Differentiation in nitrogen-converting activity and microbial community structure between granular size fractions in a continuous autotrophic nitrogen removal reactor

Abstract

The differentiations in nitrogen-converting activity and microbial community structure between granular size fractions in a continuous completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) reactor, having a superior specific nitrogen removal rate of 0.24 g/(g VSṠd), were investigated by batch tests and high-throughput pyrosequencing analysis, respectively. Results revealed that a high dissolved oxygen concentration (>1.8 mg/l) could result in efficient nitrite accumulation with small granules (0.2-0.6 mm in diameter), because aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (genus Nitrosomonas) predominated therein. Meanwhile, intermediate size granules (1.4-2.0 mm in diameter) showed the highest nitrogen removal activity of 40.4 mg/(g VSṠh) under sufficient oxygen supply, corresponding to the relative abundance ratio of aerobic to anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (genus Candidatus Kuenenia) of 5.7. Additionally, a dual substrate competition for oxygen and nitrite would be considered as the main mechanism for repression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and the few Nitrospira spp. did not remarkably affect the overall performance of the reactor. Because all the granular size fractions could accomplish the CANON process independently under oxygen limiting conditions, maintaining a diversity of granular size would facilitate the stability of the suspended growth CANON system.