Bioaugmentation treatment of nitrogen-rich wastewater with a denitrifier with biofilm-formation and nitrogen-removal capacities in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor

Abstract A strain with efficient biofilm-formation and aerobic denitrification capabilities was isolated and identified as Pseudomonas mendocina IHB602. In pure culture, strain IHB602 removed almost all NO3−-N, NO2−-N, and NH4+-N (initial concentrations 50 mg/L) within 24 h. The strain produced large amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (maximum 430.33 mg/g cell dry weight) rich in protein but containing almost no humic acid. This, and strong autoaggregation (maximum 47.09%) and hydrophobicity (maximum 85.07%), imparted strain IHB602 with biofilm forming traits. A sequencing batch biofilm reactor bioaugmented with strain IHB602 (SBBR1) had more rapid biofilm-formation than the control without strain IHB602 inoculation (SBBR2). During the stabilization period, the effluent removal ratios for NH4+-N (95%), NO3−-N (91%) and TN (88%) in SBBR1 were significantly higher than those in SBBR2 (NH4+-N: 91%, NO3−-N: 88%, TN: 82%). Microbial community structure analysis revealed that strain IHB602 successfully proliferated and contributed to nitrogen removal as well as biofilm formation.