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Turning harm into benefit: Leveraging anaerobic starvation to establish novel Tetrasphaera dominated simultaneous
Zhiwei Fan1, Haoyu Lin1, Juannong Chen2
1College of Mining Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063010, China; Hebei Industrial Technology Institute of Mine Ecological Remediation, Tangshan 063010, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Development and Ecological Restoration of Mineral Resources, Tangshan 063010, China.
Abstract:
Previous research has overwhelmingly suggested that anaerobic starvation undermines wastewater treatment performance. However, this study contradicts the prevailing consensus. This study challenges consensus that anaerobic starvation impairs wastewater treatment through a Tetrasphaera-dominated simultaneous partial nitrification, denitrification phosphorus removal in-situ sludge reduction (T-SPNDPR-ISR) process that enhances biological phosphorus removal, nitrification-denitrification (SND) efficiency, and sludge reduction. 21 days anaerobic starvation yielded optimal results, increasing phosphorus removal, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, sludge reduction, nitrite accumulation ratio, SND efficiency to 98.0 ± 1.4%, 91.4 ± 1.4%, 55.7 ± 1.2%, 98.4 ± 1.3%, 98.1 ± 1.5%, respectively. Post-starvation, Tetrasphaera replaced Aspartic acid with Leucine as intracellular carbon storage, increasing relative abundance from 9.4 ± 1.0% to 70.3 ± 3.4%. Thauera (aerobic denitrifier) and Chryseolinea (COD degrader) increased, utilizing Tetrasphaera-released carbon. Extracellular DNA increased 8.2-fold and LDH release rose 66.3 ± 1.1%, indicating cell lysis. This study reframes anaerobic starvation as technology rather than hindrance.
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