Effect of thiosulfate on rapid start-up of sulfur-based reduction of high concentrated perchlorate: A study of kinetics, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and bacterial community structure

The effect of reflux ratio on sulfur disproportionation tendency in anaerobic baffled reactor with the heterotrophic combining sulfur autotrophic processes under high concentration perchlorate stress

In a laboratory scale, an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) consisting of eight compartments, the heterotrophic combining sulfur autotrophic processes under different reflux ratios were constructed to achieve effective perchlorate removal and alleviate sulfur disproportionation reaction. Perchlorate was efficiently removed with effluent perchlorate concentration below 0.5 μg/L when the influent perchlorate concentration was 1030 mg/L during stages I ~ V, indicating that heterotrophic combining sulfur autotrophic perchlorate reduction processes can effectively achieve high concentration perchlorate removal. Furthermore, the 100% reflux ratio could reduce the contact time between sulfur particles and water; thus, the sulfur disproportionation reaction was inhibited. However, the inhibition effect of reflux on sulfur disproportionation was attenuated due to dilute perchlorate concentration when a reflux ratio of 150% and 200% was implemented. Meanwhile, the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the heterotrophic unit (36.79 ~ 45.71 mg/g VSS) was higher than that in the sulfur autotrophic unit (22.19 ~ 25.77 mg/g VSS), indicating that high concentration perchlorate stress in the heterotrophic unit promoted EPS secretion. Thereinto, the PN content of sulfur autotrophic unit decreased in stage III and stage V due to decreasing perchlorate concentration in the autotrophic unit. Meanwhile, the PS content increased with increasing reflux in the autotrophic unit, which was conducive to the formation of biofilm. Furthermore, the high-throughput sequencing result showed that Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla and Longilinea, Diaphorobacter, Acinetobacter, and Nitrobacter were the dominant genus in ABR, which were associated with heterotrophic or autotrophic perchlorate reduction and beneficial for effective perchlorate removal. The study indicated that reflux was a reasonable strategy for alleviating sulfur disproportionation in heterotrophic combining sulfur autotrophic perchlorate removal processes.

Tourmaline mediated enhanced autotrophic denitrification: The mechanisms of electron transfer and Paracoccus enrichment

Autotrophic denitrification (AD) without carbon source is an inevitable choice for denitrification of municipal wastewater under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. This study first employed sulfur-tourmaline-AD (STAD) as an innovative nitrate removal trial technique in wastewater. STAD demonstrated a 2.23-fold increase in nitrate‑nitrogen (NO3--N) removal rate with reduced nitrite‑nitrogen (NO2--N) accumulation, effectively removing 99 % of nitrogen pollutants compared to sulfur denitrification. Some denitrifiers microorganisms that could secrete tyrosine, tryptophan, and aromatic protein (extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)). Moreover, according to the EPS composition and characteristics analysis, the secretion of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS) that bound to the bacterial endogenous respiration and enriched microbial abundance, was produced more in the STAD system, further improving the system stability. Furthermore, the addition of tourmaline (Tm) facilitated the discovery of a new genus (Paracoccus) that enhanced nitrate decomposition. Applying optimal electron donors through metabolic pathways and the microbial community helps to strengthen the AD process and treat low carbon/nitrogen ratio wastewater efficiently.

Long-term effects of thiosulfate on the competition between sulfur-mediated bacteria and glycogen accumulating organisms in sulfate-rich carbon-deficient wastewater

Sewage nutrient (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) biological removal performance is often limited by the deficient carbon source and undesirable glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs), even in sulfate-containing wastewater. Thiosulfate (S2O32-) as a bioavailable, environmentally-benign, metastable and cost-effective agent has been regarded as electron carriers that induces high sulfur-mediated bacterial activity for nutrient removal from wastewater. In this study, the long-term effects of thiosulfate on the competition between sulfur-mediated bacteria (SMB, including sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB)) and GAOs were explored to further close the gap of our knowledge on the control of GAOs under carbon deficient wastewater. Three reactors were continuously operated for over 100 days and were fed with 200 mg acetate-COD/L and 20 (R1), 50 (R2) and 80 (R3) mg S/L thiosulfate respectively. The results revealed that adding thiosulfate at the beginning of the anoxic phase promoted sulfur metabolism and increased the proliferation of SRB (mainly Desulfobacter) and SOB (mainly Chromatiaceae). Correspondingly, the relative abundance of GAOs (mainly Candidatus_Competibacter) decreased. After the carbon source was reduced, the abundance of GAOs increased and the competitive activity of SRB was weakened, resulting in the reduced sulfate reduction, which could be attributed to the fact that GAOs had a higher carbon source competitiveness than SRB under low carbon source conditions. While SOB maintained a high abundance due to the addition of thiosulfate as an additional electron donor, which enhanced the denitrification efficiency. Additionally, the dominant SOB shifted from Thiobacillus to Chromatiaceae during the long-term operation, indicating that Chromatiaceae had a higher competitive advantage for reduced sulfur (e.g., S2O32-, Polysulfide (Poly-S)) and nitrate compared to Thiobacillus. Furthermore, microbial functional genes revealed that S metabolism was enhanced during long-term operation. The potential mechanism and optimization strategy regarding the competition between sulfur-mediated bacteria and GAOs were revealed.

Construction of Bio-TiO2/Algae Complex and Synergetic Mechanism of the Acceleration of Phenol Biodegradation

Microalgae have been widely employed in water pollution treatment since they are eco-friendly and economical. However, the relatively slow treatment rate and low toxic tolerance have seriously limited their utilization in numerous conditions. In light of the problems above, a novel biosynthetic titanium dioxide (bio-TiO₂ NPs)-microalgae synergetic system (Bio-TiO₂/Algae complex) has been established and adopted for phenol degradation in the study. The great biocompatibility of bio-TiO₂ NPs ensured the collaboration with microalgae, improving the phenol degradation rate by 2.27 times compared to that with single microalgae. Remarkably, this system increased the toxicity tolerance of microalgae, represented as promoted extracellular polymeric substances EPS secretion (5.79 times than single algae), and significantly reduced the levels of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase. The boosted phenol biodegradation with Bio-TiO₂/Algae complex may be attributed to the synergetic interaction of bio-TiO₂ NPs and microalgae, which led to the decreased bandgap, suppressed recombination rate, and accelerated electron transfer (showed as low electron transfer resistance, larger capacitance, and higher exchange current density), resulting in increased light energy utilization rate and photocatalytic rate. The results of the work provide a new understanding of the low-carbon treatment of toxic organic wastewater and lay a foundation for further remediation application.

Application of Encapsulated Quorum Quenching Strain Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001 to a Membrane Bioreactor for Biofouling Control

Quorum quenching (QQ) is a novel anti-biofouling strategy for membrane bioreactors (MBRs) used in wastewater treatment. However, actual operation of QQ-MBR systems for wastewater treatment needs to be systematically studied to evaluate the comprehensive effects of QQ on wastewater treatment engineering applications. In this study, a novel QQ strain, Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001, was encapsulated and applied to a MBR system to evaluate the effects of this organism on real wastewater treatment. To verify the effectiveness of immobilized QQ beads in the MBR system, we examined the MBR effluent quality and sludge characteristics. We also measured the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) in the system to determine the effects of the organism on membrane biofouling inhibition. Additionally, changes in microbial communities in the system were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The results indicated that Acinetobacter pittii HITSZ001 is a promising strain for biofouling reduction in MBRs treating real wastewater, and that immobilization does not affect the biofouling control potential of QQ bacteria.

Perchlorate bioreduction in UASB reactor: S2--autotrophic granular sludge formation and sulphate generation control

Perchlorate (ClO4-) industrial wastewater requires efficient removal to prevent adverse environmental impacts, however, high concentration and low biodegradability give rise to poor ClO4- bioreduction performance. S2--autotrophic granular sludge (S2--AuGS) was firstly cultivated for high concentration perchlorate (ClO4-) removal in the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor (ClO4-: 150 mg L^-1). Simultaneously, the S2- was utilized to control the SO42- generation as electron donor, the effluent SO42- concentration (190 mg L^-1) was satisfied with drinking water standard (250 mg L^-1). Under the optimized condition of hydraulic retention time (HRT) (6 h) and S2-/ClO4- molar ratio (2.2), more EPS was secreted, which promoted the S2--AuGS formation and stability. Though acclimation of 146 d, the S2--AuGS was formed with a large average granular sludge size (612 μm) and an excellent settleability (sludge volume index: SVI₅/SVI₃₀= 1). With the mature S2--AuGS formation, the highest ClO4- and S2- loading was increased to 1.06 and 0.75 kg m^-3 d^-1. Interestingly, Georgfuchsia, Methyloversatilis, Sulfurisoma, and Exiguobacterium were the main microbial community in the S2--AuGS. This study proposed to form a novel S2--AuGS for developing the high ClO4- concentration removal performance and to utilize the S2- as an electron donor for controlling the excessive SO42- generation.

Formation of anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) to treat high-strength perchlorate wastewater via anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) system: Electron transfer characteristic, bacterial community and positive feedback mechanism

Anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) was cultured to treat high-strength perchlorate (reaching to 4800 mg/L) wastewater by an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) system with five equal-volume compartments (C1-C5 compartments). Inoculated sludge completely granulated on day 104 with granule size of 0.50-0.75 mm and perchlorate removal efficiency reaching to 97% (influent perchlorate of 2000-4800 mg/L). The Cyclic voltammetry (CV) capacitance increased from 487.5, 465.8 and 407.8 μF to 576.5, 552.4, 549.6 μF in C1, C3 and C5 compartments of ABR system, respectively, suggesting the electron transfer capacity was enhanced under high-strength perchlorate stress. Meanwhile, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) value and electron transport system activity (ETSA) increased to 25.05, 22.87, 20.43 and 6.22, 4.87, 3.95 of C1, C3 and C5 compartments, respectively. The results suggested that high-strength perchlorate stress improved the microbial metabolic activity, which promoted secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The more EPS could facilitate the formation and stability of AnGS under high-strength perchlorate stress. In addition, more reasonable metabolic division of labor in functional bacterial (Thauera and Comamonas) was beneficial to AnGS formation, which achieved high-strength perchlorate efficient removal. Finally, a positive feedback mechanism between AnGS formation and high-strength perchlorate removal was established through EPS, microbial metabolic activity and electron transfer characteristic in ABR system. However, excessive perchlorate (5800 mg/L) would exceed the treatment capacity of AnGS, which resulted in the deterioration of removal performance. This work provided an effective information for AnGS application to treat high-strength perchlorate wastewater.

Quorum quenching affects biofilm development in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR): from macro to micro perspective

The first experimental study on the influence of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) degrading quorum quenching (QQ) consortium on the dynamics of biofilm bio-communities (i.e., from suspended biomass to initial biofilm and mature biofilm) in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) at a microscopic scale (denoted as QQAnMBR) was reported. QQ did not change the overall bacterial community of the suspended biomass, inclusive of the key functional bacteria. Moreover, the retarded initial biofilm formation was attributed to not only the lower extracellular polymeric substance content of suspended biomass, but also the decelerated colonization of the AHL-regulated low-abundance in suspended biomass but pioneering keystone taxa Rhodocyclaceae;g- on membrane surface. However, pioneering fouling-related taxa such as Sulfurovum and Rhodocyclaceae;g- still played paramount roles in the delayed initial biofilm formation in the QQAnMBR. Furthermore, the microbial assemblies of the mature biofilm were changed in the QQAnMBR, probably attributable to the abiotic microbial floc attachment.

Using a sulfur autotrophic fluidized bed reactor for simultaneous perchlorate and nitrate removal from water: S disproportionation prediction and system optimization

The sulfur autotrophic reduction (SAR) process is promising in co-reduction of perchlorate and nitrate from aqueous solution. To further understand the reaction process, we developed a sulfur autotrophic fluidized bed reactor where the proceeding extent of sulfur (S) disproportionation was predicted by Response surface methodology (RSM) for the first time. Three fundamental reaction parameters including the hydraulic retention time (HRT), co-existing nitrate concentration ([Formula: see text]) and recirculation ratio (R) were considered for reactor optimization. The results demonstrated that S disproportionation was promoted by long HRT and high R, whereas was inhibited by high [Formula: see text]. Also, the optimal HRT, [Formula: see text] and R were 0.50 h, 10.00 mg/L and 14, respectively, the bioreactor can achieve high reduction efficiency of perchlorate and nitrate (> 98.45%), and generate less sulfate (236.07 mg/L). High-throughput sequencing showed that Chlorobaculum was related to S disproportionation, and Sulfurovum was associated with nitrate/perchlorate reducing. All results indicate that the sulfur autotrophic fluidized bed reactor is a promising candidate for the treatment of perchlorate and nitrate wastewater in future practical applications.

The effect of step-feeding distribution ratio on high concentration perchlorate removal performance in ABR system with heterotrophic combined sulfur autotrophic process

In a lab-scale anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) with eight compartments, the heterotrophic and sulfur autotrophic processes were combined to remove perchlorate. And then, the step-feeding distribution ratio of the heterotrophic perchlorate reduction unit (HPR unit) was optimized to achieve efficient removal of high concentration perchlorate. Under the optimized step-feeding distribution ratio, the perchlorate removal efficiency reached to 99.8% with the influent concentration of 1300 mg/L, indicating that the removal performance of step-feeding was better than that of normal-feeding. A mass balance results showed that the perchlorate removal capacity of the C1-C5 compartments were 11.8 ± 0.6, 13.2 ± 0.2, 11.7 ± 1.0, 8.8 ± 0.2 and 9.8 ± 1.0 g/d during the stage VIII, indicating that the step-feeding can effectively relieve pollutant loading of C1 compartment and improve the perchlorate removal capacity of the C2-C5 compartments. Moreover, the high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that bacterial community was significant difference between the HPR and sulfur autotrophic perchlorate removal (SAPR) units. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that perchlorate removal was more positive correlation with the forward compartments than the posterior compartments of HPR unit. The study confirms that the optimized step-feeding ratio is beneficial to remove the high concentration perchlorate via combining heterotrophic and sulfur autotrophic processes.

Acceleration mechanism of bioavailable Fe(Ⅲ) on Te(IV) bioreduction of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1: Promotion of electron generation, electron transfer and energy level

The release of highly toxic tellurite into the aquatic environment poses significant environmental risks. The acceleration mechanism and tellurium nanorods (TeNPs) characteristics with bioavailable ferric citrate (Fe(III)) were investigated in the tellurite (Te(IV)) bioreduction. Experiments showed that 5 mM Fe(III) increased the Te(IV) bioreduction rate from 0 to 12.40 mg/(L·h). Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel were used to investigate electron transfer during Te(IV) bioreduction. NADH production (electron production) was significantly enhanced to 138% by Fe(III). Meanwhile Fe(III) stimulated the increase of cytochrome c, resulting in increased electron transport system activity. In addition, Fe(III) facilitated the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and reduced cell membrane permeability, thus reducing the toxicity of Te(IV) to cells. The increase of ATP provided energy for the metabolic process of Te(IV) bioreduction, playing an active role in cell activity. Based on the above analysis, the acceleration mechanism of Fe(III) on Te(IV) bioreduction was proposed from the aspects of electron generation, electron transfer and energy level. Zeta potential and FT-IR spectra indicated that the stability of TeNPs contributed to the covered EPS. This study provides further understanding the acceleration mechanism of Te(IV) bioreduction and promising strategy for improving the stability of TeNPs.

Effect and mechanism of cyclodextrins on nitrate reduction and bio-activity by S.oneidensis.MR-1

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have been widely used due to the excellent solubilization of hydrophobic organics. However, their effect on the biotransformation process of hydrophilic pollutants is unclear. This study first evaluated the effect and mechanism of CDs on nitrate reduction by S.oneidensis.MR-1. The three CDs (α-CD, β-CD and γ-CD) all accelerated nitrate reduction, among which β-CD had the best effect. The nitrate reduction rate was increased by 21.8% with 0.5 mM β-CD. As for the mechanism, β-CD increased the biomass, membrane permeability and EPS of S.oneidensis.MR-1. The nitrate reductase activity was also increased by 1.34-fold with 0.5 mM β-CD. The current exchange density and the electron transfer system activity were increased by 11.4% and 99.5% in the β-CD-supply system, respectively. It confirmed that β-CD enhanced the biological and electrochemical characteristics and then enhanced bio-activity. This study provides a new understanding of CDs in microbial remediation and broadens the practical application.

Perchlorate bioreduction by anaerobic granular sludge immobilised with Fe-HA complex: Performance, extracellular polymeric substances and microbial community structure

An iron-humic acid (Fe-HA) complex was used as a redox mediator in perchlorate (ClO₄^-) bioreduction. Bioreduction performance, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and microbial community structure were comprehensively explored using different types of anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) immobilised without the Fe-HA complex (AnGS_CON) and with the Fe-HA complex (AnGS_FH). The ClO₄^- was completely removed by AnGS_CON by day 20, while the ClO₄^- was completely removed by AnGS_FH by day 6. The AnGS immobilised with the Fe-HA complex significantly increased the ClO₄^- bioreduction. The acceleration of ClO₄^- bioreduction was also explained by the mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), MLVSS/mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), EPS composition, and microbial community structure. Compared with AnGS_CON, the MLVSS and MLVSS/MLSS of the AnGS_FH increased 1.4- and 1.2-fold, respectively. Humic substances in the EPS were stimulated by the Fe-HA complex. The microbial community structure analysis indicated that perchlorate and quinone reducing bacteria were enriched by the Fe-HA complex. Based on the analysis, the ClO₄^- bioreduction mechanism of the AnGS_FH was revealed because the Fe-HA complex in the AnGS increased the biomass concentration, biological activity, and redox-active mediator and shifted the microbial community structure.

Effect of dissolved oxygen on simultaneous removal of ammonia, nitrate and phosphorus via biological aerated filter with sulfur and pyrite as composite fillers

A biological aerated filter (BAF) with sulfur and pyrite as fillers were structured to simultaneously remove NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^--N and PO₄^3--P from secondary effluent. When dissolved oxygen (DO) was 1.2-1.5 mg/L, effluent concentration of NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^--N and PO₄^3--P were below 0.65, 0.47 and 0.18 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, Fe²⁺ production via decomposing pyrite could improve autotrophic denitrification performance. Besides, sulfur and pyrite autotrophic denitrification process (PAD and SAD) aligned with the Zero-order and First-order kinetics models, respectively, indicating that the sulfur had excellent capability of providing electron. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the nitrogen removal performance and protein-like substances in extracellular polymeric substances. Bacterial community analysis suggested the nitrifiers and autotrophic denitrifiers were simultaneously enriched. Principal component analysis indicated that the DO concentration and type of electron donors impacted bacterial community. Consequently, BAF combined with PAD and SAD processes provides an alternative method to remove nutrients.

Efficient nitrogen removal in separate coupled-system of anammox and sulfur autotrophic denitrification with a nitrification side-branch under substrate fluctuation

In order to achieve efficient nitrogen removal, a separate coupled-system of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) and sulfur autotrophic denitrification (S⁰-SADN) was established. In this study, the operational feasibility and stability of the coupled-system under substrate fluctuations were investigated. Results showed that the coupled-system improved the total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) to 99.15 ± 0.68%. The tryptophan-like substances in anammox effluent positively impacted the growth of the S⁰-SADN biofilm. This positive cooperativity boosted the S⁰-SADN to achieve rapid 12-day startup and stable operation thereafter. The TNRE was determined at 95.27 ± 1.51% and 93.44 ± 0.96% under excessive nitrite and ammonium, respectively. The coupled-system recovered quickly after 21 days of starvation deterioration. To further treat the excessive ammonium, the nitrification side-branch of the coupled-system improved the TNRE to 99.08 ± 0.68%. Extracellular polymeric substances analysis revealed that the anammox and S⁰-SADN bacteria secreted protein-like substances to resist substrate fluctuation. Microbial community analysis indicated that the stability of bacterial community supported the stability of the coupled-system. These results collectively suggested that the separate coupled-system exhibited excellent performance and provided a platform for practical wastewater treatment in future.

Simultaneous reduction of perchlorate and nitrate in a combined heterotrophic-sulfur-autotrophic system: Secondary pollution control, pH balance and microbial community analysis

A combined heterotrophic-sulfur-autotrophic system (CHSAS) was established to simultaneously reduce perchlorate and nitrate in water. In this system, the OH^- produced by the acetate heterotrophic part (H-part) could be neutralized with the H⁺ produced by the sulfur autotrophic part (S-part); thus, the pH of the final effluent could keep neutral. In addition, the S-part could further reduce the pollutants and residual carbon from the H-part to achieve a high performance. For 19.62 ± 0.30 mg/L ClO₄^- and 21.56 ± 0.83 mg/L NO₃^--N in the influent, the operating parameters were optimal at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.0 h and an acetate concentration of 70 mg/L. The removal efficiency of ClO₄^- and NO₃^- reached 95.43% and 99.23%, without secondary pollution caused by residual organic carbon. It was also revealed that sulfur (S⁰) disproportionation can be inhibited by shortening the HRT and reducing the acetate dosage. The dominant heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria were Thauera and Ferritrophicum, respectively, while Chlorobaculum was related to S⁰ disproportionation.

Biological perchlorate reduction: which electron donor we can choose?

Biological reduction is an effective method for removal of perchlorate (ClO₄^-), where perchlorate is transformed into chloride by perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB). An external electron donor is required for autotrophic and heterotrophic reduction of perchlorate. Therefore, plenty of suitable electron donors including organic (e.g., acetate, ethanol, carbohydrate, glycerol, methane) and inorganic (e.g., hydrogen, zero-valent iron, element sulfur, anthrahydroquinone) as well as the cathode have been used in biological reduction of perchlorate. This paper reviews the application of various electron donors in biological perchlorate reduction and their influences on treatment efficiency of perchlorate and biological activity of PRB. We discussed the criteria for selection of appropriate electron donor to provide a flexible strategy of electron donor choice for the bioremediation of perchlorate-contaminated water.

A combined heterotrophic and sulfur-based autotrophic process to reduce high concentration perchlorate via anaerobic baffled reactors: Performance advantages of a step-feeding strategy

The combined anaerobic baffled reactors (ABRs) of heterotrophic and sulfur-based autotrophic processes were first investigated for the removal of high perchlorate concentration under different feeding strategies. The removal efficiency of the step-feeding ABR (SF-ABR) reached 97.56% at 800 mg/L perchlorate, which was significantly superior to the normal-feeding ABR (NF-ABR). In three components of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the fluorescence intensity of the tryptophan-like component were identified by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, and exhibited a positive relationship with the perchlorate removal rate in the heterotrophic perchlorate reduction unit (HPR unit) of the SF-ABR (R² = 0.9791) and NF-ABR (R² = 0.9860). Bacterial community analysis suggested the dominating perchlorate reducing bacteria and the diversity in two ABRs. Principal component analysis indicated that the electron donor affected the microbial community structures. The study confirms that the SF-ABR is a powerful bioreactor for the combined heterotrophic and sulfur-based autotrophic process.

Sulfur disproportionation tendencies in a sulfur packed bed reactor for perchlorate bio-autotrophic reduction at different temperatures and spatial distribution of microbial communities

This study investigates the sulfur (S) disproportionation tendencies in a sulfur packed bed reactor for perchlorate bio-autotrophic reduction at different temperatures. The reactor was operated with over 99% efficiency for 21.00 ± 1.40 mg L^-1 perchlorate removal when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) ranged from 12.00 h to 0.75 h at 27 ± 2 °C. When HRT was controlled at 1.00 h, the perchlorate removal efficiency was only 8 ± 1% as the temperature dropped to 6 ± 1 °C. The half-order model fit both perchlorate removal and S disproportionation reaction well. Compared with S disproportionation, the decrease of temperature had a greater influence on perchlorate reduction. As the temperature dropped from 27 ± 2 °C to 6 ± 1 °C, the 1/2K_1/2v,R for perchlorate reduction decreased from 7.37 mg^1/2 L^-1/2 h^-1 to 0.19 mg^1/2 L^-1/2 h^-1. Meanwhile, the 1/2K_1/2v,S for S disproportionation decreased from 3.04 mg^1/2 L^-1/2 h^-1 to 1.96 mg^1/2 L^-1/2 h^-1. The reaction activation energy of perchlorate reduction and S disproportionation was 120.28 kJ mol^-1 and 13.44 kJ mol^-1, respectively. The S disproportionation reaction proceeded remarkably at the beginning of the reduction, a longer HRT and higher temperature promoted S disproportionation, resulting in excessive sulfate generation and alkalinity consumption. Besides, the spatial distribution of the microbial communities and the dominant bacteria function under different HRTs was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing.

Bio-mixotrophic perchlorate reduction to control sulfate production in a step-feed sulfur-based reactor: A study of kinetics, ORP and bacterial community structure

Excess sulfate production and low concentration of perchlorate removal are the main problems for sulfur-based perchlorate reduction reactor. In this study, the problems were firstly solved by step-feeding under mixotrophic conditions. The performances of step-feed sulfur-based reactor (SFSBR) and up-flow sulfur-based reactor (UFSBR) are compared. At perchlorate of 194 mg/L, acetate of 28.8 mg/L and hydraulic retention time of 0.9 h, the Half-order reaction rate constant and the sulfate production of SFSBR were 29.7 mg^1/2/L^1/2·h and 171 mg/L, respectively, which were superior to those of UFSBR. The oxidation-reduction potential values of SFSBR were lower than that of UFSBR. Meanwhile, the biodiversity along the height of the reactor was decreased by step-feeding. Principal component analysis showed significant interrelations existed among the bacterial community composition and the operational/environmental conditions in each treatment zone. Consequently, the SFSBR provides an effectively alteration for the removal of high perchlorate concentration and control sulfate.