Bromate reduction by denitrifying bacteria

Abstract

In the presence of bromide, ozonation as applied in water treatment results in the formation of bromate, an ion with carcinogenic properties. The reduction of bromate by mixed bacterial populations as well as pure cultures was studied under laboratory conditions. Bromate was reduced to bromide by a mixed bacterial population with and without a preceding nitrate reduction step in an anaerobically incubated medium with ethanol as the energy and carbon source at 20 and 25°C. The predominating bacteria isolated from the batches showing bromate reduction were identified as Pseudomonas spp. Strains of pseudomonas fluorescens reduced BrO3- to Br- but at a much lower rate than the mixed bacterial population did. Nitrate is a preferred electron acceptor for the bromate-reducing bacteria. Bromate reduction did not occur in the presence of NO3-, and the rate of bromate reduction was at least 100 times lower than the rate of nitrate reduction. Bromate was completely converted to Br-, indicating that intermediates, e.g., BrO2-, did not accumulate during bromate reduction.