The mechanism of achieving in-situ sulfide control while completing nitrate reduction in the anoxic stage of anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process.
Xu Hao H, Tang Shilong S, Wang Yayi Y, Wu Min M
In the anoxic stage of anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2/O) process, similar to the anaerobic stage, sulfate can be reduced by sulfate-reducing bacteria to sulfide, threatening human health and environmental security. Without affecting nitrogen removal, utilizing nitrate refluxed from the oxic stage to directly interfere with sulfide conversion might be an effective strategy for in-situ sulfide control. Herein, the performance and mechanism of nitrate reduction on inhibiting sulfate reduction and controlling sulfide were explored for the first time in a lab-scale anoxic bioreactor in depth. The results indicated that sulfate reduction was negatively correlated (p<0.05) with nitrate reduction. In a semicontinuous experiment, compared with the group without nitrate, hydrogen sulfide and dissolved sulfide concentrations continuously and stably decreased by 68.62±1.66 % and 49.10±2.16 %, respectively, while 50 mg/L nitrate was completely reduced. Besides, the microbial community shifted from a simple structure dominated by sulfate-reducing bacteria to a complicated and hierarchically organized structure dominated by nitrate-reducing bacteria. Among them, heterotrophic nitrate-reducing bacteria were easier to utilize organics, which was a primary reason for sulfide control and nitrogen removal, while autotrophic nitrate-reducing sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were a secondary contributor. Furthermore, the expressions of sulfate-reducing genes were down-regulated, whereas the expressions of most sulfide-oxidizing genes and nitrate-reducing genes were up-regulated. This study provides a valuable idea and its theoretical foundation for achieving in-situ sulfide control coupled with nitrogen removal in the anoxic tank of A2/O.