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Reduction of Net Sulfide Production Rate by Nitrate in Wastewater Bioreactors. Kinetics and Changes in the Microbial Community

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Abstract

Nitrate addition stimulated sulfide oxidation by increasing the activity of nitrate-reducing sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB), decreasing the concentration of dissolved H2S in the water phase and, consequently, its release to the atmosphere of a pilot-scale anaerobic bioreactor. The effect of four different concentrations of nitrate (0.12, 0.24, 0.50, and 1.00 mM) was investigated for a period of 3 days in relation to sulfide concentration in two bioreactors set up at Guadalete wastewater treatment plant (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain). Physicochemical variables were measured in water and air, and the activity of bacteria implicated in the sulfur and nitrogen cycles was analyzed in the biofilms and in the water phase of the bioreactors. Biofilms were a net source of sulfide for the water and gas phases (7.22 ± 5.3 μmol s−1) in the absence of nitrate dosing. Addition of nitrate resulted in a quick (within 3 h) decrease of sulfide both in the water and atmospheric phases. Sulfide elimination efficiency in the water phase increased with nitrate concentrations following the Michaelis–Menten kinetics (K s = 0.63 mM NO3 −). The end of nitrate addition resulted in a recovery or increase of initial net sulfide production in about 3 h. Addition of nitrate increased the activity of NR-SOB and decreased the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Results confirmed the role of NR-SOB on hydrogen sulfide consumption coupled with nitrate reduction and sulfate recycling, revealing Sulfurimonas denitrificans and Paracoccus denitrificans as NR-SOB of great importance in this process.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the support of the grants P06-RNM-01787, P11-RNM-7199, the PAI groups RNM-214 and BIO-288 from Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain and CTM2009-10736 from the Ministerio de Innovación y Ciencia, Spain, which include cofinancing from FEDER funds. S. Papaspyrou was funded by a JAE-Doc fellowship (Programa JAE, JAE-Doc109, Spanish National Research Council) and a Marie Curie ERG action (NITRICOS, 235005, European Union). We also want to acknowledge the personnel from Guadalete WWTP and AJEMSA for the technical help and providing us the physicochemical analysis of raw wastewater during 2008 and 2009 and E. Iglesias from Yara Iberian for providing nitrate.

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  1. S. Papaspyrou

    Present address: Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    D. Villahermosa, A. Corzo & E. García-Robledo

  2. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, IRNAS-CSIC, Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    J. M. González & M. C. Portillo

  3. Unidad asociada de Oceanografía Interdisciplinar, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, ICMAN-CSIC, Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    S. Papaspyrou

  4. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Av. República Saharaui s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    D. Villahermosa

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  1. D. Villahermosa
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Correspondence to D. Villahermosa.

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Villahermosa, D., Corzo, A., González, J.M. et al. Reduction of Net Sulfide Production Rate by Nitrate in Wastewater Bioreactors. Kinetics and Changes in the Microbial Community. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1738 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1738-3

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