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Published on: October 15, 2015
Denitrifying sulfide removal process on high-salinity wastewaters.
Chunshuang Liu1, Chaocheng Zhao, Aijie Wang
1College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, 266580, China, liuchunshuang723@126.com.
The denitrifying sulfide removal (DSR) process effectively treats high-salinity wastewater. Salinity influences microbial communities, shifting from heterotrophic to autotrophic denitrifiers as salt concentration increases.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Wastewater treatment technologies
- Biogeochemical cycles
Background:
- Sulfide and nitrate contamination in wastewater pose environmental challenges.
- The Denitrifying Sulfide Removal (DSR) process offers a simultaneous biological treatment solution.
- High salinity in industrial wastewater can inhibit conventional biological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of the DSR process in treating sulfide- and nitrate-laden wastewater with high salinity (2-35 g/L NaCl).
- To determine the optimal carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio for efficient elemental sulfur (S(0)) conversion.
- To analyze the impact of salinity on the microbial community structure within the DSR consortium.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of synthetic wastewater containing sulfide, nitrate, and acetate using the DSR process.
- Optimization of the C/N ratio to achieve high S(0) conversion rates.
- Characterization of granular sludge properties.
- High-throughput sequencing for microbial community analysis.
Main Results:
- The DSR process successfully treated wastewater with salinity up to 35 g/L NaCl.
- A C/N ratio of 3:1 was identified as optimal for high S(0) conversion.
- Granular sludge with compact structure and smooth surface was formed.
- Salinity shifts microbial dominance: heterotrophic denitrifiers prevail at <10 g/L NaCl, while autotrophic denitrifiers dominate at >10 g/L NaCl.
Conclusions:
- The DSR process is a robust technology for treating high-salinity sulfide- and nitrate-laden wastewater.
- Salinity is a critical factor controlling the microbial ecology and function of DSR systems.
- Understanding microbial community shifts is essential for optimizing DSR performance in varying saline environments.
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