Coexistence of nitrifiers, denitrifiers and Anammox bacteria in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor as revealed by PCR-DGGE

Methods Influence in Surface Area Result from Polyurethane Used as Support Media

We evaluated if different measurement methods influence the surface area results from a polyurethane sponge used as support media in biofilm reactors. The surface area values are normally used to characterize and present advantages from supported medias. However, the methodology to determine it is barely discussed. We compared two specific surface area methodologies: Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and analysis of images obtained by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Specific surface area by BET was 93769.1 m2 m-3 (average); for SEM methodology, 10586.6 m2 m-3. The BET value was higher than expected in reality, and the SEM method result was more suitable and used as data input in a mathematical modeling.

Sequencing batch reactor technology for landfill leachate treatment: A state-of-the-art review

Landfill has become an underlying source of surface and groundwater pollution if not efficiently managed, due to the risk of leachate infiltration into to land and aquifers. The generated leachate is considered a serious environmental threat for the public health, because of the toxic and recalcitrant nature of its constituents. Thus, it must be collected and appropriately treated before being discharged into the environment. At present, there is no single unit process available for proper leachate treatment as conventional wastewater treatment processes cannot achieve a satisfactory level for degrading toxic substances present. Therefore, there is a growing interest in examination of different leachate treatment processes for maximum operational flexibility. Based on leachate characteristics, discharge requirements, technical possibilities, regulatory requirements and financial considerations, several techniques have been applied for its degradation, presenting varying degrees of efficiency. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive review of existing research articles on the pros and cons of various leachate degradation methods. In line with environmental sustainability, the article stressed on the application and efficiency of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system treating landfill leachate due to its operational flexibility, resistance to shock loads and high biomass retention. Contributions of integrated leachate treatment technologies with SBR were also discussed. The article further analyzed the effect of different adopted materials, processes, strategies and configurations on leachate treatment. Environmental and operational parameters that affect SBR system were critically discussed. It is believed that information contained in this review will increase readers fundamental knowledge, guide future researchers and be incorporated into future works on experimentally-based SBR studies for leachate treatment.

Phase Transitions by an Abundant Protein in the Anammox Extracellular Matrix Mediate Cell-to-Cell Aggregation and Biofilm Formation

By employing biophysical and liquid-liquid phase separation concepts, this study revealed how a highly abundant extracellular protein enhances the key environmental and industrial bioprocess of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Extracellular proteins of environmental biofilms are understudied and poorly annotated in public databases. Understanding the function of extracellular proteins is also increasingly important for improving bioprocesses and resource recovery. Here, protein functions were assessed based on theoretical predictions of intrinsically disordered domains, known to promote adhesion and liquid-liquid phase separation, and available surface layer protein properties. A model is thus proposed to explain how the protein promotes aggregation and biofilm formation by extracellular matrix remodeling and phase transitions. This work provides a strong foundation for functional investigations of extracellular proteins involved in biofilm development.

This study describes the first direct functional assignment of a highly abundant extracellular protein from a key environmental and biotechnological biofilm performing an anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process. Expression levels of Brosi_A1236, belonging to a class of proteins previously suggested to be cell surface associated, were in the top one percentile of all genes in the “Candidatus Brocadia sinica”-enriched biofilm. The Brosi_A1236 structure was computationally predicted to consist of immunoglobulin-like anti-parallel β-strands, and circular dichroism conducted on the isolated surface protein indicated that β-strands are the dominant higher-order structure. The isolated protein was stained positively by the β-sheet-specific stain thioflavin T, along with cell surface- and matrix-associated regions of the biofilm. The surface protein has a large unstructured content, including two highly disordered domains at its C terminus. The disordered domains bound to the substratum and thereby facilitated the adhesion of negatively charged latex microspheres, which were used as a proxy for cells. The disordered domains and isolated whole surface protein also underwent liquid-liquid phase separation to form liquid droplets in suspension. Liquid droplets of disordered protein wet the surfaces of microspheres and bacterial cells and facilitated their coalescence. Furthermore, the surface layer protein formed gels as well as ordered crystalline structures. These observations suggest that biophysical remodeling through phase transitions promotes aggregation and biofilm formation.

Enhanced nitrogen removal in an aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor under low DO concentration: Role of extracellular polymeric substances and microbial community structure

In this study, the role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in nitrogen removal and the microbial community structure of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) were analyzed under different dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions (6-7, 4-5, and 2-3 mg·L^-1). The EPSs transported and retained nitrogen in the denitrification process, and the total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) in the EPSs decreased from 6.09 to 5.54 mg·g^-1 MLSS when the DO concentration decreased from 6-7 to 2-3 mg·L^-1. The microbial community showed different core denitrifying bacterial populations involved in nitrogen removal in the AGS system under different DO conditions, with more species when they were higher relative abundances of denitrifying bacteria participating in the nitrogen removal process in AGS under low DO conditions, including Hydrogenophilaceae, Thauera, Enterobacter, Xanthomonadaceae_unclassified, Comalmonadaceae_unclassified, Nitrosomonas and Paracoccus. This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the DO effect on the TIN removal mechanism by AGS.

Improving Wastewater Nitrogen Removal and Reducing Effluent NOx - -N by an Oxygen-Limited Process Consisting of a Sequencing Batch Reactor and a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor

A series of reactors including a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) were used for nitrogen removal. The aim of this study was simultaneous removal of NH4+-N and NOx–-N from synthetic wastewater. In the novel proposed method, the effluent from SBR was sequentially introduced into SBBR, which contained 0.030 m3 biofilm carriers, so the system operated under a paired sequence of aerobic-anoxic conditions. The effects of different carbon sources and aeration conditions were investigated. A low dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the biofilm depth of the fixed-bed process (SBBR) simulated the anoxic phase conditions. Accordingly, a portion of NH4+-N that was not converted to NO3–-N by the SBR process was converted to NO3–-N in the outer layer of the biofilm in the SBBR process. Further, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) was achieved in the SBBR where NO2–-N was converted to N2 directly, before NO3–-N conversion (partial nitrification). The level of mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) was 2740 mg/l at the start of the experiments. The required carbon source (C: N ratio of 4) was provided by adding an internal carbon source (through step feeding) or ethanol. Firstly, as part of the system (SBR and SBBR), SBR operated at a DO level of 1 mg/l while SBBR operated at a DO concentration of 0.3 mg/l during Run-1. During Run-2, the system operated at the low DO concentration of 0.3 mg/l. When the source of carbon was ethanol, the nitrogen removal rate (RN) was higher than the operation with an internal carbon source. When the reactors were operated at the same DO concentration of 0.3 mg/l, 99.1 % of the ammonium was removed. The NO3–-N produced during the aerobic SBR operation of the novel method was removed in SBBR reactor by 8.3 %. The concentrations of NO3--N and NO2–-N in the SBBR effluent were reduced to 2.5 and 5.5 mg/l, respectively. Also, the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency was 97.5 % by adding ethanol at the DO level of 0.3 mg/l.

When C:N adjustment was carried out SND efficiency at C:N ratio of 6.5 reached to 99 %. The increasing nitrogen loading rate (NLR) to 0.554 kg N/m3 d decreased SND efficiency to 80.7 %.

Recent advances in nitrogen removal from landfill leachate using biological treatments - A review

Landfill leachate, generated from the wastes in a landfill, is a type of wastewater with high concentrations of ammonia and organics, causing a serious environmental pollution. Because of its complex and changing characteristics, it is difficult to remove nitrogen from landfill leachate economically and effectively. Hence, nitrogen removal is a significant research priority of landfill leachate treatment in recent years. Biological processes are known to be effective in nitrogen removal. In this work, the biological nitrogen removal treatments were divided into the following processes: conventional nitrification-denitrification process, nitritation-denitritation process, endogenous denitritation process, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) process. This manuscript summarized the theories and applications of these approaches in detail, and concluded that appropriate processes should be selected in accordance with different characteristics of landfill leachate, in order to effectively remove nitrogen from all stages of landfill leachate and reduce disposal costs. Finally, perspective on the challenges and opportunities of biological nitrogen removal from landfill leachate was also presented.

Succession and diversity of microbial communities in landfills with depths and ages and its association with dissolved organic matter and heavy metals

Landfill is an important method for the treatment of municipal solid wastes. Microbes play a central role in the biodegradation and stabilization of organic matter during landfill; however, the succession of microbial communities in landfills and their association with organic matter still remain unclear. This study investigated the succession and diversity of microorganisms in landfill depending on different depths and ages as well as its association with dissolved organic matter (DOM) and heavy metals. The results showed that the actinobacterial diversity and richness were high compared to bacteria in young landfill cells. The diversity and richness of bacteria and actinobacterial were the highest in the middle layer in the intermediate and old landfill cells. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the most dominant phyla. Firmicutes were mainly affected by the humification degree, and the aromatic and protein-like substance content of the landfill-derived DOM. The phylum Proteobacteria was greatly affected by the lipid and humic-like substances content of the landfill-derived DOM, while the distribution of Actinobacteria was regulated by both aromatic and humic-like substances. The effect of dissolved heavy metals on the microbial distribution in landfill differed for the metals Cr, Ni, Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Cd. Siderophile elements (Cr, Ni, and Pb) were necessary trace elements for Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and promoted their growth. Oxyphilic element (Mn) was an important factor promoting the growth of Actinobacteria. However, no apparent relationship was found between sulfurophile elements (Cu, Zn, and Cd) and microorganisms.

Inhibition of anammox by sludge thermal hydrolysis and metagenomic insights

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) would be a feasible treatment method for thermal hydrolysis processed sidestream (THPS). Short-term study revealed that the 1/20 diluted THPS caused a 28% decrease of specific anammox activity. The MBR achieved a volumetric nitrogen loading rate of 3.64 kg/(m³·d) with undiluted regular sidestream (RS) fed, while the reactor crashed with 70% diluted THPS as feed. The ratio of produced NO₃^--N to consumed NH₄⁺-N also decreased compared with RS feeding. Candidatus brocadia was the major anammox bacteria species with the average abundance of 33.3% (synthetic wastewater), 6.42% (RS) and 2.51% (THPS). The abundances of metagenome bins for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) increased in the system with THPS compared with RS. The reason for the inhibition of anammox by THPS could be the high content of organic carbon in THPS, which caused the over-population of heterotrophic bacteria, i.e. DNRA bacteria, leading to anammox bacteria washout.

Key operating parameters affecting nitrogen removal rate in single-stage deammonification

The key operating parameters for improving the nitrogen removal rate (NRR) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for deammonification were investigated. The major operating strategies were the coexistence between deammonification and denitrification with a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 0.5 and the control of the number of sub-cycles based on substrate concentration for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) and ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB). In the study, denitrification with the addition of an organic source was beneficial for improving the NRR from 0.5 ± 0.01 kg N m^-3 d^-1 to 0.53 ± 0.01 kg N m^-3 d^-1 by removing the nitrate produced as a by-product of ANAMMOX. Unlike the gradual increase of the specific activity for AOB, the specific ANAMMOX activity (SAA) was maximized when an ammonium concentration supplied after sub-feeding phase was increased from 20 to 100 mg L^-1, which increased the NRR from 0.53 ± 0.01 kg N m^-3 d^-1 to 0.79 ± 0.01 kg N m^-3 d^-1. This result suggested that the SAA is more important than the specific activity for AOB as a parameter for controlling the NRR in the single-stage deammonification. In the whole experimental period, the granule size smaller than 100 μm accounted for 52.5 ± 0.9%, making the largest contribution to the activity for AOB and denitrifiers. However, the granule size larger than 100 μm made the greatest contribution (83.8 ± 0.5%) to SAA. The feasibility of using the derivate of pH and OPR as indirect parameters to control the NRR was verified.

Effects of temperature on anammox performance and community structure

A lab-scale anammox up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was run to investigate the influence of temperature on anammox performance and community structure. The anammox system had a higher substrate tolerance at 13 °C than at 18 °C. The adverse effects caused by the use of a lower temperature (8 °C) could be restored. The nitrogen removal rate (NRR) decreased with decreasing in situ specific anammox activity (SAA). Interestingly, the ex situ SAA acclimated at 23 °C, when exposed to ex situ temperatures of 33 and 28 °C, was higher than for those acclimated at 33 and 28 °C. No shift was observed in the optimum temperature for ex situ SAA in the whole lowering process of anammox UASB. More extracellular polymeric substances were produced in response to cooler conditions (18 °C and 13 °C). Ca. Kuenenia became much more abundant (55.18% of the microbial community) and had a competitive advantage over other anammox bacteria (AnAOB) at 13 °C.

Effect of low COD/N ratios on stability of single-stage partial nitritation/anammox (SPN/A) process in a long-term operation

This study investigates the effects of varying COD/N ratios on single-stage partial nitritation/anammox (SPN/A) process in a SBR. The operational period was divided into three phases with different influent COD/N ratios (0.4, 0 and 0.5). Stable nitrogen removal was achieved in phase I with a COD/N of 0.4. In phase II COD was absent, effluent nitrite and nitrate increased and nitrogen removal performance gradually deteriorated. In phase III SPN/A failed to recover from nitrate accumulation when COD/N was increased. Microbial activity was measured and microbial community was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. These results revealed that ordinary heterotrophic organisms (OHO) was suppressed when influent COD was absent, leading to the promotion of nitrification even at a low DO (0.2mgL^-1). Therefore, nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was gradually enriched and anammox bacteria was suppressed. Besides, it was observed that flocs were sensitive to influent COD variations than granules, which requires further investigation.

Stoichiometric evaluation of partial nitritation, anammox and denitrification processes in a sequencing batch reactor and interpretation of online monitoring parameters

A laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) performing partial nitritation - anammox and denitrification was used to treat anaerobic digester effluents. The SBR cycle consisted of a short mixing filling phase followed by oxic and anoxic reaction phases. Working at 25 °C, an ammonium conversion efficiency of 96.5%, a total nitrogen removal efficiency of 88.6%, and an organic carbon removal efficiency of 63.5% were obtained at a nitrogen loading rate of 0.15 kg N m^-3 d^-1, and a biodegradable organic carbon to nitrogen ratio of 0.37. The potential contribution of each biological process was evaluated by using a stoichiometric model. The nitritation contribution decreased as the temperature decreased, while the contribution from anammox depended on the wastewater type and soluble carbon to nitrogen ratio. Denitrification improved the total nitrogen removal efficiency, and it was influenced by the biodegradable organic carbon to nitrogen ratio. The characteristic patterns of conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and pH in the SBR cycle were well related to biological processes. Conductivity profiles were found to be directly related to the decreasing profiles of ammonium. Positive ORP values at the end of the anoxic phases were detected for total nitrogen removal efficiency of lower than 85%, and the occurrence of bending points on the ORP curves during the anoxic phases was associated with nitrite depletion by the anammox process.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by EPSs in aerobic granular sludge enhanced nitrogen removal of ammonium-nitrogen-rich wastewater

In this study, role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in enhancing nitrogen-removal from ammonium-nitrogen-rich wastewater using aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology were analyzed. AGS enabled ammonium oxidation and denitrification to occur simultaneously. Air stripping and simultaneous nitrification-denitrification contributed to total-nitrogen removal. Clone-library analysis revealed that close relatives of Nitrosomonas eutropha and heterotrophic denitrifiers were dominant in the AGS, whereas anammox bacteria were not detected. EPSs adsorption of ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate nitrogen results in improved removal of nitrogen in batch experiments.

The assessment of the coke wastewater treatment efficacy in rotating biological contractor

Coke wastewater is known to be relatively difficult for biological treatment. Nonetheless, biofilm-based systems seem to be promising tool for such treatment. That is why a rotating biological contactor (RBC) system focused on the Anammox process was used in this study. The experiment was divided into two parts with synthetic and then real wastewater. It was proven that it is possible to treat coke wastewater with RBC but such a procedure requires a very long start-up period for the nitritation (190 days), as well as for the Anammox process, where stable nitrogen removal over 70% was achieved after 400 days of experiment. Interestingly, it was possible at a relatively low (20.2 ± 2.2 °C) temperature. The polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) based monitoring of the bacterial community showed that its biodiversity decreased when the real wastewater was treated and it was composed mainly of GC-rich genotypes, probably because of the modeling influence of this wastewater and the genotypes specialization.

Pyrosequencing Reveals a Core Community of Anodic Bacterial Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems from China

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are promising technologies for energy and product recovery coupled with wastewater treatment, and the core microbial community in electrochemically active biofilm in BESs remains controversy. In the present study, 7 anodic communities from 6 bioelectrochemical systems in 4 labs in southeast, north and south-central of China are explored by 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 251,225 effective sequences are obtained for 7 electrochemically active biofilm samples at 3% cutoff level. While Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-proteobacteria are the most abundant classes (averaging 16.0-17.7%), Bacteroidia and Clostridia are the two sub-dominant and commonly shared classes. Six commonly shared genera i.e., Azospira, Azospirillum, Acinetobacter, Bacteroides, Geobacter, Pseudomonas, and Rhodopseudomonas dominate the electrochemically active communities and are defined as core genera. A total of 25 OTUs with average relative abundance >0.5% were selected and designated as core OTUs, and some species relating to these OTUs have been reported electrochemically active. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry tests show that two strains from Acinetobacter guillouiae and Stappia indica, bacteria relate to two core OTUs, are electrochemically active. Using randomly selected bioelectrochemical systems, the study has presented extremely diverse bacterial communities in anodic biofilms, though, we still can suggest some potentially microbes for investigating the electrochemical mechanisms in bioelectrochemical systems.

An evaluation of the performance and optimization of a new wastewater treatment technology: the air suction flow-biofilm reactor

In this laboratory study, a novel wastewater treatment technology, the air suction flow-biofilm reactor (ASF-BR) - a sequencing batch biofilm reactor technology with a passive aeration mechanism - was investigated for its efficiency in removing organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, from high-strength synthetic wastewaters. A laboratory-scale ASF-BR comprising 2 reactors, 350 mm in diameter and 450 mm in height, was investigated over 2 studies (Studies 1 and 2) for a total of 430 days. Study 1 lasted a total of 166 days and involved a 9-step sequence alternating between aeration, anoxic treatment and settlement. The cycle time was 12.1 h and the reactors were operated at a substrate loading rate of 3.60 g filtered chemical oxygen demand (CODf)/m2 media/d, 0.28 g filtered total nitrogen (TNf)/m2 media/d, 0.24 g ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N)/m2 media/d and 0.07 g ortho-phosphate (PO4-P)/m2 media/d. The average removal rates achieved during Study 1 were 98% CODf, 88% TNf, 97% NH4-N and 35% PO4-P. During Study 2 (264 days), the unit was operated at a loading rate of 2.49 g CODf/m2 media/d, 0.24 g TNf/m2 media/d, 0.20 g NH4-N/m2 media/d and 0.06 PO4-P/m2 media/d. The energy requirement during this study was reduced by modifying the treatment cycle in include fewer pumping cycles. Removal rates in Study 2 averaged 97% CODf, 86% TNf, 99% NH4-N and 76% PO4-P. The excess sludge production of the system was evaluated and detailed analyses of the treatment cycles were carried out. Biomass yields were estimated at 0.09 g SS/g CODf, removed and 0.21 g SS/g CODf, removed for Studies 1 and 2, respectively. Gene analysis showed that the use of a partial vacuum did not affect the growth of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. The results indicate that the ASF-BR and passive aeration technologies can offer efficient alternatives to existing technologies.

Bacterial community structure of autotrophic denitrification biocathode by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene

Few studies have been conducted to explore the community composition in denitrifying biocathode. Herein, the microbial communities of denitrifying biocathodes yielding current of 1 mA (reactor C1) and 1.5 mA (reactor C2) were characterized by 454 pyrosequencing. The nitrate removal efficiencies in C1 and C2 were about 93 and 85%, respectively. The optimization of data generated high-quality sequences of 18509 in C1 and 14857 in C2. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum, and Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes were the subdominant groups. Classes of Alphaproteobacteria, Anaerolineae, and Phycisphaerae may benefit the performance of current production and nitrate removal. Twenty-nine dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) accounted for 64 and 65% of sequences in C1 and C2, respectively. A denitrifying pathway was constructed based on the phylogenetic analysis and function inferring of the dominant OTUs. Obviously, the 454 pyrosequencing provided a high-resolution profile of bacteria community in denitrifying biocathode.

Effect of trace hydrazine addition on the functional bacterial community of a sequencing batch reactor performing completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite

A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was conducted to perform completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON). The effect of long-term trace N2H4 addition on ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic AOB (AnAOB) in the CANON system was investigated. AOB and AnAOB primarily related to Nitrosococcus, Nitrosomonas and Candidatus scalindua, respectively. Before and after trace N2H4 addition, the estimates of AOB population decreased from 1.03×10(7) to 6.25×10(4)copies/g (dry sludge), but that of AnAOB increased from 3.14×10(9) to 5.86×10(10)copies/g (dry sludge). Despite there was a partially negative impact on AOB growth, the trace N2H4 addition exerted a stronger inhibition on nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and promoted AnAOB growth, which improved the nitrogen removal of the CANON system. Sludge granules enriched under long-term trace N2H4 addition were spherical and ellipsoidal, and the aerobic AOB were mainly located on the outer layers while AnAOB occupied most of the interior parts.

High-rate nitrogen removal and microbial community of an up-flow anammox reactor with ceramics as biomass carrier

Nitrogen removal performance and responsible microbial community of anammox process at low temperatures, and long term effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the performance of anammox process were investigated in a biofilm reactor, which was operated at 33±1°C (159d) and 20±2°C (162d) with an influent DO concentration of 0.7-1.5mgL(-1). Nitrogen removal recovered to 70% after 2wk with the temperature drastically decreasing from 33±1°C to 20±2°C. At 20±2°C, the average effluent (NH4(+)-N+NO2(-)-N) concentration was 0.08±0.08mgL(-1) at a hydraulic retention time of 1.5h. A total nitrogen removal efficiency of the reactor of 1.0gNL(-1)d(-1) was obtained for up to one month while the nitrogen loading rate was 1.16gNL(-1)d(-1). Results of T-RFLP and 16S rRNA phylogenic analysis revealed that Candidatus Jettenia asiatica, as confirmed to adapt to low temperature, was considered to be responsible for the stable and high nitrogen removal performance.

Effect of phenol on the nitrogen removal performance and microbial community structure and composition of an anammox reactor

The effects of phenol on the nitrogen removal performance of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with anammox activity and on the microbial community within the reactor were evaluated. A phenol concentration of 300 mg L(-1) reduced the ammonium-nitrogen removal efficiency of the SBR from 96.5% to 47%. The addition of phenol changed the microbial community structure and composition considerably, as shown by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Some phyla, such as Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Firmicutes, increased in abundance, whereas others, such as Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, GN04, WS3, and NKB19, decreased. The diversity of the anammox bacteria was also affected by phenol: sequences related to Candidatus Brocadia fulgida were no longer detected, whereas sequences related to Ca. Brocadia sp. 40 and Ca. Jettenia asiatica persisted. These results indicate that phenol adversely affects anammox metabolism and changes the bacterial community within the anammox reactor.

Impact of inocula and operating conditions on the microbial community structure of two anammox reactors

The microbial community structure of the biomass selected in two distinctly inoculated anaerobic oxidation of ammonium (anammox) reactors was investigated and compared with the help of data obtained from 454-pyrosequencing analyses. The anammox reactors were operated for 550 days and seeded with different sludges: sediment from a constructed wetland (reactor I) and biomass from an aerated lagoon part of the oil-refinery wastewater treatment plant (reactor II). The anammox diversity in the inocula was evaluated by 16S rRNA gene-cloning analysis. The diversity of anammox bacteria was greater in the sludge from the oil-refinery (three of the five known genera of anammox were detected) than in the wetland sludge, in which only Candidatus Brocadia was observed. Pyrosequencing analysis demonstrated that the community enriched in both reactors had differing compositions despite the nearly similar operational conditions applied. The dominant phyla detected in both reactors were Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Acidobacteria. The phylum Bacteroidetes, which is frequently observed in anammox reactors, was not detected. However, Acidobacteria and GN04 phyla were observed for the first time, suggesting their importance for this process. Our results suggest that, under similar operational conditions, anammox populations (Ca. Brocadia sinica and Ca. Brocadia sp. 40) were selected in both reactors despite the differences between the two initial inocula. Taken together, these results indicated that the type of inoculum and the culture conditions are key determinants of the general microbial composition of the biomass produced in the reactors. Operational conditions alone might play an important role in anammox selection.

Hot topics and application trends of the anammox biotechnology: a review by bibliometric analysis

Anammox has been extensively identified as a novel and sustained biotechnology for wastewater treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the hot topics and application trends of anammox biotechnology by bibliometric analysis. The results show that “Water science and technology” and “Environmental science ecology” are the prevalent journal and category in this field. Many researches about “process” and “inhibition” have been carried out to conquer common challenges of anammox biotechnology in its actual engineering application. “Fluorescence in situ hybridization” continues to be the leading rRNA microbiological analysis method after its first application. Most importantly, “Completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON)”, “Sequencing batch reactors (SBR) for anammox operation”, “black water treatment” and “anammox biofilm” are identified as the prevalent process type, reactor type, wastewater type and bacterial aggregation form in anammox research currently, which forecasts the further engineering application direction of anammox biotechnology. The study will be useful for the researchers to acquaint the current state and the application trends in anammox biotechnology field.

Coexistence of nitrifying, anammox and denitrifying bacteria in a sequencing batch reactor

Elevated nitrogen removal efficiencies from ammonium-rich wastewaters have been demonstrated by several applications, that combine nitritation and anammox processes. Denitrification will occur simultaneously when organic carbon is also present. In this study, the activity of aerobic ammonia oxidizing, anammox and denitrifying bacteria in a full scale sequencing batch reactor, treating digester supernatants, was studied by means of batch-assays. AOB and anammox activities were maximum at pH of 8.0 and 7.8–8.0, respectively. Short term effect of nitrite on anammox activity was studied, showing nitrite up to 42 mg/L did not result in inhibition. Both denitrification via nitrate and nitrite were measured. To reduce nitrite-oxidizing activity, high NH₃-N (1.9–10 mg NH₃-N/L) and low nitrite (3–8 mg TNN/L) are required conditions during the whole SBR cycle. Molecular analysis showed the nitritation-anammox sludge harbored a high microbial diversity, where each microorganism has a specific role. Using ammonia monooxygenase α–subunit (amoA) gene as a marker, our analyses suggested different macro- and micro-environments in the reactor strongly affect the AOB community, allowing the development of different AOB species, such as N. europaea/eutropha and N. oligotropha groups, which improve the stability of nitritation process. A specific PCR primer set, used to target the 16S rRNA gene of anammox bacteria, confirmed the presence of the “Ca. Brocadia fulgida” type, able to grow in presence of organic matter and to tolerate high nitrite concentrations. The diversity of denitrifiers was assessed by using dissimilatory nitrite reductase (nirS) gene-based analyses, who showed denitifiers were related to different betaproteobacterial genera, such as Thauera, Pseudomonas, Dechloromonas and Aromatoleum, able to assist in forming microbial aggregates. Concerning possible secondary processes, no n-damo bacteria were found while NOB from the genus Nitrobacter was detected.

Effects of HRT and nitrite/ammonia ratio on anammox discovered in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor

There are three key aspects of substrate effect on anaerobic ammonia oxidizing (anammox) bacteria: (1) substrate concentration-based nitrogen loading rate (NLR), (2) hydraulic retention time (HRT)-based NLR and (3) nitrite/ammonia ratio.

Relevance and diversity of Nitrospira populations in biofilters of brackish RAS

Lithoautotrophic nitrite-oxidizing bacterial populations from moving-bed biofilters of brackish recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS; shrimp and barramundi) were tested for their metabolic activity and phylogenetic diversity. Samples from the biofilters were labeled with (13)C-bicarbonate and supplemented with nitrite at concentrations of 0.3, 3 and 10 mM, and incubated at 17 and 28°C, respectively. The biofilm material was analyzed by fatty acid methyl ester - stable isotope probing (FAME-SIP). High portions of up to 45% of Nitrospira-related labeled lipid markers were found confirming that Nitrospira is the major autotrophic nitrite oxidizer in these brackish systems with high nitrogen loads. Other nitrite-oxidizing bacteria such as Nitrobacter or Nitrotoga were functionally not relevant in the investigated biofilters. Nitrospira-related 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained from the samples with 10 mM nitrite and analyzed by a cloning approach. Sequence studies revealed four different phylogenetic clusters within the marine sublineage IV of Nitrospira, though most sequences clustered with the type strain of Nitrospira marina and with a strain isolated from a marine RAS. Three lipids dominated the whole fatty acid profiles of nitrite-oxidizing marine and brackish enrichments of Nitrospira sublineage IV organisms. The membranes included two marker lipids (16∶1 cis7 and 16∶1 cis11) combined with the non-specific acid 16∶0 as major compounds and confirmed these marker lipids as characteristic for sublineage IV species. The predominant labeling of these characteristic fatty acids and the phylogenetic sequence analyses of the marine Nitrospira sublineage IV identified organisms of this sublineage as main autotrophic nitrite-oxidizers in the investigated brackish biofilter systems.

Development of a simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation and denitrification (SNAD) bench scale process for removal of ammonia from effluent of a fertilizer industry

A simultaneous partial nitrification, anammox and denitrification (SNAD) process was developed for the treatment of ammonia laden effluent of a fertilizer industry. Autotrophic aerobic and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing biomass was enriched and their ammonia removal ability was confirmed in synthetic effluent system. Seed consortium developed from these was applied in the treatment of effluent in an oxygen limited bench scale SNAD type (1L) reactor run at ambient temperature (∼30°C). Around 98.9% ammonia removal was achieved with ammonia loading rate 0.35kgNH(4)(+)-N/m(3)day in the presence of 46.6mg/L COD at 2.31days hydraulic retention time. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the biomass from upper and lower zone of the reactor revealed presence of autotrophic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), Planctomycetes and denitrifiers as the dominant bacteria carrying out anoxic oxidation of ammonia in the reactor. Physiological and molecular studies strongly indicate presence of anammox bacteria in the anoxic zone of the SNAD reactor.

Nitrogen management in landfill leachate: application of SHARON, ANAMMOX and combined SHARON-ANAMMOX process

In today's context of waste management, landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is considered to be one of the standard practices worldwide. Leachate generated from municipal landfills has become a great threat to the surroundings as it contains high concentration of organics, ammonia and other toxic pollutants. Emphasis has to be placed on the removal of ammonia nitrogen in particular, derived from the nitrogen content of the MSW and it is a long term pollution problem in landfills which determines when the landfill can be considered stable. Several biological processes are available for the removal of ammonia but novel processes such as the Single Reactor System for High Activity Ammonia Removal over Nitrite (SHARON) and Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation (ANAMMOX) process have great potential and several advantages over conventional processes. The combined SHARON-ANAMMOX process for municipal landfill leachate treatment is a new, innovative and significant approach that requires more research to identify and solve critical issues. This review addresses the operational parameters, microbiology, biochemistry and application of both the processes to remove ammonia from leachate.

Diversity of microbial communities in an attached-growth system using Bauxsol™ pellets for wastewater treatment

Columns of Bauxsol™ pellets were used in a field experiment as biomass support particle for wastewater microbial communities. The attached microbial community structure was analysed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), targeting the 16S rDNA gene's V3 region. DGGE profiles showed that the type and composition of support particles used (i.e. Bauxsol™ pellets or gravel) had a significant impact on the attached bacterial communities (64% dissimilarity). In addition, ecological indices revealed a more heterogeneous bacterial community structure on the Bauxsol™ pellets. TOC/TN ratios post-experiment (6.5-9.3) suggested a good level of biological activity (i.e. active biofilm) in the Bauxsol™ columns. Moreover, Bauxsol™ pellets were mostly made of inorganic carbon, suggesting insoluble carbonate biomineralisation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of specific marker genes (i.e. bacterial and archaeal amoA genes, nosZ gene, and hzo gene) were used to identify the presence of attached bacterial communities associated with nitrogen transformation. The results along with geochemical data (i.e. up to 50% nitrogen removal) revealed co-existence of ammonia-oxidising bacteria, denitrifiers, and anammox organisms. This study conclusively demonstrates that microbial communities are well-adapted to Bauxsol™ pellets and bacterial communities involved in the nitrogen cycle are present.

Effect of organic carbon on nitrogen conversion and microbial communities in the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal process

Two identical SBBRs (sequencing batch biofilm reactors) were monitored to evaluate the effects of organic carbon (OC) on nitrogen conversion and microbial communities. In the organic-fed reactor, an ammonium conversion efficiency of above 99%, TN (total nitrogen) removal efficiency of 84-95% and COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal efficiency of about 90% were obtained at a C/N ratio of 1.2. In the OC-fed reactor, the contribution of partial nitrification-anammox to nitrogen removal decreased to 50.78%, and the contribution of denitrification increased to 49.22%. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles showed an intensified bacterial diversity and an enrichment of Planctomycetes bacteria due to the presence of OC particularly in the biofilm. Clone library analysis revealed the coexistence of denitrifiers, aerobic ammonium oxidizers, and anammox bacteria in the OC-fed reactor.

Performance and bacterial compositions of aged refuse reactors treating mature landfill leachate

Aged landfill leachates become more refractory over time and difficulty to treat. Recently, aged refuse bioreactors show great promise in treating leachates. In this study, aged refuse bioreactors were constructed to simulate landfill leachate degradation process. The characteristics of leachate were: CODcr, ∼2200 mg/L; BOD5, ∼280 mg/L; total nitrogen, ∼2030 mg/L; and ammonia, ∼1900 mg/L. Results showed that bioreactor could remove leachate pollutants effectively at hydraulic loading of 20 L/m3 d. The removal rate reduced when hydraulic loading doubled or temperature lowered. Effluent recirculation could alleviate the temperature effect. Combining aged refuse and slag biofilters could treat leachate more efficiently. Pyrosequencing analysis indicated that bacteria from Pseudomonas, Lysobacter, Bacillus and δ-proteobacter, Flexibacteraceae were more abundant in the samples. The Shannon index decreased at lower temperature, while evenness and equitability increased with recirculation. We suggest that filter medium and temperature may be the main factors for shaping bacterial community structure.

Effects of continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) on bacterial community in the active composting process

The method of continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) remarkably shortened the active composting cycle and enhanced the compost stability. Effects of CTC on the quantities of bacteria, with a comparison to the traditional composting (TC) method, were explored by plate count with incubation at 30, 40 and 50°C, respectively, and by quantitative PCR targeting the universal bacterial 16S rRNA genes and the Bacillus 16S rRNA genes. The comparison of cultivatable or uncultivatable bacterial numbers indicated that CTC might have increased the biomass of bacteria, especially Bacillus spp., during the composting. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis was employed to investigate the effects of CTC on bacterial diversity, and a community dominated by fewer species was detected in a typical CTC run. The analysis of sequence and phylogeny based on DGGE indicated that the continuously high temperature had changed the structure of bacterial community and strengthened the mainstay role of the thermophilic and spore-forming Bacillus spp. in CTC run.

Changes in the actinomycetal communities during continuous thermophilic composting as revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR

Actinomycetes degrade cellulose and solubilize lignin during composting. Changes in the diversity of the actinomycetal communities and the 16S rDNA copy numbers of actinomycetes were monitored by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR), respectively, during continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) and traditional composting (TC). qPCR indicated that the copy numbers from the CTC samples were 25-80% higher than those from the TC samples during similar phases of active composting and they were lower than 3×10(9) gene copies/g (dry weight) in the mature compost from both runs. DGGE showed a more diverse actinomycetal community in the CTC than in TC, averaging 16 bands as compared to 12 bands, at the post peak temperature phase. The study suggested that temperatures higher than 50 °C in CTC benefited the growth of actinomycetes.

Floatation and control of granular sludge in a high-rate anammox reactor

The granule floatation is a serious issue of the anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) process when high loading rates are applied that results in instability or even system collapse. The present study reports the granule floatation in an anammox reactor when high loading rates were applied. The comparison of enlarged photos taken for the settling and floating granules showed that the two kinds of granules both contained macroscopic gas pockets accounting for 11 +/- 14% of total volume. The settling granules had gas tunnels that could release the gas bubbles, while the floating granules did not. The presence of gas bubbles enclosed in the gas pockets led to the small density of 979.2 +/- 15.8 mg L(-1) and flotation of anammox granules. Consequently, the flotation caused washout of anammox granules and the deterioration of anammox process (volumetric removal rate decreased from 4.00 to 2.46 kg N m(-3) d(-1)). The collection of floating granules, breaking them into small pieces and then returning to the anammox reactor proved an effective control strategy. The volumetric removal rate was finally up to 16.5 kg N m(-3) d(-1) after the control strategy was put into use.

Nitrogen removal performance and microbial community analysis of an anaerobic up-flow granular bed anammox reactor

We investigated nitrogen removal performance and responsible microbial community in an anaerobic up-flow granular bed anammox reactor. The anammox reactor was operated more than 1 year. Biomass in the reactor formed granules after about 2 months of operation, and a sufficient amount of the granules was retained in the reactor with a metallic net to avoid biomass washout during the entire operation. The average diameter of the granules was 3.6mm at day 310. After 8 months of operation, stable nitrogen removal (60%) was achieved at an average total inorganic nitrogen removal rate of 14 kg-N m(-3)d(-1). The phylogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization results revealed that the anammox granules consisted of mono species of anammox bacteria, "Candidatus Brocadia-like species", affiliated with "Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans" with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 95.7%. The relative abundance of the anammox bacteria in the granules was more than 80% of the total bacteria stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. The anammox bacteria were present throughout the granules whereas the other bacterial groups, Chloroflexi-like filamentous bacteria and betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, were mainly present on the surface of the anammox granules and around the anammox bacterial clusters. The in situ anammox activity was detected mainly from near the surface of granules to the upper 800 microm of the granules with microsensors. The granular anammox biomass tolerated higher concentrations of nitrite (400 mg-NL(-1)) than did the homogenized biomass (200 mg-NL(-1)) probably due to substrate diffusion limitation.