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Pyrosequencing for Microbial Identification and Characterization
Published on: August 22, 2013
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Pyrosequencing reveals microbial community dynamics in integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification
Chuan Chen1, Xi-Jun Xu1, Peng Xie1
1State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 2650, 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China.
Chemosphere
|December 28, 2016
Summary
The integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification (ISDD) process effectively removes nitrate but shows reduced sulfate removal at higher nitrate levels. Microbial communities shift, with decreased sulfate-reducing bacteria and increased specific Proteobacteria groups.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Water treatment technologies
- Biogeochemical cycles
Background:
- The integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification (ISDD) process is effective for removing sulfate, nitrate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD).
- Understanding microbial community dynamics is crucial for optimizing ISDD performance, especially under varying influent conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different influent nitrate (NO3-) concentrations on microbial community structure and function within the ISDD process.
- To correlate changes in microbial composition with observed efficiencies in sulfate and nitrate removal.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of the ISDD process across various influent nitrate concentrations.
- Analysis of microbial community composition using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
- Monitoring of sulfate and nitrate removal efficiencies.
Main Results:
- Complete denitrification was achieved in all tested scenarios.
- Sulfate removal efficiency decreased significantly with increasing influent nitrate concentrations.
- Microbial community structure was significantly altered, with a notable decrease in δ-Proteobacteria (e.g., Desulfobulbus) and enrichment in γ-Proteobacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas) and ε-Proteobacteria (e.g., Arcobacteria, Sulfurospirillum) at higher nitrate levels.
- The proportion of elemental sulfur (S0) to influent sulfate (SO42-) remained low (5.6-17.0%).
Conclusions:
- High influent nitrate concentrations can inhibit sulfate reduction by specific microbial groups, impacting overall sulfate removal in ISDD systems.
- The ISDD process demonstrates resilience in denitrification but requires careful management to maintain sulfate removal efficiency under high nitrate loads.
- Microbial community shifts, particularly within Proteobacteria, are key indicators of process performance under varying nitrate conditions.
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