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An integrated process of three-dimensional biofilm-electrode with sulfur autotrophic denitrification (3DBER-SAD) for wastewater reclamation

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

A three-dimensional biofilm-electrode reactor (3DBER) was integrated with sulfur autotrophic denitrification (SAD) to improve nitrogen removal performance for wastewater reclamation. The impacts of influent carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, electric current, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were evaluated. The new process, abbreviated as 3DBER-SAD, achieved a more stable denitrification compared to the recently studied 3DBER in literature. Its nitrogen removal improved by about 45 % as compared to 3DBER, especially under low C/N ratio conditions. The results also revealed that the biofilm bacteria community of 3DBER-SAD contained 21.1 % of the genus Thauera, 19.3 % of the genus Thiobacillus and Sulfuricella, as well as 5.3 % of the genus Alicycliphilus, Pseudomonas, and Paracoccus. The synergy between these heterotrophic, sulfur autotrophic, and hydrogenotrophic denitrification bacteria was believed to cause the high and stable nitrogen removal performance under various operating conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51378028). JL acknowledges the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant program that enables him to participate in the research collaboration. The authors thank the journal editor and the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions that helped in improving the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China

    Ruixia Hao & Chengcheng Meng

  2. College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, People’s Republic of China

    Ruixia Hao

  3. Environmental Engineering Program, University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada

    Jianbing Li

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  1. Ruixia Hao
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  2. Chengcheng Meng
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  3. Jianbing Li
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Correspondence to Ruixia Hao or Jianbing Li.

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All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Hao, R., Meng, C. & Li, J. An integrated process of three-dimensional biofilm-electrode with sulfur autotrophic denitrification (3DBER-SAD) for wastewater reclamation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 7339–7348 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7534-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7534-4

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