Pyrosequencing reveals microbial community dynamics in integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification process at different influent nitrate concentrations

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 171; pp. 294 - 301
• Main Authors: Chen, Chuan, Xu, Xi-Jun, Xie, Peng, Yuan, Ye, Zhou, Xu, Wang, Ai-Jie, Lee, Duu-Jong, Ren, Nan-Qi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - growth & development; Bacteria - metabolism; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Bioreactors - microbiology; Denitrification - physiology; Integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification; Microbial community; Microbiota - physiology; Nitrate; Nitrates - chemistry; Nitrates - metabolism; Nitrogen Oxides - metabolism; Pyrosequencing; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Sulfates - metabolism; Nitrate; Integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification; Microbial community; Pyrosequencing
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.11.159

Integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification (ISDD) process has proven to be feasible for the coremoval of sulfate, nitrate, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In this study, we aimed to reveal the microbial community dynamics in the ISDD process with different influent nitrate (NO3−) concentrations. For all tested scenarios, full denitrification was accomplished while sulfate removal efficiency decreased along with increased influent NO3− concentrations. The proportion of S0 to influent SO42− maintained a low level (5.6–17.0%) regardless of the increased influent NO3− concentrations. Microbial community analysis results showed that higher influent NO3− concentrations affected the microbial community structure greatly. Phyla Proteobacteria, Spirochaetae, Firmicutes, Synergistetes, and Chloroflexi dominated in all the community compositions, of which Proteobacteria exhibited a clear difference among eight microbial samples. Members of δ-Proteobacteria, with 16S rRNA gene sequences related to Desulfobulbus, were clearly decreased at influent NO3− = 3000 and 3500 mg/L, suggesting an inhibitory effect of NO3− on sulfate reduction. In contrast, as influent NO3− concentration increased, microbial community was notably enriched in γ-Proteobacteria and ε-Proteobacteria, which revealed the enrichment of 16S rRNA gene sequences related to Pseudomonas (γ-Proteobacteria), and Arcobacteria and Sulfurospirillum (ε-Proteobacteria). •Microbial community dynamics at different influent nitrate concentrations were revealed.•Higher influent NO3− concentrations greatly shaped the microbial community structure.•Phylum Proteobacteria exhibited a clear difference among microbial samples.•Increased NO3− concentration resulted in decreased relative abundance of δ-Proteobacteria.•γ- and ε-Proteobacteria were notably enriched with increased NO3− concentration.