Bioaugmentation with the nicotine-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. HF-1 in a sequencing batch reactor treating tobacco wastewater: degradation study and analysis of its mechanisms.

Abstract The highly effective nicotine-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. HF-1 was augmented in an SBR system that is used to treat tobacco wastewater. Compared to the non-bioaugmented (non-BA) system, the bioaugmented (BA) system exhibited considerably stronger pollution disposal abilities, with 100% nicotine degradation and more than 84% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal within 12 h. Nicotine degradation had a significant effect on COD removal in SBRs ( r  = 0.928, p