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Structural integrity affects nitrogen removal activity of granules in semi-continuous reactors

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Abstract

Granules were observed after more than two years of operation in two semi-continuously fed intermittently aerated reactors treating swine wastewater with aerobic:anoxic cycles of 1:1 h and 1:4 h. Subsequently, the granules and flocs were compared with respect to physical characteristics, activity, and microbial community structure. Granules exhibited higher specific nitrification and denitrification rates than flocs. However, once granule structural integrity was disrupted, the rates decreased to levels similar to those of flocs. Membrane hybridizations using 16S rRNA-targeted probes showed that ammonia oxidizing bacteria populations in flocs and granules were dominated by Nitrosomonas and Nitrosococcus mobilis. Granules provided better conditions for Nitrospira compared to flocs. The diversities of the dominant bacterial populations in granules and flocs were not significantly different. Our findings highlight the importance of structural integrity of granules to their nitrogen removing activity.

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Abbreviations

X f :

VSS concentration in the IA reactor attributed to floccular biomass, mg VSS/L

X g :

VSS concentration in the IA reactor attributed to granules, mg VSS/L

X r :

VSS concentration in the IA reactor, mg VSS/L

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

IA:

Intermittent aeration

TSS:

Total suspended solids

No :

Initial concentration of N in the reactor, mg N/L

dN/dt g :

Change in N concentration over time due to granule activity, mg N/L*d

dN/dt f :

Change in N concentration over time due to floccular biomass activity, mg/L*d

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids, mg/L

NH3–N:

Ammonia nitrogen, mg N/L

NO3–N:

Nitrate nitrogen, mg N/L

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the US Department of Agriculture-National Research Initiative Program (Grant 2001-35102-10783). The authors acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Michael Dykstra from the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine and to Dr. Nina Allen and Dr. Eva Johannes from the NCSU Department of Botany. The authors also thank Jennifer Ridenoure for her assistance in sample analysis.

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Author notes

  1. Cesar R. Mota

    Present address: Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6.627 Bloco 1-Sala 4529, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Cesar R. Mota, Jon C. Williams & Francis L. de los Reyes III

  2. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Melanie A. Head & Jay J. Cheng

  3. School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, Newcastle, UK

    Lucy Eland

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  1. Cesar R. Mota
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  6. Francis L. de los Reyes III
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Correspondence to Francis L. de los Reyes III.

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Mota, C.R., Head, M.A., Williams, J.C. et al. Structural integrity affects nitrogen removal activity of granules in semi-continuous reactors. Biodegradation 25, 923–934 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-014-9712-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-014-9712-3

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