Isolation of a non-fermentative bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, using intracellular carbon for denitrification and phosphorus-accumulation and relevant metabolic mechanisms

A newly designed pilot-scale system was developed to enrich denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms (DNPAOs) for nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient removal synchronously. A strain of DNPAOs was isolated and its biochemical characteristics and metabolic mechanisms of this bacterial strain were analyzed. The results showed that compared with previously reported system, this newly designed system has higher removal rates of nutrients. Removal efficiencies of NH3-N, TN, TP, and COD in actual wastewater were 82.64%, 79.62%, 87.22%, and 90.41%, respectively. Metabolic activity of DNPAOs after anoxic stage in this study even reached 94.64%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a strain of non-fermentative DNPAOs with strong nitrogen and phosphorus removal abilities. Study on the metabolic mechanisms suggested that intracellular PHB of P. aeruginosa plays dual roles, supplying energy for phosphorus accumulation and serving as a major carbon source for denitrification.