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Removal of ammonium and nitrate through Anammox and FeS-driven autotrophic denitrification

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Abstract

An autotrophic denitrifying bioreactor with iron sulfide (FeS) as the electron donor was operated to remove ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) synergistically from wastewater for more than 298 d. The concentration of FeS greatly affected the removal of NH4+/NO3−. Additionally, a low hydraulic retention time worsened the removal efficiency of NH4+/NO3−. When the hydraulic retention time was 12 h, the optimal removal was achieved with NH4+ and NO3− removal percentages both above 88%, and the corresponding nitrogen removal loading rates of NH4+ and NO3− were 49.1 and 44.0 mg/(L·d), respectively. The removal of NH4+ mainly occurred in the bottom section of the bioreactor through sulfate/ferric reducing anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox/Feammox), nitrification, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) by functional microbes such as Nitrospira, Nitrosomonas, and Candidatus Kuenenia. Meanwhile, NO3− was mainly removed in the middle and upper sections of the bioreactor through autotrophic denitrification by Ferritrophicum, Thiobacillus, Rhodanobacter, and Pseudomonas, which possessed complete denitrification-related genes with high relative abundances.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Guangxi Key R & D Program (No. 2021AB25056), and the Shenzhen Key Scientific and Technological Project (No. JSGG20191129094410446).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Yanfei Wang, Xiaona Zheng & Yuntao Guan

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Yanfei Wang, Xiaona Zheng & Yuntao Guan

  3. Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland

    Guangxue Wu

Authors
  1. Yanfei Wang
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  2. Xiaona Zheng
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  3. Guangxue Wu
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  4. Yuntao Guan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuntao Guan.

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Highlights

• Simultaneous NH4+/NO3− removal was achieved in the FeS denitrification system

• Anammox coupled FeS denitrification was responsible for NH4+/NO3− removal

• Sulfammox, Feammox and Anammox occurred for NH4+ removal

• Thiobacillus, Nitrospira, and Ca. Kuenenia were key functional microorganisms

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Wang, Y., Zheng, X., Wu, G. et al. Removal of ammonium and nitrate through Anammox and FeS-driven autotrophic denitrification. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 17, 74 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1674-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1674-4

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