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Quantification of Heavy Metals and Other Inorganic Contaminants on the Productivity of Microalgae
Published on: July 10, 2015
Fe3+ stress in an algal-bacterial system: nitrification inhibition, iron distribution, and microbial tolerance
Zihua Yang1, Yang Lei1, Jin Pei1
1College of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China.
Abstract:
sewer corrosion control and chemical phosphorus removal introduce Fe3+ to wastewater. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of Fe3+ (0.2, 2, 8, 32 mg/L) on algal-bacterial system, in terms of nutrient removal, iron distribution, and microbial community. Results showed that COD and phosphorus removal remained unaffected. In contrast, NH+ 4-N removal declined significantly at Fe3+ > 8 mg/L. This was due to suppression of Nitrosomonas and upregulation the hcp gene encoding hydroxylamine reduction to ammonia. Iron precipitated as Fe-P and FeOOH crusts on microbial aggregates, with distributed in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) as S-EPS (54-63 %) > TB-EPS (21-37 %) > LB-EPS (7-14 %). Some microbes showed tolerance to iron stress, e.g., Nitrospira, polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs, Accumulibacter, Dechloromonas, Caldilineaceae and Tetrasphaera), glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO, Competibacter), and green algae. Denitrification and photosynthesis genes were upregulated, while P related genes (ppk, ppx) were downregulated. These findings highlight the necessity for iron dosing management to safeguard biological nutrient removal.
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