How Rhodococcus ruber accelerated denitrification with soybean-processing wastewater as the electron donor
Haiyun Zhang1, Yue Ma1, Fei Liu1
1Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental and Geographical Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, PR China.
Journal of Environmental Management
|February 18, 2025
Summary
Bioaugmentation with Rhodococcus ruber accelerates nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment by enhancing the breakdown of soybean wastewater. This process speeds up denitrification, improving overall effluent quality for municipal plants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Water Treatment Engineering
Background:
- Total nitrogen removal is crucial for municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
- Insufficient denitrification, often due to electron donor deficiency, hinders nitrogen removal.
- Soybean-processing wastewater (SPW) offers potential electron donors but requires hydrolysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of bioaugmentation with Rhodococcus ruber on denitrification using soluble SPW.
- To determine if R. ruber can accelerate the hydrolysis of SPW components for denitrification.
Main Methods:
- Bioaugmentation of denitrifying biomass with a small amount of Rhodococcus ruber (0.45% w/w).
- Analysis of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) removal rates.
- Measurement of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N) release.
- Assessment of protein and polysaccharide hydrolysis.
Main Results:
- R. ruber addition accelerated the NO3--N removal rate by 22% compared to unaugmented biomass.
- Enhanced release of NH4+-N was observed, indicating increased breakdown of amino acids in SPW.
- R. ruber facilitated more rapid hydrolysis of proteins and polysaccharides in SPW.
Conclusions:
- Bioaugmentation with R. ruber effectively accelerates denitrification in wastewater treatment.
- R. ruber enhances denitrification by catalyzing the hydrolysis of proteins and polysaccharides in SPW.
- This study introduces a novel approach to improve nitrogen removal in WWTPs.
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