Characterization of eubacterial communities by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in a desulfurization biotrickling filter using progressive changes of nitrate and nitrite as final electron acceptors

Anoxic biotrickling filters (BTFs) represent a technology with high H₂S elimination capacity and removal efficiencies widely studied for biogas desulfurization. Three changes in the final electron acceptors were made using nitrate and nitrite during an operating period of 520 days. The stability and performance of the anoxic BTF were maintained when a significant perturbation was applied to the system that involved the progressive change of nitrate to nitrite and vice versa. Here the impact of electron acceptor changes on the microbial community was characterized by denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) and next generation sequencing (NGS). Both platforms revealed that the community underwent changes during the perturbations but was resilient because the removal capacity did not significantly change. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the main Phyla and Sulfurimonas and Thiobacillus the main nitrate-reducing sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB) genera involved in the biodesulfurization process.