quantification of comammox Nitrospira and sNOB by use of the newly designed primers will provide essential information for evaluating the contribution of Nitrospira to nitrification in various ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Gong Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Zou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan-Qi Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sung-Keun Rhee
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong An
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Yuan Ji
- Hangzhou Water Holding Group Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhe-Xue Quan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Seuntjens D, Carvajal Arroyo JM, Van Tendeloo M, Chatzigiannidou I, Molina J, Nop S, Boon N, Vlaeminck SE. Mainstream partial nitritation/anammox with integrated fixed-film activated sludge: Combined aeration and floc retention time control strategies limit nitrate production. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 314:123711. [PMID: 32622275 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of mainstream partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) can lead to more sustainable and cost-effective sewage treatment. For mainstream PN/A reactor, an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) was operated (26 °C). The effects of floccular aerobic sludge retention time (AerSRTfloc), a novel aeration strategy, and N-loading rate were tested to optimize the operational strategy. The best performance was observed with a low, but sufficient AerSRTfloc (~7d) and continuous aeration with two alternating dissolved oxygen setpoints: 10 min at 0.07-0.13 mg O2 L-1 and 5 min at 0.27-0.43 mg O2 L-1. Nitrogen removal rates were 122 ± 23 mg N L-1 d-1, and removal efficiencies 73 ± 13%. These conditions enabled flocs to act as nitrite sources while the carriers were nitrite sinks, with low abundance of nitrite oxidizing bacteria. The operational strategies in the source-sink framework can serve as a guideline for successful operation of mainstream PN/A reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries Seuntjens
- CMET - Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Jose M Carvajal Arroyo
- CMET - Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Michiel Van Tendeloo
- Research Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ioanna Chatzigiannidou
- CMET - Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Janet Molina
- CMET - Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Samnang Nop
- Imec, ELIS - IDLab, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Nico Boon
- CMET - Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Siegfried E Vlaeminck
- Research Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium.
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Abstract
Biological wastewater conversion processes collectively constitute one of the single biggest worldwide applications of microbial communities. There is an obvious requirement, therefore, to study the microbial systems central to the success of such technologies. Methanogenic granules, in particular, are architecturally fascinating biofilms that facilitate highly organized cooperation within the metabolic network of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process and, thus, are especially intriguing model systems for microbial ecology. This study, in a way not previously reported, provoked syntrophic and methanogenic activity and the structure of the microbial community, using specific substrates targeting the key trophic groups in AD. Unexpectedly, granule size more strongly than substrate shaped the active portion of the microbial community. Importantly, the findings suggest the size, or age, of granules inherently shapes the active microbiome linked to a life cycle. This provides exciting insights into the function of, and the potential for additional modeling of biofilm development in, methanogenic granules. Methanogenic archaea are key players in cycling organic matter in nature but also in engineered waste treatment systems, where they generate methane, which can be used as a renewable energy source. In such systems in the built environment, complex methanogenic consortia are known to aggregate into highly organized, spherical granular biofilms comprising the interdependent microbial trophic groups mediating the successive stages of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. This study separated methanogenic granules into a range of discrete size fractions, hypothesizing different biofilm growth stages, and separately supplied each with specific substrates to stimulate the activity of key AD trophic groups, including syntrophic acid oxidizers and methanogens. Rates of specific methanogenic activity were measured, and amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene transcripts was used to resolve phylotranscriptomes across the series of size fractions. Increased rates of methane production were observed in each of the size fractions when hydrogen was supplied as the substrate compared with those of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate). This was connected to a shift toward hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis dominated by Methanobacterium and Methanolinea. Interestingly, the specific active microbiomes measured in this way indicated that size was significantly more important than substrate in driving the structure of the active community in granules. Multivariate integration studywise discriminant analysis identified 56 genera shaping changes in the active community across both substrate and size. Half of those were found to be upregulated in the medium-sized granules, which were also the most active and potentially of the most important size, or life stage, for precision management of AD systems. IMPORTANCE Biological wastewater conversion processes collectively constitute one of the single biggest worldwide applications of microbial communities. There is an obvious requirement, therefore, to study the microbial systems central to the success of such technologies. Methanogenic granules, in particular, are architecturally fascinating biofilms that facilitate highly organized cooperation within the metabolic network of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process and, thus, are especially intriguing model systems for microbial ecology. This study, in a way not previously reported, provoked syntrophic and methanogenic activity and the structure of the microbial community, using specific substrates targeting the key trophic groups in AD. Unexpectedly, granule size more strongly than substrate shaped the active portion of the microbial community. Importantly, the findings suggest the size, or age, of granules inherently shapes the active microbiome linked to a life cycle. This provides exciting insights into the function of, and the potential for additional modeling of biofilm development in, methanogenic granules.
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Waqas S, Bilad MR, Man Z, Wibisono Y, Jaafar J, Indra Mahlia TM, Khan AL, Aslam M. Recent progress in integrated fixed-film activated sludge process for wastewater treatment: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 268:110718. [PMID: 32510449 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) process is considered as one of the leading-edge processes that provides a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. IFAS was introduced as an advancement of the moving bed biofilm reactor by integrating the attached and the suspended growth systems. IFAS offers advantages over the conventional activated sludge process such as reduced footprint, enhanced nutrient removal, complete nitrification, longer solids retention time and better removal of anthropogenic composites. IFAS has been recognized as an attractive option as stated from the results of many pilot and full scales studies. Generally, IFAS achieves >90% removals for combined chemical oxygen demand and ammonia, improves sludge settling properties and enhances operational stability. Recently developed IFAS reactors incorporate frameworks for either methane production, energy generation through algae, or microbial fuel cells. This review details the recent development in IFAS with the focus on the pilot and full-scale applications. The microbial community analyses of IFAS biofilm and floc are underlined along with the special emphasis on organics and nitrogen removals, as well as the future research perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharjeel Waqas
- Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Roil Bilad
- Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - Zakaria Man
- Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Yusuf Wibisono
- Bioprocess Engineering, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
| | - Juhana Jaafar
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Teuku Meurah Indra Mahlia
- School of Information, Systems and Modelling, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Asim Laeeq Khan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Defense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aslam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus, Defense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan
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Yu L, Wang Y, Li R, Zhang R, Zhang X, Hua S, Peng D. The differential proliferation of AOB and NOB during natural nitrifier cultivation and acclimation with raw sewage as seed sludge. RSC Adv 2020; 10:28277-28286. [PMID: 35519145 PMCID: PMC9055716 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05252c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrifier immigration from sewers to wastewater treatment systems is attracting increasing attention for understanding nitrifier community assembly mechanisms, and improving process modeling and operation. In this study, nitrifiers in raw sewage were cultivated and acclimated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for 90 days to investigate the characteristics of the influent nitrifiers after immigration. During the experiment, specific nitrite utilization rate (SNUR) exceeded specific ammonia utilization rate (SAUR) when floc size reached 224 ± 46 μm, and nitrogen loss occurred at the same time. The ratio of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) to ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) increased from 0.84 to 2.14 after cultivation. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing showed that the dominant AOB was Nitrosomonas sp. Nm84 and unidentified species, and the three most abundant Nitrospira were Nitrospira defluvii, Nitrospira calida, and unidentified Nitrospira spp. in both raw sewage and cultivated activated sludge. The shared reads of raw sewage and activated sludge were 48.76% for AOB and 89.35% for Nitrospira. These indicated that nitrifiers, especially NOB, immigrated from influent can survive and propagate in wastewater systems, which may be a significant hinder to suppress NOB in the application of advanced nitrogen remove process based on partial nitrification in the mainstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Yu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology Xi'an 710055 China
| | - Yu Wang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology Xi'an 710055 China
| | - Ren Li
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology Xi'an 710055 China
| | - Ru Zhang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
| | - Xingxiu Zhang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
| | - Sisi Hua
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
| | - Dangcong Peng
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology #13, Yanta Road Xi'an 710055 China +86 029 82202729 +86 029 82202729
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45
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Wang L, Pang Q, Peng F, Zhang A, Zhou Y, Lian J, Zhang Y, Yang F, Zhu Y, Ding C, Zhu X, Li Y, Cui Y. Response Characteristics of Nitrifying Bacteria and Archaea Community Involved in Nitrogen Removal and Bioelectricity Generation in Integrated Tidal Flow Constructed Wetland-Microbial Fuel Cell. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1385. [PMID: 32655535 PMCID: PMC7324634 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explores nitrogen removal performance, bioelectricity generation, and the response of microbial community in two novel tidal flow constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (TFCW-MFCs) when treating synthetic wastewater under two different chemical oxygen demand/total nitrogen (COD/TN, or simplified as C/N) ratios (10:1 and 5:1). The results showed that they achieved high and stable COD, NH4 +-N, and TN removal efficiencies. Besides, TN removal rate of TFCW-MFC was increased by 5-10% compared with that of traditional CW-MFC. Molecular biological analysis revealed that during the stabilization period, a low C/N ratio remarkably promoted diversities of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in the cathode layer, whereas a high one enhanced the richness of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in each medium; the dominant genera in AOA, AOB, and NOB were Candidatus Nitrosotenuis, Nitrosomonas, and Nitrobacter. Moreover, a high C/N ratio facilitated the growth of Nitrosomonas, while it inhibited the growth of Candidatus Nitrosotenuis. The distribution of microbial community structures in NOB was separated by space rather than time or C/N ratio, except for Nitrobacter. This is caused by the differences of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and nitrogen concentration. The response of microbial community characteristics to nitrogen transformations and bioelectricity generation demonstrated that TN concentration is significantly negatively correlated with AOA-shannon, AOA-chao, 16S rRNA V4-V5-shannon, and 16S rRNA V4-V5-chao, particularly due to the crucial functions of Nitrosopumilus, Planctomyces, and Aquicella. Additionally, voltage output was primarily influenced by microorganisms in the genera of Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosospira, Altererythrobacter, Gemmata, and Aquicella. This study not only presents an applicable tool to treat high nitrogen-containing wastewater, but also provides a theoretical basis for the use of TFCW-MFC and the regulation of microbial community in nitrogen removal and electricity production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longmian Wang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingqing Pang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Fuquan Peng
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Aiguo Zhang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjun Lian
- College of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Ma'anshan, China
| | - Yimin Zhang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Yang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Yueming Zhu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengcheng Ding
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiping Li
- College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yibin Cui
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, China
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46
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Campo R, Sguanci S, Caffaz S, Mazzoli L, Ramazzotti M, Lubello C, Lotti T. Efficient carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from low C/N real domestic wastewater with aerobic granular sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 305:122961. [PMID: 32193063 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This work reports on simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal treating real domestic wastewater with low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio by aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Operations at high sludge retention time (SRT = 61 ± 24 days) resulted in low biomass yield per chemical oxygen demand removed (CODrem) (0.21 ± 0.01 gCODx/gCODrem), lower COD demand for denitrification as well as high effluent quality in terms of total suspended solids (TSS) (22 ± 7 mgTSS/L). The average ratio between the biodegradable soluble COD stored anaerobically as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and the N removed was 3.1 ± 0.6 gCODsto/gNrem, suggesting that nitrification/denitrification occurred partly via the nitrite pathway. Results revealed that stable AGS process with high C/N/P removal efficiency of 84/71/96% can be obtained besides a low organic loading rate (0.43 ± 0.11 g COD/L/d) and influent C/N ratio (3.8 ± 1.6 g/g), resulting in a high effluent quality characterized by 25 ± 6 mg sCOD/L, 0.09 ± 0.07 mgPO4-P/L, 9 ± 2 mgTIN/L (10 ± 2 mgTN/L) and 22 ± 7 mgTSS/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Campo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - (DICEA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
| | - Sara Sguanci
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - (DICEA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Mazzoli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio" - (SBSC), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Matteo Ramazzotti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio" - (SBSC), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudio Lubello
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - (DICEA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lotti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - (DICEA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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47
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Layer M, Villodres MG, Hernandez A, Reynaert E, Morgenroth E, Derlon N. Limited simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) in aerobic granular sludge systems treating municipal wastewater: Mechanisms and practical implications. WATER RESEARCH X 2020; 7:100048. [PMID: 32154508 PMCID: PMC7058409 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) is, in theory, a key advantage of aerobic granular sludge systems over conventional activated sludge systems. But practical experience and literature suggests that SND and thus total nitrogen removal are limited during treatment of municipal wastewater using AGS systems. This study thus aims at quantifying the extent and understanding the mechanisms of SND during treatment of municipal wastewater with aerobic granular sludge (AGS) systems. Experiments (long-term and batch-tests) as well as mathematical modelling were performed. Our experimental results demonstrate that SND is significantly limited during treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater with AGS systems (14-39%), while almost full SND is observed when treating synthetic influent containing only diffusible substrate (90%). Our simulations demonstrate that the main mechanisms behind limited SND are (1) the dynamics of anoxic zone formation inside the granule, (2) the diffusibility and availability of electron-donors in those zones and (3) the aeration mode. The development of anoxic zones is driven by the utilisation of oxygen in the upper layers of the granule leading to transport limitations of oxygen inside the granule; this effect is closely linked to granule size and wastewater composition. Development of anoxic zones during the aerobic phase is limited for small granules at constant aeration at bulk dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 2 mgO2 L-1, and anoxic zones only develop during a brief period of the aerated phase for large granules. Modelling results further indicate that a large fraction of electron-donors are actually utilised in aerobic rather than anoxic redox zones - in the bulk or at the granule surface. Thus, full SND cannot be achieved with AGS treating low strength municipal wastewater if a constant DO is maintained during the aeration phase. Optimised aeration strategies are therefore required. 2-step and alternating aeration are tested successfully using mathematical modelling and increase TN removal to 40-79%, without compromising nitrification, and by shifting electron-donor utilisation towards anoxic redox conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Layer
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mercedes Garcia Villodres
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Hernandez
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Eva Reynaert
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Eberhard Morgenroth
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Derlon
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
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48
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Mehrani MJ, Sobotka D, Kowal P, Ciesielski S, Makinia J. The occurrence and role of Nitrospira in nitrogen removal systems. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 303:122936. [PMID: 32059161 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Application of the modern microbial techniques changed the paradigm about the microorganisms performing nitrification. Numerous investigations recognized representatives of the genus Nitrospira as a key and predominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biological nutrient removal systems, especially under low dissolved oxygen and substrate conditions. The recent discovery of Nitrospira capable of performing complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) raised a fundamental question about the actual role of Nitrospira in both nitrification steps. This review summarizes the current knowledge about morphological, physiological and genetic characteristics of the canonical and comammox Nitrospira. Potential implications of comammox for the functional aspects of nitrogen removal have been highlighted. The complex meta-analysis of literature data was applied to identify specific individual variables and their combined interactions on the Nitrospira abundance. In addition to dissolved oxygen and influent nitrogen concentrations, temperature and pH may play an important role in enhancing or suppressing the Nitrospira activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad-Javad Mehrani
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dominika Sobotka
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Kowal
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sławomir Ciesielski
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jacek Makinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.
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49
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Wang Q, Lv R, Rene ER, Qi X, Hao Q, Du Y, Zhao C, Xu F, Kong Q. Characterization of microbial community and resistance gene (CzcA) shifts in up-flow constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cell treating Zn (II) contaminated wastewater. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 302:122867. [PMID: 32007853 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The main aim of this work was to characterize the microbial community structure and resistance gene (CzcA) shifts in up-flow constructed wetlands-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) treating Zn (II) contaminated wastewater. Two CW-MFC devices were operated, i.e. the experimental group (EG) treating Zn (II) wastewater, and the control group (CG) treating Zn (II)-free wastewater. The results showed the CW-MFC combination exhibited good removal efficiency on Zn (II), while the average voltage, the power density and the removal rates (TP, TN, NH4+-N and COD) significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The microbial community structure showed that the Zn (II) significantly reduced the abundance of some functional genus (p < 0.05), such as Ochrobactrum, Nitrosomonas, Pseudomonas and Dechloromonas. Zn (II) inhibited the microbial richness in the anode, but it played a positive role in the cathode. Anew, the expression of the CzcA in the CW-MFC was promoted by Zn (II), particularly in the cathode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Ruiyuan Lv
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Eldon R Rene
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaoyu Qi
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Qiang Hao
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yuanda Du
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Congcong Zhao
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Fei Xu
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Qiang Kong
- College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in the Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, PR China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
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50
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Skoyles A, Chaganti SR, Mundle SOC, Weisener CG. 'Nitrification kinetics and microbial community dynamics of attached biofilm in wastewater treatment'. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 81:891-905. [PMID: 32541108 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A comparative bench-scale and field site analysis of BioCord was conducted to investigate seasonal microbial community dynamics and its impact on nitrogen removal in wastewater. This was assessed using metabolite (NO3 -) stable isotope analysis, high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and RT-qPCR of key genes in biological treatment representing nitrification, anammox, and denitrification. Bench-scale experiments showed an increase in nitrifiers with increasing ammonia loading resulting in an ammonia removal efficiency up to 98 ± 0.14%. Stable isotope analysis showed that 15ɛ and δ18ONO3 could be used in monitoring the efficiency of the enhanced biological nitrification. In the lagoon field trials, an increase in total nitrogen promoted three principle nitrifying genera (Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Candidatus Nitrotoga) and enhanced the expression of denitrification genes (nirK, norB, and nosZ). Further, anaerobic ammonia oxidizers were active within BioCord biofilm. Even at lower temperatures (2-6°C) the nitrifying bacteria remained active on the BioCord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Skoyles
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada E-mail:
| | - Subba Rao Chaganti
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada E-mail: ; Present address: Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, University of Michigan, 4840 South State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA
| | - Scott O C Mundle
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada E-mail:
| | - Chris G Weisener
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada E-mail:
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