Novel microorganisms have the ability to handle high-ammonium wastewater

Water pollution has become increasingly serious, and is the main pollutant in most water. Microbial nitrification / denitrification is one of the most efficient nitrogen transfer pathways for wastewater.

In general, the traditional processes in microbial nitrogen removal consist of two components: aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification. Nitrification and denitrification can be performed simultaneously in a single reactor with a class of microorganisms – heterotrophic-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) nitrification.

A research group led by Professor Wu Jinshui of the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a bacterium denitrification heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification – Alcaligenes faecalis WT14, which has the ability to treat high ammonium wastewater.

The study was published in Journal of Environmental Management on 16 January.

The researchers found that WT14 could absorb high-density ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) up to 2000 mg · L.^-1 and NH was effective₄⁺-N removal rate 55.9 mg · L.^-1· H.^-1.

Unlike other Alcaligenes faecalis species, WT14 was able to effectively remove high density nitrate (NO3 – N) or nitrite (NO2 – N) when they are single nitrogen sources.

These results meant that WT14 is a new strain of Alcaligenes faecalis and has the ability to treat wastewater containing high strength NH₄⁺-N, NO₃—N, or NOT₂—N.