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Updated: May 8, 2026

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
Published on: December 29, 2013
Control strategy and microbial insights of partial nitrification for treating photovoltaic wastewater
Yang Liu1, Tianyi An2, Shihong Dong3
1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
Abstract:
Photovoltaic ammonia scrubber wastewater, characterized by high ammonium-nitrogen concentration, an extremely high pH, and a low chemical oxygen demand (COD), poses a major challenge for sustainable wastewater treatment. This study investigated the feasibility of treating photovoltaic wastewater using a partial nitrification (PN) process in continuous-flow reactors. The results showed that a control strategy combining low dissolved oxygen (0.2-0.5 mg/L), extended hydraulic retention time (6 to 12 h), and in situ regulation of free ammonia (FA)/free nitrous acid (FNA) was most effective in suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Over 140 days of operation, a high nitrite accumulation rate of 93 ± 1% was achieved, with an effluent NO2--N/NH4+-N ratio of 1.13-1.32, providing suitable feedstock for anammox. Microbial sequencing revealed condition-dependent adaptations in the microbial community structure and corresponding shifts in functional metabolic pathways. Notably, Nitrosomonas was enriched from 0.07% to 8.17%, whereas Nitrospira decreased from 4.68% to 0.05%. Functional prediction further showed a higher predicted relative abundance of hao and amo under PN-favorable conditions. Overall, stable PN in photovoltaic wastewater was achieved under the combined control strategy, providing theoretical insights and practical guidance for future pilot-scale application.
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