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Hellman M, Juhanson J, Wallnäs F, Herbert RB, Hallin S. Microbial succession and denitrifying woodchip bioreactor performance at low water temperatures. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 356:120607. [PMID: 38537471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120607] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Mining activities are increasingly recognized for contributing to nitrogen (N) pollution and possibly also to emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) due to undetonated, N-based explosives. A woodchip denitrifying bioreactor, installed to treat nitrate-rich leachate from waste rock dumps in northern Sweden, was monitored for two years to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of microbial communities, including the genetic potential for different N transformation processes, in pore water and woodchips and how this related to reactor N removal capacity. About 80 and 65 % of the nitrate was removed during the first and second operational year, respectively. There was a succession in the microbial community over time and in space along the reactor length in both pore water and woodchips, which was reflected in reactor performance. Nitrate ammonification likely had minimal impact on N removal efficiency due to the low production of ammonium and low abundance of the key gene nrfA in ammonifiers. Nitrite and N2O were formed in the bioreactor and released in the effluent water, although direct N2O emissions from the surface was low. That these unwanted reactive N species were produced at different times and locations in the reactor indicate that the denitrification pathway was temporally as well as spatially separated along the reactor length. We conclude that the succession of microbial communities in woodchip denitrifying bioreactors treating mining water develops slowly at low temperature, which impacts reactor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hellman
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Box 7026, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jaanis Juhanson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Box 7026, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Felicia Wallnäs
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Box 7026, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Roger B Herbert
- Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences, Villavägen 16, 75226, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Sara Hallin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Box 7026, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
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2
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Ahn Y, Park S, Kim HH, Basak B, Yun ST, Jeon BH, Choi J. Field evaluation of carbon injection method for in-situ biological denitrification in groundwater using geochemical and metataxonomic analyses. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 340:122719. [PMID: 37866751 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122719] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
This study focuses on the bioremediation of nitrate-contaminated groundwater, which has become a significant environmental problem due to the increasing usage of fertilizers and sewage disposal. The nitrate reduction efficiencies of biological denitrification by injection of carbon source in a pilot-scale treatment system setup were investigated at a groundwater contamination site. The field test was conducted using acetate as a carbon source for 22 days to assess the nitrate reduction efficiencies of in-situ treatment. Geochemical parameters and microbial community analysis using next-generation sequencing were performed before and after carbon source injection. After 12 h of reaction time, nitrate concentration decreased from 31.6 to 4.2 mg-N/L at PC-2, and then remained stable at 3.9 mg-N/L. The nitrate reduction rate when acetate was injected was 29.0 mg-N/L/day. Aquabacterium commune, pseudomonas brassicacearum, dechloromonas denitrificans, and Massilia FAOS were dominant species after acetate injection. Predictive metabolic pathway analysis indicated that nitrate reduction metabolisms during injection of acetate were denitrification and assimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. The evaluated hazard quotient of nitrate-contaminated groundwater significantly decreased after acetate injection (non-carcinogenic risk decreased from 1.176 to 0.134 for children). This research could provide fundamental information for decision-makers in nitrate-contaminated groundwater quality protection and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongtae Ahn
- Department of Civil & Energy System Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Republic of Korea; Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Center for Environment, Health and Welfare Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarang-ro 14, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyun Park
- Center for Environment, Health and Welfare Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarang-ro 14, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Green School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoo Hugo Kim
- Department of Civil & Energy System Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Republic of Korea; Center for Water Cycle Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarang-ro 14, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Bikram Basak
- Center for Creative Convergence Education, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea; Petroleum and Mineral Research Institute, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Taek Yun
- Green School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222-Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyoung Choi
- Center for Environment, Health and Welfare Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarang-ro 14, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Jéglot A, Miranda-Velez JF, Plauborg F, Elsgaard L. Nitrate removal and environmental side-effects controlled by hydraulic residence time in woodchip bioreactors treating cold agricultural drainage water. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2023; 44:4324-4333. [PMID: 35722770 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2022.2091482] [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: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) remove nitrate (NO 3 - ) from agricultural drainage water at field-scale, but their efficacy at cold temperatures remains uncertain. This study shows how hydraulic residence time (HRT) controls NO 3 - removal and environmental side-effects of WBRs at low water temperature under pilot-scale conditions with controlled operation of nine WBRs (94 dm3). Hydraulic properties were assessed by a bromide tracer test, and NO 3 - removal, emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), and losses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured at HRTs of 5-30 h. Inlet NO 3 - concentrations were increasingly reduced at higher HRTs. The relationship between HRT and the efficiency (%) of NO 3 - removal was linear (R a d j 2 = 0.94), while the relationship between HRT and NO 3 - reduction rates (NRR) was logistic (R a d j 2 = 0.88). Gaseous emissions of N2O were equally low at HRTs of 10-30 h, but higher at 5 h (P < 0.05). Methane fluxes were small, but with consistent emissions at HRTs of 20-30 h and uptake at 5-15 h. HRT had limited effect on effluent DOC concentrations, but strong effect on mass losses that were five-fold higher (320 mg L-1) at the HRT of 5 h than at 30 h. In summary, at cold temperatures HRTs of ≤ 20 h resulted in suboptimal NRR, accelerating DOC losses, and increased risk of N2O losses at least below a threshold HRT of 5-10 h. HRTs of 20-30 h gave maximal NRR, smallest losses of DOC and N2O, but an increased risk of CH4 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Jéglot
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- WATEC, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | | | - Finn Plauborg
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- WATEC, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Lars Elsgaard
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
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Wang H, Feyereisen GW, Wang P, Rosen C, Sadowsky MJ, Ishii S. Impacts of biostimulation and bioaugmentation on woodchip bioreactor microbiomes. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0405322. [PMID: 37747182 PMCID: PMC10581000 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04053-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) are used to remove nutrients, especially nitrate, from subsurface drainage. The nitrogen removal efficiency of WBRs, however, is limited by low temperatures and the availability of labile carbon. Bioaugmentation and biostimulation are potential approaches to enhance nitrate removal of WBRs under cold conditions, but their effectiveness is still unclear. Here, we clarified the effects of bioaugmentation and biostimulation on the microbiomes and nitrate removal rates of WBRs. As a bioaugmentation treatment, we inoculated WBR-borne cold-adapted denitrifying bacteria Cellulomonas cellasea strain WB94 and Microvirgula aerodenitrificans strain BE2.4 into the WBRs located at Willmar, MN, USA. As a biostimulation treatment, acetate was added to the WBRs to promote denitrification. Woodchip samples were collected from multiple locations in each WBR before and after the treatments and used for the microbiome analysis. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the microbiomes changed by the treatments and season. The high-throughput quantitative PCR for nitrogen cycle genes revealed a higher abundance of denitrification genes at locations closer to the WBR inlet, suggesting that denitrifiers are unevenly present in WBRs. In addition, a positive relationship was identified between the abundance of M. aerodenitrificans strain BE2.4 and those of norB and nosZ in the WBRs. Based on generalized linear modeling, the abundance of norB and nosZ was shown to be useful in predicting the nitrate removal rate of WBRs. Taken together, these results suggest that the bioaugmentation and biostimulation treatments can influence denitrifier populations, thereby influencing the nitrate removal of WBRs. IMPORTANCE Nitrate pollution is a serious problem in agricultural areas in the U.S. Midwest and other parts of the world. Woodchip bioreactor is a promising technology that uses microbial denitrification to remove nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage, although the reactor's nitrate removal performance is limited under cold conditions. This study showed that the inoculation of cold-adapted denitrifiers (i.e., bioaugmentation) and the addition of labile carbon (i.e., biostimulation) can influence the microbial populations and enhance the reactor's performance under cold conditions. This finding will help establish a strategy to mitigate nitrate pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gary W. Feyereisen
- USDA-ARS Soil and Water Management Research Unit, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Carl Rosen
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael J. Sadowsky
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Satoshi Ishii
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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5
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McGuire PM, Butkevich N, Saksena AV, Walter MT, Shapleigh JP, Reid MC. Oxic-anoxic cycling promotes coupling between complex carbon metabolism and denitrification in woodchip bioreactors. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:1696-1712. [PMID: 37105180 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) are increasingly used to manage the release of non-point source nitrogen (N) by stimulating microbial denitrification. Woodchips serve as a renewable organic carbon (C) source, yet the recalcitrance of organic C in lignocellulosic biomass causes many WBRs to be C-limited. Prior studies have observed that oxic-anoxic cycling increased the mobilization of organic C, increased nitrate (NO3 - ) removal rates, and attenuated production of nitrous oxide (N2 O). Here, we use multi-omics approaches and amplicon sequencing of fungal 5.8S-ITS2 and prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes to elucidate the microbial drivers for enhanced NO3 - removal and attenuated N2 O production under redox-dynamic conditions. Transient oxic periods stimulated the expression of fungal ligninolytic enzymes, increasing the bioavailability of woodchip-derived C and stimulating the expression of denitrification genes. Nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes were primarily clade II, and the ratio of clade II/clade I nosZ transcripts during the oxic-anoxic transition was strongly correlated with the N2 O yield. Analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes revealed that many of the denitrifying microorganisms also have a genotypic ability to degrade complex polysaccharides like cellulose and hemicellulose, highlighting the adaptation of the WBR microbiome to the ecophysiological niche of the woodchip matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M McGuire
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Natalie Butkevich
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Aryaman V Saksena
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - M Todd Walter
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - James P Shapleigh
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Matthew C Reid
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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6
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Cheng J, Gao X, Yan Z, Li G, Luo W, Xu Z. Intermittent aeration to reduce gaseous emission and advance humification in food waste digestate composting: Performance and mechanisms. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 371:128644. [PMID: 36681346 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128644] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the performance and mechanisms of intermittent aeration to regulate gaseous emission and humification during food waste digestate composting. In addition to continuous aeration, three intermittent aeration regimes were conducted with the on-off interval ratio at 3:1, 2:1, and 1:1 within each 30 min, respectively. Results showed that intermittent aeration regimes reduced gaseous emission and enhanced humification during composting. In particular, intermittent aeration with the on/off ratio of 1:1 was more effective to reduce organic mineralization than other regimes, which alleviated the emission of nitrous oxide and ammonia by 63.1% and 75.7% in comparison with continuous aeration, respectively. In addition, this aeration regime also enhanced the content of humic acid by 24.1%. Further analysis demonstrated that prolonging aeration-off intervals could enrich facultative bacteria (e.g. Atopobium and Clostridium) from digestate and inhibit the proliferation of several aerobic bacteria (e.g. Caldicoprobacter and Marinimicrobium) to retard organic mineralization for humification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xingzu Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhaowei Yan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Guoxue Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Wenhai Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Organic Recycling Institute (Suzhou) of China Agricultural University, Wuzhong District, Suzhou 215128, China
| | - Zhicheng Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Organic Recycling Institute (Suzhou) of China Agricultural University, Wuzhong District, Suzhou 215128, China.
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7
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Samadi A, Kermanshahi-Pour A, Budge SM, Huang Y, Jamieson R. Biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane by a native digestate microbial community under different electron accepting conditions. Biodegradation 2023; 34:283-300. [PMID: 36808270 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-023-10019-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
The potential of a native digestate microbial community for 1,4-dioxane (DX) biodegradation was evaluated under low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations (1-3 mg/L) under different conditions in terms of electron acceptors, co-substrates, co-contaminants and temperature. Complete DX biodegradation (detection limit of 0.01 mg/L) of initial 25 mg/L was achieved in 119 days under low DO concentrations, while complete biodegradation happened faster at 91 and 77 days, respectively in nitrate-amended and aerated conditions. In addition, conducting biodegradation at 30 ˚C showed that the time required for complete DX biodegradation in unamended flasks reduced from 119 days in ambient condition (20-25 °C) to 84 days. Oxalic acid, which is a common metabolite of DX biodegradation was identified in the flasks under different treatments including unamended, nitrate-amended and aerated conditions. Furthermore, transition of the microbial community was monitored during the DX biodegradation period. While the overall richness and diversity of the microbial community decreased, several families of known DX-degrading bacteria such as Pseudonocardiaceae, Xanthobacteraceae and Chitinophagaceae were able to maintain and grow in different electron-accepting conditions. The results suggested that DX biodegradation under low DO concentrations, where no external aeration was provided, is possible by the digestate microbial community, which can be helpful to the ongoing research for DX bioremediation and natural attenuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Samadi
- Biorefining and Remediation Laboratory, Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Azadeh Kermanshahi-Pour
- Biorefining and Remediation Laboratory, Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Suzanne M Budge
- Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Yannan Huang
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Rob Jamieson
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Thapa U, Ahiablame L, Kjaersgaard J, Hay C. Field evaluation of four denitrifying woodchip bioreactors for nitrogen removal in eastern South Dakota, United States. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158740. [PMID: 36108871 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158740] [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: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Edge-of-field practices such as denitrifying woodchip bioreactors can be used to improve the water quality of agricultural effluents. This study evaluated the effectiveness of four field-scale woodchip bioreactors in removing nitrate‑nitrogen (nitrate-N) from subsurface drainage in eastern South Dakota. Four woodchip bioreactors were installed and monitored between 2014 and 2016 near Arlington, Baltic, Hartford, and Montrose, South Dakota. Results showed that reduction in nitrate-N concentration for the four bioreactors ranged from 7 % to 100 %, corresponding to removal rates of 5 to 27 g N/m3/day for the four bioreactors during the study period. Average Nitrate-N load reduction in the four bioreactors studied ranged from 39 % to 89 % during the study period. Reduction of nitrate-N in the four bioreactors decreased, on average, by 30 % when temperature dropped below 12 °C during the study period. Flow rate and hydraulic retention time (HRT) also influenced nitrate-N removal in the bioreactors as samples collected immediately following rainfall events showed high nitrate-N load removal compared to samples collected later after the rainfall events during the study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utsav Thapa
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University, 1400 North Campus Drive, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
| | - Laurent Ahiablame
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University, 1400 North Campus Drive, Brookings, SD 57006, USA; Research and Innovation, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 433 W. Van Buren, Suite 450, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
| | - Jeppe Kjaersgaard
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 625 Robert St N, St. Paul, MN 55155, USA
| | - Christopher Hay
- Iowa Soybean Association, 1255 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA
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9
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Hellman M, Valhondo C, Martínez-Landa L, Carrera J, Juhanson J, Hallin S. Nitrogen Removal Capacity of Microbial Communities Developing in Compost- and Woodchip-Based Multipurpose Reactive Barriers for Aquifer Recharge With Wastewater. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:877990. [PMID: 35685927 PMCID: PMC9171435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.877990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Global water supplies are threatened by climate changes and the expansion of urban areas, which have led to an increasing interest in nature-based solutions for water reuse and reclamation. Reclaimed water is a possible resource for recharging aquifers, and the addition of an organic reactive barrier has been proposed to improve the removal of pollutants. There has been a large focus on organic pollutants, but less is known about multifunctional barriers, that is, how barriers also remove nutrients that threaten groundwater ecosystems. Herein, we investigated how compost- and woodchip-based barriers affect nitrogen (N) removal in a pilot soil aquifer treatment facility designed for removing nutrients and recalcitrant compounds by investigating the composition of microbial communities and their capacity for N transformations. Secondary-treated, ammonium-rich wastewater was infiltrated through the barriers, and the changes in the concentration of ammonium, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured after passage through the barrier during 1 year of operation. The development and composition of the microbial community in the barriers were examined, and potential N-transforming processes in the barriers were quantified by determining the abundance of key functional genes using quantitative PCR. Only one barrier, based on compost, significantly decreased the ammonium concentration in the infiltrated water. However, the reduction of reactive N in the barriers was moderate (between 21 and 37%), and there were no differences between the barrier types. All the barriers were after 1 year dominated by members of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, although the community composition differed between the barriers. Bacterial classes belonging to the phylum Chloroflexi showed an increased relative abundance in the compost-based barriers. In contrast to the increased genetic potential for nitrification in the compost-based barriers, the woodchip-based barrier demonstrated higher genetic potentials for denitrification, nitrous oxide reduction, and dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonium. The barriers have previously been shown to display a high capacity to degrade recalcitrant pollutants, but in this study, we show that most barriers performed poorly in terms of N removal and those based on compost also leaked DOC, highlighting the difficulties in designing barriers that satisfactorily meet several purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hellman
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Maria Hellman,
| | - Cristina Valhondo
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
- Associate Unit, Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lurdes Martínez-Landa
- Associate Unit, Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Carrera
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
- Associate Unit, Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaanis Juhanson
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Hallin
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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10
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Nassar H, Zyoud A, Helal HH, Ghannam H, Woo Kim T, Helal MH, Hilal HS. Fluorine tin oxide-supported copper nanofilms as effective and selective de-nitration electrocatalysts. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Schaefer A, Lee J, Soupir ML, Moorman TB, Howe A. Comparison of microbial communities in replicated woodchip bioreactors. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2022; 51:205-215. [PMID: 34965312 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Denitrification in woodchip bioreactors is a microbial process, but the effects of variations in bioreactors operation on microbial community structure are not well understood. Here, our goals were to understand hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a factor that influences woodchip bioreactor microbial community variation and structure in replicated field bioreactors and to evaluate relationships between microbial community membership and marker genes for denitrification. We used a combination of quantitative polymerase chain reaction of nirS, nirK, nosZI, and nosZII and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbial communities of nine pilot-scale woodchip bioreactors located at Iowa State University. Our results showed dynamic microbial communities but with persistent taxa between two sampling years and three HRTs. Similarities between functional gene copy numbers across sampling year and HRT indicate that the potential for denitrification is conserved despite differences in the microbial communities. These results are evidence that there are specific and persistent taxa within replicated bioreactors. Woodchip bioreactor microbial community membership is recommended to be the focus of future studies to better understand the relationship between microbial community functions and bioreactor management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby Schaefer
- Dep. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Jaejin Lee
- Genomics and Environmental Research in Microbial Systems Laboratory, Dep. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State Univ., 3346 Elings Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Michelle L Soupir
- Water Quality Research Laboratory, Dep. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State Univ., 3358 Elings Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Thomas B Moorman
- USDA-ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, 2110 University Blvd., Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Adina Howe
- Genomics and Environmental Research in Microbial Systems Laboratory, Dep. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State Univ., 3346 Elings Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
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12
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Nitrate Removal and Woodchip Properties across a Paired Denitrifying Bioreactor Treating Centralized Agricultural Ditch Flows. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w14010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of nitrate loads by denitrifying bioreactors in centralized drainage ditches that receive subsurface tile drainage may offer a more effective alternative to end-of-pipe bioreactors. A paired denitrifying bioreactor design, consisting of an in-ditch bioreactor (18.3 × 2.1 × 0.2 m) treating ditch base flow and a diversion bioreactor (4.6 × 9.1 × 0.9 m) designed to treat high-flow events, was designed and constructed in an agricultural watershed (3.2 km2 drainage area) in Illinois, USA. Flow and water chemistry were monitored for three years and the woodchip and bioreactor-associated soil were analyzed for denitrification potential and chemical properties after 25 months. The in-ditch bioreactor did not significantly reduce nitrate concentrations in the ditch, likely due to low hydraulic connectivity with stream water and sedimentation. The diversion bioreactor significantly reduced nitrate concentrations (58% average reduction) but treated only ~2% of annual ditch flow. Denitrification potential was significantly higher in the in-ditch bioreactor woodchips versus the diversion bioreactor after 25 months (2950 ± 580 vs. 620 ± 310 ng N g−1 dry media h−1). The passive flow design was simple to construct and did not restrict flow in the drainage ditch but resulted in low hydraulic exchange, limiting nitrate removal.
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Jéglot A, Audet J, Sørensen SR, Schnorr K, Plauborg F, Elsgaard L. Microbiome Structure and Function in Woodchip Bioreactors for Nitrate Removal in Agricultural Drainage Water. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:678448. [PMID: 34421841 PMCID: PMC8377596 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.678448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Woodchip bioreactors are increasingly used to remove nitrate (NO3–) from agricultural drainage water in order to protect aquatic ecosystems from excess nitrogen. Nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors is based on microbial processes, but the microbiomes and their role in bioreactor efficiency are generally poorly characterized. Using metagenomic analyses, we characterized the microbiomes from 3 full-scale bioreactors in Denmark, which had been operating for 4–7 years. The microbiomes were dominated by Proteobacteria and especially the genus Pseudomonas, which is consistent with heterotrophic denitrification as the main pathway of NO3– reduction. This was supported by functional gene analyses, showing the presence of the full suite of denitrification genes from NO3– reductases to nitrous oxide reductases. Genes encoding for dissimilatory NO3– reduction to ammonium were found only in minor proportions. In addition to NO3– reducers, the bioreactors harbored distinct functional groups, such as lignocellulose degrading fungi and bacteria, dissimilatory sulfate reducers and methanogens. Further, all bioreactors harbored genera of heterotrophic iron reducers and anaerobic iron oxidizers (Acidovorax) indicating a potential for iron-mediated denitrification. Ecological indices of species diversity showed high similarity between the bioreactors and between the different positions along the flow path, indicating that the woodchip resource niche was important in shaping the microbiome. This trait may be favorable for the development of common microbiological strategies to increase the NO3– removal from agricultural drainage water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Jéglot
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Joachim Audet
- Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Finn Plauborg
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Water Technology (WATEC), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Elsgaard
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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