Biological Nitrogen Removal Database

A manually curated data resource for microbial nitrogen removal


Water Treatment Plant


Experimental setup


Influent:Wastewater

Denitrification system:Simultaneous Desulfurization and Denitrification (SDD)

Denitrifying reactor:Expanded granular sludge bed

Medium:nan

Culture taken from:Biogranule sludge

Organism (s) cultured:nan

Respiration:Anaerobic

Electron donor:Acetate

Electron acceptor:Nitrate


Experimental Information


Input NO3-N (mg/l):10.3

Nitrate removal rate (mg NO3-N/l/h):9.6

Denitrification rate (gNO3-N removed/m3/day):nan

Microorganisms identified:Pseudomonas; Anaerobacter; Aminomonas; Levilinea; Clostridium; Sporanaerobacter; Thermothrix; Sulfurovum; Rikenella; Samsonia; Nitrincola; Idiomarina; Aminobacterium; Halalkalicoccus; Flavimonas; Chryseomonas; Xenohaliotis; Thermomicrobium

Molecular tools:16S amplicon sequencing; DGGE


Information about Article


Major findings:The research focused on denitrifying sulfide removal (DSR) test in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor, high sulfide concentration inhibited heterotrophic denitrifiers, and therefore the system accumulates nitrite. Autotrophic denitrifiers are then inhibited by the accumulated nitrite, this led to breakdown of the DSR process.

Authors:Chen et al., 2008

Title:Biological Breakdown of Denitrifying Sulfide Removal Process in High-Rate Expanded Granular Bed Reactor

Pubmed link:Link

Full research link:Link

Abstract:This work conducted a denitrifying sulfide removal (DSR) test in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor at sustainable loadings of 6.09 kg m?3 day?1 for sulfide, 3.11 kg m?3 day?1 for nitrate–nitrogen, and 3.27 kg m?1 day?1 for acetate–carbon with >93% efficiency, which is significantly higher than those reported in literature. Strains Pseudomonas sp., Nitrincola sp., and Azoarcus sp. very likely yield heterotrophs. Strains Thermothrix sp. and Sulfurovum sp. are the autotrophs required for the proposed high-rate EGSB-DSR system. The EGSB-DSR reactor experienced two biological breakdowns, one at loadings of 4.87, 2.13, and 1.82 kg m?3 day?1; reactor function was restored by increasing nitrate and acetate loadings. Another breakdown occurred at loadings of up to 8.00, 4.08, and 4.50 kg m?1 day?1; the heterotrophic denitrification pathway declined faster than the autotrophic pathway. The mechanism of DSR breakdown is as follows. High sulfide concentration inhibits heterotrophic denitrifiers, and the system therefore accumulates nitrite. Autotrophic denitrifiers are then inhibited by the accumulated nitrite, thereby leading to breakdown of the DSR process.