Enhanced Alcaligenes faecalis Denitrification Rate with Electrodes as the Electron Donor

The utilization by Alcaligenes faecalis of electrodes as the electron donor for denitrification was investigated in this study. The denitrification rate of A. faecalis with a poised potential was greatly enhanced compared with that of the controls without poised potentials. For nitrate reduction, although A. faecalis could not reduce nitrate, at three poised potentials of +0.06, -0.06, and -0.15 V (versus normal hydrogen electrode [NHE]), the nitrate was partially reduced with -0.15- and -0.06-V potentials at rates of 17.3 and 28.5 mg/liter/day, respectively. The percentages of reduction for -0.15 and -0.06 V were 52.4 and 30.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, for nitrite reduction, the poised potentials greatly enhanced the nitrite reduction. The nitrite reduction rates for three poised potentials (-0.06, -0.15, and -0.30 V) were 1.98, 4.37, and 3.91 mg/liter/h, respectively. When the potentials were cut off, the nitrite reduction rate was maintained for 1.5 h (from 2.3 to 2.25 mg/liter/h) and then greatly decreased, and the reduction rate (0.38 mg/liter/h) was about 1/6 compared with the rate (2.3 mg/liter/h) when potential was on. Then the potentials resumed, but the reduction rate did not resume and was only 2 times higher than the rate when the potential was off.