Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nitrate removal in a combined bioelectrochemical and sulfur autotrophic denitrification system under high nitrate concentration: effects of pH

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A combined bioelectrochemical and sulfur autotrophic denitrification (CBSAD) system was established to treat high concentration nitrate under different pH conditions in this study. The microbial communities and structures were evaluated to deeply reveal the nitrate removal mechanisms in this combined system. When initial pH was adjusted to 6.5, the CBSAD system obtained 66.45% denitrification efficiency. The combined system achieved highest nitrate removal efficiency of 96.84% at pH 7.5. However, nitrate removal efficiency decreased to 87.05% when initial pH increased to 8.5. Microbial analyses demonstrated that pH value slightly influenced the bacterial abundances and bacterial species in this CBSAD system under high nitrate concentration condition. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum in this system, which accounted for more than 90% of the total phyla. Epsilonproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria were the most important classes for denitrification process. Genus Sulfurimonas was primarily responsible for high nitrate removal in this CBSAD system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. APHA (2005) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association (APHA), Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bhatnagar A, Kumar E, Sillanpaa M (2010) Nitrate removal from water by nano-alumina: characterization and sorption studies. Chem Eng J 163:317–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Cao S, Du R, Li B, Wang S, Ren N, Peng Y (2017) Nitrite production from partial-denitrification process fed with low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) domestic wastewater: performance, kinetics and microbial community. Chem Eng J 326:1186–1196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chen C, Xu XJ, Xie P, Yuan Y, Zhou X, Wang AJ, Lee DJ, Ren NQ (2017) Pyrosequencing reveals microbial community dynamics in integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification process at different influent nitrate concentrations. Chemosphere 171:294–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen D, Yang K, Wei L, Wang H (2016) Microbial community and metabolism activity in a bioelectrochemical denitrification system under long-term presence of p-nitrophenol. Bioresour Technol 218:189–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chung J, Amin K, Kim S, Yoon S, Kwon K, Bae W (2014) Autotrophic denitrification of nitrate and nitrite using thiosulfate as an electron donor. Water Res 58:169–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dasgupta S, Wu S, Goel R (2017) Coupling autotrophic denitrification with partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) for efficient total inorganic nitrogen removal. Bioresour Technol 243:700–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Huang C, Li ZL, Chen F, Liu Q, Zhao YK, Zhou JZ, Wang AJ (2015) Microbial community structure and function in response to the shift of sulfide/nitrate loading ratio during the denitrifying sulfide removal process. Bioresour Technol 197:227–234

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kong Q, Wang ZB, Niu PF, Miao MS (2016) Greenhouse gas emission and microbial community dynamics during simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process. Bioresour Technol 210:94–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Liu C, Li W, Li X, Zhao D, Ma B, Wang Y, Liu F, Lee D-J (2017) Nitrite accumulation in continuous-flow partial autotrophic denitrification reactor using sulfide as electron donor. Bioresour Technol 243:1237–1240

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu H, Yan Q, Shen W (2014) Biohydrogen facilitated denitrification at biocathode in bioelectrochemical system (BES). Bioresour Technol 171:187–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mousavi S, Ibrahim S, Aroua MK, Ghafari S (2012) Development of nitrate elimination by autohydrogenotrophic bacteria in bio-electrochemical reactors—a review. Biochem Eng J 67:251–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nguyen TNP, Chao S-J, Chen P-C, Huang C (2017) Effects of C/N ratio on nitrate removal and floc morphology of autohydrogenotrophic bacteria in a nitrate-containing wastewater treatment process. J Environ Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2017.04.002

  14. Su JF, Cheng C, Huang T, Wei L (2017) Performance of the dominant bacterial species and microbial community in autotrophic denitrification coupled with iron cycle in immobilized systems. Mar Pollut Bull 117:88–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Su JF, Luo XX, Wei L, Ma F, Zheng SC, Shao SC (2016) Performance and microbial communities of Mn(II)-based autotrophic denitrification in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). Bioresour Technol 211:743–750

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sun H, Wu Q, Yu P, Zhang L, Ye L, Zhang XX, Ren H (2017) Denitrification using excess activated sludge as carbon source: performance and the microbial community dynamics. Bioresour Technol 238:624–632

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wan D, Liu H, Liu R, Qu J (2011) Study of a combined sulfur autotrophic with proton-exchange membrane electrodialytic denitrification technology: sulfate control and pH balance. Bioresour Technol 102:10803–10809

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wan DJ, Liu HJ, Qu JH, Lei PJ, Mao SH, Hou YN (2009) Using the combined bioelectrochemical and sulfur autotrophic denitrification system for groundwater denitrification. Bioresour Technol 100:142–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wang H, Qu J (2003) Combined bioelectrochemical and sulfur autotrophic denitrification for drinking water treatment. Water Res 37:3767–3775

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wang Y, Zhang Z, Qiu L, Guo Y, Wang X, Xiong X, Chen S (2015) Effect of temperature downshifts on biological nitrogen removal and community structure of a lab-scale aerobic denitrification process. Biochem Eng J 101:200–208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Xia SQ, Liang J, Xu XY, Shen S (2013) Simultaneous removal of selected oxidized contaminants in groundwater using a continuously stirred hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor. J Environ Sci (China) 25:96–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Xu D, Xiao E, Xu P, Zhou Y, He F, Zhou Q, Xu D, Wu Z (2017) Performance and microbial communities of completely autotrophic denitrification in a bioelectrochemically-assisted constructed wetland system for nitrate removal. Bioresour Technol 228:39–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Yang W, Lu H, Khanal SK, Zhao Q, Meng L, Chen GH (2016) Granulation of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria for autotrophic denitrification. Water Res 104:507–519

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yi X-H, Wan J, Ma Y, Wang Y (2016) Characteristics and dominant microbial community structure of granular sludge under the simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis process. Biochem Eng J 107:66–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Zhou W, Liu X, Dong X, Wang Z, Yuan Y, Wang H, He S (2016) Sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification from the micro-polluted water. J Environ Sci (China) 44:180–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (51378400) and the National Science and Technology Pillar Program (2014BAL04B04).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Urban Construction, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Dan Chen, Dong Wang & Zhixing Xiao

  2. School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Hongyu Wang & Kai Yang

Authors
  1. Dan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhixing Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hongyu Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kai Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hongyu Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, D., Wang, D., Xiao, Z. et al. Nitrate removal in a combined bioelectrochemical and sulfur autotrophic denitrification system under high nitrate concentration: effects of pH. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 41, 449–455 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-017-1879-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-017-1879-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation