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Biodegradable polymer supported denitrification (BPD) system shows good denitrification performance for the wastewater with low nitrate concentrations. In this study, a BPD system using Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) polymer as carbon source was developed to treat the wastewater with high nitrate concentrations. The denitrification performance, utilization ratio of PHBV polymers, and microbial community structure evolution and key denitrifying bacteria were comprehensively studied. Results indicated that an average nitrate removal efficiency of 99% could be achieved with an influent NO3−-N concentration of 100 mg L−1 and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7.25 h. Mass balance model predicted that 80% of the PHBV polymers were consumed by denitrifying bacteria, close to 72% consumption in real condition, suggesting the model might be useful for PHBV polymers management in BPD system. Further, the bacterial community structures varied along the bioreactor profile, which closely linked to the concentration profiles of nitrate and ammonia. Metatranscriptomic analysis identified the key denitrifying bacteria as Comamonas, Acidovorax and Dechloromonas. The PHBV supported denitrification system developed in this study shows potential for removal of high concentration of nitrate from wastewater.

This study chose Oak woodchips and gravel as media filter to enhance the denitrification in the bioretention system (saturated zone 7.7 L) treating synthetic stormwater runoff. It revealed that the denitrification process mainly occurred during the drying phase and enlarging volume of saturated zones to retain more stormwater during storm event was the direct method to promote nitrogen removal of the bioretention system. Nevertheless, it was noted that the nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon would be released into the effluent during the wetting period. The denitrification rate with different nitrate nitrogen (NO3–N) concentrations did not show the obvious change with zero order kinetics constant of 2.91 mg/L∙d on average. Furthermore, it confirmed that woodchips were degraded and converted to volatile fatty acids (VFAs), especially acetic acid as carbon source, further utilized by the denitrifying bacteria, such as Dechloromonas, Acidoborax, Pseudomonas, Denitratisoma and Acinetobacter. In addition, genera of Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillus, which had the ability to degrade the macromolecular organic components into low molecular VFAs, were observed in the woodchips bioretention system.

To achieve efficient biological nutrients removal at low temperature, a modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was developed at 10 °C by extending sludge retention time (SRT), shortening aerobic stage and compensating anoxic stage. The average removal rates of ammonium (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were 98.82%, 94.12% and 96.04%, respectively. Variation of carbon source in a typical cycle demonstrated the maximum synthesis of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) (60 mg/L) occurred after feast period. Furthermore, the TP in sludge reached 50.4 mg/g mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) (78.4% was inorganic phosphorus and 21.6% was organic phosphorus) after 120 days of operation, indicating an excellent P-accumulating capacity was achieved in this system. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) activity inhibition test verified both AOB and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were involved in ammonia-oxidizing process and the latter accounted for 17%–19%. Metagenomic-based taxonomy revealed the dominant genera were Candidatus Accumulibacter (12.18%), Dechloromonas (7.54%), Haliangium (6.69%) and Candidatus Contendobacter (3.40%). As described from the denitrifying genes perspective, with the exception of nitrite reduction (performed by denitrifiers), denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) played a leading role in denitrification pathway, showing that poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA)-driven nutrients removal was the dominate process.

The bacterial composition of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems is significantly impacted by the disinfection regime and substrate material. However, studies that have addressed the changes in the biofilm community during the early stage of formation (less than 10 weeks) were not yet adequate. Here, we explore the effects of the substrate materials (cast iron, stainless steel, copper, polyvinyl chloride, and high density polyethylene) and different disinfectants (chlorine and chloramine) on the community composition and function of young biofilm by using 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that Alphaproteobacteria (39.14%-80.87%) and Actinobacteria (5.90%-40.03%) were the dominant classes in chlorine-disinfection samples, while Alphaproteobacteria (17.46%-74.18%) and Betaproteobacteria (3.79%-68.50%) became dominant in a chloraminated group. The infrequently discussed genus Phreatobacter became predominant in the chlorinated samples, but it was inhibited by chloramine and copper ions. The key driver of the community composition was indicated as different disinfectants according to principle coordination analysis (PCoA) and Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (Adonis test), and the bacterial community changed significantly over time. Communities of biofilms grown on cast iron showed a great distance from the other materials according to Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and they had a unique dominant genus, Dechloromonas. A metagenomics prediction based on 16S rDNA was used to detect the functional pathways of antibiotic biosynthesis and beta-lactam resistance, and it revealed that several pathways were significantly different in terms of their chlorinated and chloraminated groups.

Antimony (Sb), a toxic metalloid, exists mainly as Sb(V) and Sb(III) in the aquatic environment. Sb(V) displays greater solubility and can be reduced to insoluble Sb(III) compounds by microbial activities under anaerobic conditions, thus affecting the environmental fate of Sb. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of Sb(V) reduction and removal from the aqueous phase by microbial communities existing in river sediments with and without the impact of Sb mining activities. Among the 14 tested sediment samples, which were collected from an urban river without Sb impact and a river flowing through mining area, microbial communities in two samples could reduce and remove Sb(V) in the presence of high concentrations of sulfate, whereas those in other six samples could reduce Sb(V) even under low sulfate concentrations, indicating the relatively wide distribution of microbial Sb(V) reduction potential in the environment, irrespective of the anthropogenic impact. The Sb(V) reduction and removal abilities under different sulfate levels also suggested the presence of multiple types of Sb(V) reduction and removal pathways, including the direct Sb(V) reduction by anaerobic respiration, indirect (chemical) Sb(V) reduction by sulfide produced by microbial sulfate reduction, and their combination. Furthermore, analysis of microbial communities in two enrichment cultures, which were constructed from sediment samples with Sb(V) reduction ability under the minimum sulfate condition and maintained Sb(V) removal ability during 28-d enrichment process, revealed possible contribution of several microbial taxa such as Azospira, Chlostridium, Dechloromonas, Dendrosporobacter, and Halodesulfovibrio to Sb(V) reduction in sediment microbial communities.

Perchlorate reduction kinetics and effects of various environmental conditions on removal of perchlorate from synthetic water were investigated to seek high-strength perchlorate removal using mixed perchlorate reducing bacteria. Results demonstrated that perchlorate (50-1500 mg L(-1)) could be degraded rapidly within 28 h under the optimal conditions. The maximum specific perchlorate reduction rate (qmax) and half saturation constant (Ks) were 0.92 mg-perchlorate (mg-dry weight)(-1) h(-1) and 157.7 mg L(-1), respectively. In the ClO4(-)-NO3(-) systems obvious but recoverable lags were caused in perchlorate reduction and the lag time increased with the ratio of nitrate to perchlorate concentration increasing from 0.5 to 3. While in the ClO4(-)-SO4(2-) systems inhibitions didn't occur until the ratio of sulfate to perchlorate concentration exceeded 10. The optimum temperature and pH value were 35 °C and 6.85, respectively. The optimal acetate-to-perchlorate ratio that could consume all perchlorate and acetate simultaneously was about 2. Dechloromonas, one of the most prominent perchlorate reducing bacteria, was identified as the dominant bacterium in the acclimated culture (69.33% of the whole clones). The study demonstrated that the perchlorate-acclimated mixed microorganisms can readily and efficiently realize reduction of highly concentrated perchlorate in wastewater.

Grey water (GW) containing high levels of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) can be a threat to the human health and organisms in the environment if not treated properly. Although aerobic treatment may achieve high GW treatment efficacy, conventional aeration can lead to serious foaming. Here, we firstly and systematically evaluated an oxygen-based membrane biofilm reactor (O2-MBfR) for its capacity to simultaneous remove organics and nitrogen from greywater with high LAS levels and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios. After a five-day startup period, multifarious microorganisms formed multifunctional biofilms and the MBfR achieved high removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), LAS, and total nitrogen (TN) of 88.4%, 95.6%, and 80%, respectively, with a hydraulic retention time of 7.86 h. Higher organics loading (5.53 g TCOD/m2-day) caused cell lysis and damaged the O2-MBfR system, leading to a discernible and continuous decline of the reactor performance. The O2-MBfR design completely eliminated foaming formation. LAS -biodegrading-rich genus containing Clostridium, Parvibaculum, Dechloromonas, Desulfovibrio, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Zoogloea enable the nearly complete removal of LAS even under high C/N conditions. Results demonstrated that the O2-MBfR technology is feasible for treating GW containing high LAS and C/N ratio, while remaining free of foaming formation, and at a low cost due to high O2 utilization rates.

The effect of acetate (HAc) and propionate (HPr) on denitrifying phosphorus removal (DPR) was evaluated in a novel two-sludge A2/O - MBBR (anaerobic/anoxic/oxic - moving bed biofilm reactor) system. Results showed that it was the carbon source transformation and utilization especially the composition of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) (mainly poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly-bhydroxyvalerate (PHV)) decided DPR performance, where the co-exist of HAc and HPr promoted the optimal nitrogen (85.77%) and phosphorus (91.37%) removals. It facilitated the balance of PHB and PHV and removing 1 mg NO3− (PO43−) consumed 3.04–4.25 (6.84–9.82) mgPHA, where approximately 40–45% carbon source was saved. Mass balance revealed the main metabolic pathways of carbon (MAn,C (consumed amount in anaerobic stage) and MA-O,C (consumed amount in anoxic and oxic stages): 66.38–76.19%), nitrogen (MDPR,N (consumed amount in DPR): 57.01–65.75%), and phosphorus (MWS,P (discharged amount in waste sludge): 81.05–85.82%). Furthermore, the relative abundance and microbial distribution were assessed to elucidate DPR mechanism (e.g. Accumulibacter, Acinetobacter, Dechloromonas, Competibacter, and Defluviicoccus) in the A2/O reactor and nitrification performance (e.g. Nitrosomonas, Nitrosomonadaceae and Nitrospira) in the MBBR. Carbon source was demonstrated as the key point to stimulate the biodiversity and bioactivity related to DPR potential, and the operational strategy of carbon source addition was proposed based on the utilizing rules of HAc and HPr.

The feasibility of simultaneous partial nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SPNDPR) process was investigated in a single-stage anaerobic/micro-aerobic sequencing batch reactor for treating real sewage. Partial nitrification was maintained with average nitrite accumulation ratio of 90.3% during 266 days' operation. Removal efficiencies for NH4+-N (96.3%), total inorganic nitrogen (81.4%), and phosphorus (91.0%) were stably obtained when treated real sewage with low carbon/nitrogen (3.4), with simultaneous partial nitrification and denitrification efficiency of 73.1%. The mechanism analysis revealed that denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs) and denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) played the main roles in N-removal and P-removal, respectively. Nitrite pathway and optimized use of the organic carbon available in the sewage were keys for the successful performance. Further microbial community illustrating that DGAOs Candidatus_Competibacter, DPAOs Dechloromonas, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria Nitrosomonadaceae were main functional groups. Notably, sludge granulation was formed under long-term synchronous low dissolved oxygen and low sludge loading conditions, avoiding sludge bulking.

This research aims to identifying the potential effect of using a hydrogen-producing reactor's effluent as an enrichment amendment for enhancing the degradation rates of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) during the bioremediation of contaminated paddy soils. The results showed that addition of the effluents to 2,4-D- degrading enrichment culture enhanced (up to 1.3-fold) the degradation rate constant of 2,4-D. The enhancement effect most probably resulted from the co-metabolic degradation of 2,4-D facilitated by volatile fatty acids (e.g., acetate, propionate, and butyrate) in the effluents which served as the beneficial substrates. Results from DNA sequencing analysis showed that the effluent additions shifted the bacterial community composition in the enrichment culture. Dechloromonas and Clostridium were two dominant bacterial genera involved in 2,4-D degradation. The findings will make a substantial contribution to remediation of soils contaminated with 2,4-D.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and ciprofloxacin-degrading microbial community in the combined Fe-C micro-electrolysis and up-flow biological aerated filter (UBAF) process for the treatment of high-level ciprofloxacin (CIP) were analyzed. The research demonstrated a great potential of Fe-C micro-electrolysis-UBAF for the elimination of high-level CIP. Above 90% of CIP removal was achieved through the combined process at 100 mg L-1 of CIP loading. In UBAF, the pollutants were mainly removed at 0-70 cm heights. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum (3D-EEM) was used to characterize the chemical structural of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) extracted from biofilm sample in UBAF. The results showed that the protein-like substances in LB-EPS and TB-EPS had no clear change in the study. Nevertheless, an obvious release of polysaccharides in EPSs was observed during long-term exposure to CIP, which was considered as a protective response of microbial to CIP toxic. The high-throughput sequencing results revealed that the biodiversity of bacteria community became increasingly rich with gradual ciprofloxacin biodegradation in UBAF. The ciprofloxacin-degrading microbial community was mainly dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Microorganisms from genera Dechloromonas, Brevundimonas, Flavobacterium, Sphingopyxis and Bosea might take a major role in ciprofloxacin degradation. This study provides deep theoretical guidance for real CIP wastewater treatment.

Changes in microbial community composition and activity were related to geochemical conditions favoring arsenic sequestration in sediments collected from the urban, arsenic-contaminated Upper Mystic Lake. After amendment with nitrate, >94% total soluble arsenic is sequestered by Fe(III)-(oxy)hydroxides generated in live sediments. Of this sequestered arsenic, >75% existed as As(III), indicating As redox state alone is not responsible for changes in mobility. Arsenic sequestration was concurrent with the microbial respiration of nitrate as indicated by steady state hydrogen concentration and the presence of organisms similar to nitrate-reducing, iron-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the genus Dechloromonas in 16S rDNA clone libraries.