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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Robust nitrogen removal through simultaneous denitrification and anammox driven by alkaline sludge fermentation
Xiaodi Li1, Bo Wang1, Wei Zeng1
1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
Abstract:
Operational instability of partial nitrification (PN) remains a major barrier to mainstream energy-efficient wastewater treatment. Here, a stable simultaneous denitrification-anammox system driven by alkaline sludge fermentation liquor (ASFL) under varying nitrification levels (PN, complete nitrification, and their coexistence) has been presented. Through a 240-day continuous operation treating municipal wastewater, this system achieved high nitrogen removal efficiency, ranging from 96.9 ± 2.0% under PN to 95.7 ± 2.4% under coexistence of PN and complete nitrification. Isotope tracing and microbial analyses indicated that ASFL-supported heterotrophic denitrification was the dominant nitrogen removal pathway, whereas anammox activity remained detectable but contributed only to a limited extent under the investigated conditions. Metagenomic analysis revealed functional shifts in nitrogen metabolism while the core carbon metabolic potential remained largely conserved. Combined with an optimized iron-assisted strategy for effluent polishing, this ASFL-driven simultaneous denitrification-anammox framework provides a sustainable, circular pathway for energy-efficient nitrogen removal, addressing the inherent vulnerability of mainstream PN applications.
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