Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of key functional microorganisms in the partial denitrification-anammox process induced by COD

doi:10.1007/s11783-023-1703-3

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2023, Vol. 17

Issue (8) : 103 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1703-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of key functional microorganisms in the partial denitrification-anammox process induced by COD

Guangjiao Chen¹, Lan Lin³, Ying Wang¹, Zikun Zhang¹, Wenzhi Cao^1,², Yanlong Zhang^1,²(

)

¹. Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
². Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
³. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan

Download: PDF(5042 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

● The availability of PD-anammox was investigated with higher NO₃^––N concentration.

● NO₃^––N concentration affects NO₃^––N accumulation during denitrification.

● COD concentration is determinant for N removal pathways in PD-anammox process.

● The synergy/competition mechanisms between denitrifiers and anammox was explored.

Partial denitrification-anammox (PD-anammox) is an innovative process to remove nitrate (NO₃^––N) and ammonia (NH₄⁺–N) simultaneously from wastewater. Stable operation of the PD-anammox process relies on the synergy and competition between anammox bacteria and denitrifiers. However, the mechanism of metabolic between the functional bacteria in the PD-anammox system remains unclear, especially in the treatment of high-strength wastewater. The kinetics of nitrite (NO₂^––N) accumulation during denitrification was investigated using the Michaelis-Menten equation, and it was found that low concentrations of NO₃^––N had a more significant effect on the accumulation of NO₂^––N during denitrification. Organic matter was a key factor to regulate the synergy of anammox and denitrification, and altered the nitrogen removal pathways. The competition for NO₂^––N caused by high COD concentration was a crucial factor that affecting the system stability. Illumina sequencing techniques demonstrated that excess organic matter promoted the relative abundance of the Denitratesoma genus and the nitrite reductase gene nirS, causing the denitrifying bacteria Denitratisoma to compete with Cadidatus Kuenenia for NO₂^––N, thereby affecting the stability of the system. Synergistic carbon and nitrogen removal between partial denitrifiers and anammox bacteria can be effectively achieved by controlling the COD and COD/NO₃^––N.

Keywords PD-anammox process Nitrite accumulation COD Microbial interaction

Corresponding Author(s): Yanlong Zhang

Issue Date: 15 March 2023

Cite this article:

Guangjiao Chen,Lan Lin,Ying Wang, et al. Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of key functional microorganisms in the partial denitrification-anammox process induced by COD[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(8): 103.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-023-1703-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2023/V17/I8/103

Tab.1 Long-term operation conditions

Fig.1 Reactor performance: (a) profiles of NH₄⁺?N concentration and NH₄⁺?N removal efficiency, (b) profiles of NO₃^??N concentration, (c) profiles of NO₂^??N concentration, (d) profiles of NLR and TN removal efficiency, (e) profiles of COD concentration, (f) profiles of pH.

Fig.2 Contribution of anammox and denitrification to TN removal.

COD/NO₃^??N	r $N O 3$ (mg N/g VSS/h)	a $N O 2$ (mg N/g VSS/h)	r $N O 2$ (mg N/g VSS/h)
1	19.55	7.21	12.33
2	20.93	8.26	12.68
3	20.57	6.80	13.77
4	20.79	6.89	13.90
5	21.62	7.19	14.43
6	21.89	6.26	15.62

Tab.2 Variation of specific NO₃^??N reduction rate, specific NO₂^??N accumulation rate, specific NO₂^??N reduction rate

Fig.3 Variation of NO₃^??N, NO₂^??N and COD concentration under different COD/NO₃^??N during denitrification process.

Fig.4 Michaelis-Menten equation fitting curves of the specific NO₃^??N and NO₂^??N reduction rate in the partial denitrification process at different NO₃^??N concentration with COD/NO₃^??N of 2.0.

Fig.5 Variations of the microbial community structure at phylum (a) and genus (b) levels revealed by high-throughput sequencing of16S rRNA gene amplicons.

Fig.6 Functional genes involving in denitrification process identified by PICRUSt.

Fig.7 The ex-situ activities of partial denitrification and anammox during different COD and TN concentration.

1	A S Arora , A Nawaz , M A Qyyum , S Ismail , M Aslam , A Tawfik , C M Yun , M Lee . (2021). Energy saving anammox technology-based nitrogen removal and bioenergy recovery from wastewater: inhibition mechanisms, state-of-the-art control strategies, and prospects. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 135: 110126 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110126
2	L R Bakken , L Bergaust , B Liu , A Frostegard . (2012). Regulation of denitrification at the cellular level: a clue to the understanding of N2O emissions from soils. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 367(1593): 1226–1234 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0321
3	N A Bokulich , B D Kaehler , J R Rideout , M Dillon , E Bolyen , R Knight , G A Huttley , J Gregory Caporaso . (2018). Optimizing taxonomic classification of marker-gene amplicon sequences with QIIME 2's q2-feature-classifier plugin. Microbiome, 6: 90 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-018-0470-z
4	B J Callahan , P J Mcmurdie , M J Rosen , A W Han , A J A Johnson , S P Holmes . (2016). DADA2: high-resolution sample inference from Illumina amplicon data. Nature Methods, 13(7): 581–583 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.3869
5	S Cao , R Du , Y Zhou . (2020). Coupling anammox with heterotrophic denitrification for enhanced nitrogen removal: a review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 51(19): 2260–2293 https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2020.1778394
6	S Cao , S Wang , Y Peng , C Wu , R Du , L Gong , B Ma . (2013a). Achieving partial denitrification with sludge fermentation liquid as carbon source: the effect of seeding sludge. Bioresource Technology, 149: 570–574 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.09.072
7	X Cao , D Qian , X Meng . (2013b). Effects of pH on nitrite accumulation during wastewater denitrification. Environmental Technology, 34(1): 45–51 https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2012.679700
8	G Chen , Y Zhang , X Wang , F Chen , L Lin , Q Ruan , Y Wang , F Wang , W Cao , P Chiang . (2020). Optimizing of operation strategies of the single-stage partial nitrification-anammox process. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256: 120667 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120667
9	S Cho , Y Takahashi , N Fujii , Y Yamada , H Satoh , S Okabe . (2010). Nitrogen removal performance and microbial community analysis of an anaerobic up-flow granular bed anammox reactor. Chemosphere, 78(9): 1129–1135 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.12.034
10	Z R Chu , K Wang , X K Li , M T Zhu , L Yang , J Zhang . (2015). Microbial characterization of aggregates within a one-stage nitritation-anammox system using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Chemical Engineering Journal, 262: 41–48 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2014.09.067
11	K L Dennis , Y Wang , N R Blatner , S Wang , A Saadalla , E Trudeau , A Roers , C T Weaver , J J Lee , J A Gilbert , E B Chang , K Khazaie . (2013). Adenomatous polyps are driven by microbe-instigated focal inflammation and are controlled by IL-10-producing T cells. Cancer Research, 73(19): 5905–5913 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1511
12	G D Drysdale , H C Kasan , F Bux . (2001). Assessment of denitrification by the ordinary heterotrophic organisms in an NDBEPR activated sludge sytem. Water Science and Technology, 43(1): 147–154 https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0036
13	R Du , S Cao , B Li , M Niu , S Wang , Y Peng . (2017a). Performance and microbial community analysis of a novel DEAMOX based on partial-denitrification and anammox treating ammonia and nitrate wastewaters. Water Research, 108: 46–56 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.10.051
14	R Du , S Cao , B Li , H Zhang , X Li , Q Zhang , Y Peng . (2019a). Step-feeding organic carbon enhances high-strength nitrate and ammonia removal via DEAMOX process. Chemical Engineering Journal, 360: 501–510 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.12.011
15	R Du , S Cao , B Li , H Zhang , S Wang , Y Peng . (2019). Synergy of partial-denitrification and anammox in continuously fed upflow sludge blanket reactor for simultaneous nitrate and ammonia removal at room temperature. Bioresource Technology, 274: 386–394 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.11.101
16	R Du , S Cao , X Li , J Wang , Y Peng . (2020). Efficient partial-denitrification/anammox (PD/A) process through gas-mixing strategy: system evaluation and microbial analysis. Bioresource Technology, 300: 122675 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122675
17	R Du , S Cao , Y Peng , H Zhang , S Wang . (2019b). Combined partial denitrification (PD)-anammox: a method for high nitrate wastewater treatment. Environment International, 126: 707–716 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.03.007
18	R Du , S B Cao , B K Li , S Y Wang , Y Z Peng . (2017b). Simultaneous domestic wastewater and nitrate sewage treatment by DEnitrifying AMmonium OXidation (DEAMOX) in sequencing batch reactor. Chemosphere, 174: 399–407 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.013
19	R Du , Y Peng , S Cao , B Li , S Wang , M Niu . (2016). Mechanisms and microbial structure of partial denitrification with high nitrite accumulation. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 100(4): 2011–2021
20	S Ge , Y Peng , S Wang , C Lu , X Cao , Y Zhu . (2012). Nitrite accumulation under constant temperature in anoxic denitrification process: the effects of carbon sources and COD/NO3−N. Bioresource Technology, 114: 137–143 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.03.016
21	L Gong , M Huo , Q Yang , J Li , B Ma , R Zhu , S Wang , Y Peng . (2013). Performance of heterotrophic partial denitrification under feast-famine condition of electron donor: a case study using acetate as external carbon source. Bioresource Technology, 133: 263–269 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.12.108
22	Y GuoZ LuoJ ShenY Y (2022) Li. The main anammox-based processes, the involved microbes and the novel process concept from the application perspective. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 16: 84
23	J Ji , Y Peng , B Wang , X Li , Q Zhang . (2020). A novel SNPR process for advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from mainstream wastewater based on anammox, endogenous partial-denitrification and denitrifying dephosphatation. Water Research, 170: 115363 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115363
24	R C Jin , G F Yang , J J Yu , P Zheng . (2012). The inhibition of the anammox process: a review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 197: 67–79 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2012.05.014
25	S Lackner , E M Gilbert , S E Vlaeminck , A Joss , H Horn , M C Van Loosdrecht . (2014). Full-scale partial nitritation/anammox experiences–an application survey. Water Research, 55: 292–303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.02.032
26	J Li , J Li , R Gao , M Wang , L Yang , X Wang , L Zhang , Y Peng . (2018a). A critical review of one-stage anammox processes for treating industrial wastewater: optimization strategies based on key functional microorganisms. Bioresource Technology, 265: 498–505 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.07.013
27	J Li , Z M Qiang , D S Yu , D Wang , P Y Zhang , Y Li . (2016a). Performance and microbial community of simultaneous anammox and denitrification (SAD) process in a sequencing batch reactor. Bioresource Technology, 218: 1064–1072 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.07.081
28	W Li , X Y Lin , J J Chen , C Y Cai , G Abbas , Z Q Hu , H P Zhao , P Zheng . (2016b). Enrichment of denitratating bacteria from a methylotrophic denitrifying culture. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 100(23): 10203–10213 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7859-z
29	W Li , S Liu , M Zhang , H P Zhao , P Zheng . (2018b). Oxidation of organic electron donor by denitratation: performance, pathway and key microorganism. Chemical Engineering Journal, 343: 554–560 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.02.112
30	G Liu , F Q Ling , A Magic-Knezev , W T Liu , J Verberk , J C Van Dijk . (2013). Quantification and identification of particle-associated bacteria in unchlorinated drinking water from three treatment plants by cultivation-independent methods. Water Research, 47(10): 3523–3533 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2013.03.058
31	H Lu , K Chandran , D Stensel . (2014). Microbial ecology of denitrification in biological wastewater treatment. Water Research, 64: 237–254 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.06.042
32	B Ma , X Xu , Y Wei , C Ge , Y Peng . (2020). Recent advances in controlling denitritation for achieving denitratation/anammox in mainstream wastewater treatment plants. Bioresource Technology, 299: 122697 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122697
33	M Martienssen , R Schops . (1997). Biological treatment of leachate from solid waste landfill sites: alterations in the bacterial community during the denitrification process. Water Research, 31(5): 1164–1170 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(96)00364-8
34	F Morgan-Sagastume , J L Nielsen , P H Nielsen . (2008). Substrate-dependent denitrification of abundant probe-defined denitrifying bacteria in activated sludge. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 66(2): 447–461 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00571.x
35	A Mulder , A A Vandegraaf , L A Robertson , J G Kuenen . (1995). Anaerobic ammonium oxidation discovered in a denitrifying fluidized bed reactor. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 16(3): 177–184 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.1995.tb00281.x
36	J Oh , J Silverstein . (1999). Acetate limitation and nitrite accumulation during denitrification. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 125(3): 234–242 https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9372(1999)125:3(234
37	W Qian , B Ma , X Li , Q Zhang , Y Peng . (2019). Long-term effect of pH on denitrification: High pH benefits achieving partial-denitrification. Bioresource Technology, 278: 444–449 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.01.105
38	B E Rittmann, P L Mccarty (2002). Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press
39	P C Sabumon . (2007). Anaerobic ammonia removal in presence of organic matter: a novel route. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 149(1): 49–59 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.03.052
40	S SahaR GuptaS SethiR Biswas (2022). Enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen removing bacterial population to a wide range of C:N ratio (1.5:1 to 14:1) for simultaneous C&N removal. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 16: 101
41	L Shi , R Du , Y Peng . (2019). Achieving partial denitrification using carbon sources in domestic wastewater with waste-activated sludge as inoculum. Bioresource Technology, 283: 18–27 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.03.063
42	C J Tang , P Zheng , S Ding , H F Lu . (2014). Enhanced nitrogen removal from ammonium-rich wastewater containing high organic contents by coupling with novel high-rate ANAMMOX granules addition. Chemical Engineering Journal, 240: 454–461 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2013.11.052
43	S P Wang , Y Liu , Q G Niu , J Y Ji , T Hojo , Y Y Li . (2017). Nitrogen removal performance and loading capacity of a novel single-stage nitritation-anammox system with syntrophic micro-granul. Bioresource Technology, 236: 119–128 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.164
44	X Wang , R Yang , Y Guo , Z Zhang , C M Kao , S Chen . (2019). Investigation of COD and COD/N ratio for the dominance of anammox pathway for nitrogen removal via isotope labelling technique and the relevant bacteria. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 366: 606–614 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.12.036
45	R Xiao , B J Ni , S Liu , H Lu . (2021). Impacts of organics on the microbial ecology of wastewater anammox processes: recent advances and meta-analysis. Water Research, 191: 116817 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.116817
46	Q G You , J H Wang , G X Qi , Y M Zhou , Z W Guo , Y Shen , X Gao . (2020). Anammox and partial denitrification coupling: a review. RSC Advances, 10(21): 12554–12572 https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA00001A
47	H Zhang , R Du , S Cao , S Wang , Y Peng . (2019). Mechanisms and characteristics of biofilm formation via novel DEAMOX system based on sequencing biofilm batch reactor. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 127(2): 206–212 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.07.026
48	T Zhang , J Cao , Y Zhang , F Fang , Q Feng , J Luo . (2020). Achieving efficient nitrite accumulation in glycerol-driven partial denitrification system: insights of influencing factors, shift of microbial community and metabolic function. Bioresource Technology, 315: 123844 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123844
49	Y Zhang , Q Niu , H Ma , S He , K Kubota , Y Y Li . (2016). Long-term operation performance and variation of substrate tolerance ability in an anammox attached film expanded bed (AAFEB) reactor. Bioresource Technology, 211: 31–40 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.03.055

[1]

FSE-23004-OF-CGJ_suppl_1

Download

[1]	Qiyue Wu, Yun Geng, Xinyuan Wang, Dongsheng Wang, ChangKyoo Yoo, Hongbin Liu. A novel deep learning framework with variational auto-encoder for indoor air quality prediction[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(1): 8-.
[2]	Tao Ya, Zhimin Wang, Junyu Liu, Minglu Zhang, Lili Zhang, Xiaojing Liu, Yuan Li, Xiaohui Wang. Responses of microbial interactions to elevated salinity in activated sludge microbial community[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2023, 17(5): 60-.
[3]	Xuesong Liu, Jianmin Wang, Yue-Wern Huang. *Understanding the role of nano-TiO₂ on the toxicity of Pb on C. dubia* through modeling–Is it additive or synergistic?**[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2022, 16(5): 59-.
[4]	Ruijie Li, Mengmeng Zhou, Shilong He, Tingting Pan, Jing Liu, Jiabao Zhu. Deciphering the effect of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate on up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket treatment of synthetic sulfate-containing wastewater[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(5): 91-.
[5]	Senem Yazici Guvenc, Gamze Varank. Degradation of refractory organics in concentrated leachate by the Fenton process: Central composite design for process optimization[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(1): 2-.
[6]	Zhihao Si, Xinshan Song, Xin Cao, Yuhui Wang, Yifei Wang, Yufeng Zhao, Xiaoyan Ge, Awet Arefe Tesfahunegn. Nitrate removal to its fate in wetland mesocosm filled with sponge iron: Impact of influent COD/N ratio[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2020, 14(1): 4-.
[7]	Songwei Lin, Yaobin Lu, Bo Ye, Cuiping Zeng, Guangli Liu, Jieling Li, Haiping Luo, Renduo Zhang. Pesticide wastewater treatment using the combination of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell and Fenton process[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2020, 14(1): 12-.
[8]	Gastón Azziz, Matías Giménez, Héctor Romero, Patricia M. Valdespino-Castillo, Luisa I. Falcón, Lucas A. M. Ruberto, Walter P. Mac Cormack, Silvia Batista. Detection of presumed genes encoding beta-lactamases by sequence based screening of metagenomes derived from Antarctic microbial mats[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(3): 44-.
[9]	Yao Zhang, Yayi Wang, Yuan Yan, Haicheng Han, Min Wu. Characterization of CANON reactor performance and microbial community shifts with elevated COD/N ratios under a continuous aeration mode[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(1): 7-.
[10]	Dawen Gao, Xiaolong Wang, Hong Liang, Qihang Wei, Yuan Dou, Longwei Li. Anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria: ecological distribution, metabolism, and microbial interactions[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2018, 12(3): 10-.
[11]	Sanath KONDAVEETI,Kwang Soon CHOI,Ramesh KAKARLA,Booki MIN. *Microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus* as renewable biomass feedstock for electricity generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs)**[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2014, 8(5): 784-791.
[12]	Youkui GONG,Yongzhen PENG,Shuying WANG,Sai WANG. Production of N₂O in two biologic nitrogen removal processes: a comparison between conventional and short-cut Nitrogen removal processes[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2014, 8(4): 589-597.
[13]	Yu GUO, Haifeng JIA. An approach to calculating allowable watershed pollutant loads[J]. Front Envir Sci Eng, 2012, 6(5): 658-671.
[14]	Pinjing HE, Min LI, Suyun XU, Liming SHAO, . Anaerobic treatment of fresh leachate from a municipal solid waste incinerator by upflow blanket filter reactor[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2009, 3(4): 404-411.
[15]	WEI Qun, HU Zhiquan, LI Genbao, XIAO Bo, SUN Hao, TAO Meiping. Removing nitrogen and phosphorus from simulated wastewater using algal biofilm technique[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2008, 2(4): 446-451.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed