Effect of anaerobic/aerobic duration on nitrogen removal and microbial community in a simultaneous partial nitrification and denitrification system under low salinity

Abstract In this study, the simultaneous partial nitrification and denitrification (SPND) process was investigated in a hybrid sequencing batch biofilm reactor (HSBBR) fed with synthetic wastewater with 1.2% salinity. Different anaerobic/aerobic (An/Ae) durations were selected for evaluating the removal performance of contaminants and the succession of the microbial community in the reactor. The highest organic matter removal efficiency was obtained at An/Ae hour ratio of 0/6.5, with an average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 89.6% at the steady state. Similarly high nitrogen removal efficiencies were achieved at An/Ae hour ratios of 1/5.5, 1.5/5 and 2/4.5,with over 92% of average total nitrogen removed. This represents an increase of more than 10% compared to the mode with An/Ae hour ratio of 0/6.5. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the increase of the An/Ae hour ratio changed the characteristics of the community structures in the HSBBR. Azoarcus was the most dominant genus when the An/Ae hour ratio was 0/6.5 in both suspended sludge (S-sludge) and biofilm, while Candidatus_Competibacter was the most abundant genus at An/Ae hour ratios of 2/4.5 and 3/3.5. Nitrosomonas was the only ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) detected in this study. Nitrospira , a kind of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), was sensitive to salinity and altering the An/Ae mode; this was detected only in S-sludge samples in a fully aerobic mode with a low percentage of 0.1%. S-sludge and biofilm samples shared a similar bacterial composition. This research demonstrated that efficient nitrogen and carbon removal could be achieved via the SPND process by the symbiotic functional groups in a hybrid S-sludge and biofilm reactor.