Formate modulation of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria metabolism for rapid nitritation in municipal wastewater treatment
Xinjie Gao1, Zeming An1, Baishuo Shao1
1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
Abstract:
Improving the removal of nitrogen from municipal wastewater through sustainable methods is crucial for mitigating global nitrogen pollution. In this study, nitritation was rapidly achieved within 8 days in municipal wastewater treatment through the formate addition, with the nitrite accumulation rate and total nitrogen removal efficiency being stably maintained at 76 % and 93 %, respectively. In contrast, the control group receiving an equivalent amount of acetate failed to achieve nitritation, despite exhibiting a lower abundance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Moreover, DNA-based stable isotope probing, oxygen uptake rates, and transcriptome analysis suggested that the preferential use of oxygen or nitrate by NOB to oxidize formate could be the underlying mechanism for nitritation. Compared with other carbon sources, the formate addition achieved superior removal of nitrogen with lower consumption of carbon. Overall, nitritation offers a practical pathway for integration with anaerobic ammonium oxidation for more sustainable and advanced nitrogen removal from real wastewater.
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