Ammonia transformation by potential consortium in the aquatic system

Area of Science:

• Environmental Microbiology
• Aquaculture Science
• Bioremediation

Background:

• Aquaculture systems face challenges with high ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, which are toxic to aquatic life.
• Efficient biological treatment methods are crucial for maintaining water quality and sustainability in aquaculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of individual ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) isolates and their consortium in removing high concentrations of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
• To assess the performance of these bacterial strains in both lab-scale and in-situ aquaculture environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized four efficient ammonia-oxidizing bacterial isolates (AOB AMS 1, AOB AMS 2, AOB AMS 5, and AOB AMSS 1) and their consortium.
• Conducted experiments at lab-scale and in-situ bioreactor levels with varying initial concentrations of ammonia (30 and 60 mg/L).
• Monitored bacterial growth using colony-forming units (CFU) and quantified ammonia and nitrite transformation in river water.

Main Results:

• The bacterial consortium achieved 99.97%±5.20 ammonia removal at 60 mg/L in lab-scale conditions.
• Individual isolates showed high removal rates, with AOB AMS 2 and AOB AMS 5 being particularly effective.
• In-situ studies demonstrated 100%±2% ammonia removal with significant bacterial consortium growth over 10 days.

Conclusions:

• The bacterial consortium of AOB AMS 1, AOB AMS 2, AOB AMS 5, and AOB AMSS 1 is highly efficient for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate removal in aquatic systems.
• This microbial solution effectively reduces toxic levels in aquaculture environments.
• The study validates the application of this bacterial consortium for water quality improvement in aquaculture.