Competition for electrons between reductive dechlorination and denitrification

Highlights

Simultaneous reductive dechlorination and denitrification occurred simultaneously in VBBR.

The mechanism of the mutual inhibition between TCP and nitrate or nitrite was identified clearly.

Declorination was more sensitive to competitive inhibition than either denitrification.

Nitrite had a smaller inhibitory impact on TCP reduction than nitrate.

Both reactions proceed more rapidly if the oxidized nitrogen is nitrite instead of nitrate.

All reactions could be accelerated by exogenous electron donors, and especially for TCP reduction.

Abstract

It is common that 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) coexists with nitrate or nitrite in industrial wastewaters. In this work, simultaneous reductive dechlorination of TCP and denitrification of nitrate or nitrite competed for electron donor, which led to their mutual inhibition. All inhibitions could be relieved to a certain degree by augmenting an organic electron donor, but the impact of the added electron donor was strongest for TCP. For simultaneous reduction of TCP together with nitrate, TCP’s removal rate value increased 75% and 150%, respectively, when added glucose was increased from 0.4 mmol·L^–1 to 0.5 mmol·L^–1 and to 0.76 mmol·L^–1. For comparison, the removal rate for nitrate increased by only 25% and 114% for the same added glucose. The relationship between their initial biodegradation rates versus their initial concentrations could be represented well with the Monod model, which quantified their half-maximum-rate concentration (K_S value), and K_S values for TCP, nitrate, and nitrite were larger with simultaneous reduction than independent reduction. The increases in K_S are further evidence that competition for the electron donor led to mutual inhibition. For bioremediation of wastewater containing TCP and oxidized nitrogen, both reduction reactions should proceed more rapidly if the oxidized nitrogen is nitrite instead of nitrate and if readily biodegradable electron acceptor is augmented.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Competition for electrons / Denitrification / Reductive dechlorination / Bioremediation / Nitrate / 2 / 4 / 6-trichlorophenol

References

[1] LiX, ManderÜ, MaZ, JiaY. Water quality problems and potential for wetlands as treatment systems in the Yangtze River Delta. China.Wetlands, 2010, 29(4): 1125–1132

[2] RenY, XuZ, ZhangX, WangX, SunX D J, BallantineD J, WangS. Nitrogen pollution and source identification of urban ecosystem surface water in Beijing.Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 8(1): 106–116

[3] YuanX, GaoD. Effect of dissolved oxygen on nitrogen removal and process control in aerobic granular sludge reactor.Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2010, 178(1-3): 1041–1045

[4] BlackburneR, YuanZ, KellerJ. Partial nitrification to nitrite using low dissolved oxygen concentration as the main selection factor.Biodegradation, 2008, 19(2): 303–312

[5] ZhangL, ZhangC, HuC, LiuH, BaiY, QuJ. Sulfur-based mixotrophic denitrification corresponding to different electron donors and microbial profiling in anoxic fluidized-bed membrane bioreactors.Water Research, 2015, 85: 422–431

[6] WanT, ZhangG, DuF, HeJ, WuP. Combined biologic aerated filter and sulfur/ceramisite autotrophic denitrification for advanced wastewater nitrogen removal at low temperatures.Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2014, 8(6): 967–972

[7] LvY, ChenX, WangL, JuK, ChenX, MiaoR, WangX. Microprofiles of activated sludge aggregates using microelectrodes in completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) reactor.Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2016, 10(2): 390–398

[8] RittmannE B, McCartyP L. Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications. Boston, McGraw-Hill, 2001

[9] MaB, WangS, ZhuG, GeS, WangJ, RenN, PengY. Denitrification and phosphorus uptake by DPAOs using nitrite as an electron acceptor by step-feed strategies.Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2013, 7(2): 267–272 doi:10.1007/s11783-012-0439-2

[10] FengC, HuangL, YuH, YiX, WeiC. Simultaneous phenol removal, nitrification and denitrification using microbial fuel cell technology.Water Research, 2015, 76: 160–170

[11] JemaatZ, Suárez-OjedaM E, PérezJ, CarreraJ. Simultaneous nitritation and p-nitrophenol removal using aerobic granular biomass in a continuous airlift reactor.Bioresource Technology, 2013, 150(3): 307–313

[12] YanN, WangL, ChangL, ZhangC, ZhouY, ZhangY, RittmannB E. Coupled aerobic and anoxic biodegradation for quinoline and nitrogen removals.Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 2015, 9(4): 738–744

[13] EkerS, KargiF. Biological treatment of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) containing wastewater in a hybrid bioreactor system with effluent recycle.Journal of Environmental Management, 2009, 90(2): 692–698

[14] AndreoniV, BaggiG, ColomboM, CavalcaL, ZangrossiM, BernasconiS. Degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by a specialized organism and by indigenous soil microflora: bioaugmentation and self-remediability for soil restoration.Letters in Applied Microbiology, 1998, 27(2): 86–92

[15] DiezM C, CastilloG, AguilarL, VidalG, MoraM L. Operational factors and nutrient effects on activated sludge treatment of Pinus radiata kraft mill wastewater.Bioresource Technology, 2002, 83(2): 131–138

[16] HameedB H. Equilibrium and kinetics studies of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol adsorption onto activated clay.Colloids and Surfaces. A, Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2007, 307(1–3): 45–52

[17] PodkościelnyP, DabrowskiA, MarijukO V. Heterogeneity of active carbons in adsorption of phenol aqueous solutions.Applied Surface Science, 2003, 205(1–4): 297–303 doi:10.1016/S0169-4332(02)01154-6

[18] GaoJ, LiuL, LiuX, ZhouH, HuangS, WangZ. Levels and spatial distribution of chlorophenols- 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol in surface water of China.Chemosphere, 2008, 71(6): 1181–1187

[19] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Man. World Health Organization, 1999

[20] HäggblomM M. Microbial breakdown of halogenated aromatic pesticides and related compounds.FEMS Microbiology Letters, 1992, 9(1): 29–71

[21] AliM, SreekrishnanT R. Aquatic toxicity from pulp and paper mill effluents: a review.Advances in Environmental Research, 2001, 5(2): 175–196

[22] FieldJ A, StamsA J M, KatoM, SchraaG. Enhanced biodegradation of aromatic pollutants in cocultures of anaerobic and aerobic bacterial consortia.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 1995, 67(1): 47–77

[23] ChenY C, ZhanH Y, ChenZ H, FuS Y, ZhangX Y. Coupled anaerobic/aerobic biodegradation of 2,4,6 trichlorophenol.Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 2003, 15(4): 469–474

[24] McFallS M, AbrahamB, NarsolisC G, ChakrabartyA M. A tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate regulating transcription of a chloroaromatic biodegradative pathway: fumarate-mediated repression of the clcABD operon.Journal of Bacteriology, 1997, 179(21): 6729–6735

[25] LouieT M, WebsterC M, XunL. Genetic and biochemical characterization of a 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation pathway in Ralstonia eutropha JMP134.Journal of Bacteriology, 2002, 184(13): 3492–3500

[26] AnnachhatreA P, GheewalaS H. Biodegradation of chlorinated phenolic compounds.Biotechnology Advances, 1996, 14(1): 35–56

[27] WangJ, FuW, HeX, YangS, ZhuW. Catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol with functionalized carbon materials as catalysts: reaction mechanism and pathway.Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 2014, 26(8): 1741–1749

[28] BockC, KroppenstedtR M, SchmidtU, DiekmannH. Degradation of prochloraz and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by environmental bacterial strains.Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 1996, 45(1-2): 257–262

[29] SnyderC J P, AsgharM, ScharerJ M, LeggeR L. Biodegradation kinetics of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by an acclimated mixed microbial culture under aerobic conditions.Biodegradation, 2006, 17(6): 535–544

[30] KohringG W, ZhangX M, WiegelJ. Anaerobic dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol in freshwater sediments in the presence of sulfate.Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1989, 55(10): 2735–2737

[31] AlderA C, HaggblomM M, OppenheimerS R, YoungL Y. Reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls in anaerobic sediments.Environmental Science & Technology, 1993, 27(3): 530–538

[32] American Public Health Association (APHA). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 22nd ed.; American Water Works Association and Water Pollution Control Federation: Washington DC, USA, 2001

[33] ChungJ, BaeW, LeeY W, RittmannB E. Shortcut biological nitrogen removal in hybrid biofilm / suspended growth reactors.Process Biochemistry, 2007, 42(3): 320–328

[34] IsmailZ Z, PavlostathisS G. Influence of sulfate reduction on the microbial dechlorination of pentachloroaniline in a mixed anaerobic culture.Biodegradation, 2010, 21(1): 43–57

[35] TezelU, PavlostathisS G. Transformation of benzalkonium chloride under nitrate reducing conditions.Environmental Science & Technology, 2009, 43(5): 1342–1348

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the ability construction project of local Colleges and Universities in Shanghai (No. 16070503000), Special Fund of State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (No. 16K10ESPCT), Shanghai Gaofeng & Gaoyuan Project for University Academic Program Development, and the United States National Science Foundation (No. 0651794).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2017 Higher Education Press and Springer–Verlag Berlin Heidelberg