Isolation and characterization of a heterotrophic nitrifier from coke plant wastewater

This study investigated some factors affecting ammonium removal and nitrite accumulation by Alcaligenes faecalis C16, which was isolated from the activated sludge of a coking wastewater treatment plant. Nitrite was produced from ammonium only in the presence of citrate, acetate, meat extract, peptone or ethanol. The highest amount of nitrite was found with citrate as carbon source. A. faecalis C16 could not use glucose, fructose, sucrose and methanol. Under the optimum conditions of initial pH 6.0, C/N 14, 30 °C and 120 rpm, a maximum nitrite accumulation of 28.29 mg/L NO(2)(-)-N was achieved when the organism grew with citrate in four days. Nitrite accumulation increased with the increase of NH(4)(+)-N. Furthermore, A. faecalis C16 was shown to have phenol-degrading capacity during ammonium removal. Metabolism of phenol resulted in acidification of the media, which is not favorable for nitrification, whereas many other carbon sources made the medium more alkaline. However, no inhibitory effect by phenol was observed when phenol and acetate were used as mixed carbon source at different phenol/sodium acetate (P/S) ratios and their pH values were all controlled above 9.2 or P/S ratios below 5:5. These results suggested that A. faecalis C16 has some potential application in industrial wastewater treatment systems.