Electric Field-Coupled Micro/Nano Aeration Biofilter for Rural Sewage Treatment: Performance and Bacterial Community Analysis

Tongxuan Zhu, Jinlei Li, Yungen Liu (), Silin Yang, Junlin Zhu, Pengcheng Guo and Qi Wang ()
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Tongxuan Zhu: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Jinlei Li: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Yungen Liu: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Silin Yang: Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment Evolution and Pollution Control in Mountainous & Rural Areas of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650224, China
Junlin Zhu: Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment Evolution and Pollution Control in Mountainous & Rural Areas of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650224, China
Pengcheng Guo: Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment Evolution and Pollution Control in Mountainous & Rural Areas of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650224, China
Qi Wang: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: The escalating demand for rural domestic wastewater treatment necessitates environmentally sustainable and cost-effective technologies. This study investigated the enhancement of a micro/nano aeration biofilter (MABF) through electric field coupling (E-MABF), evaluating pollutant removal efficacy and associated bacterial community dynamics. The results showed that the electric field significantly enhanced removal efficiency with respect to total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO 4 3− -P), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) ( p < 0.05). The TP, PO 4 3− -P, NH 4 + -N, and COD removal efficiencies for E-MABF reached 89.79%, 88.69%, 57.29%, and 57.96%, significantly exceeding those of MABF (26.50%,33.41%, 35.49%, and 45.75%). Electric field application markedly altered bacterial diversity and community composition. Core phyla, including Pseudomonadota, Chloroflexota, and Cyanobacteriota, exhibited significant positive correlations with pollutant removal efficiencies, indicating electric field facilitation of functional bacterial enrichment. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that electric field stimulation potentially enhanced metabolic functions, particularly in terpenoid and polyketide metabolism, and xenobiotics biodegradation. The Mantel’s test and structural equation model identified dominant bacterial composition as the primary factor influencing pollutant removal, followed by microenvironmental indicators and bacterial diversity. These findings elucidate the mechanisms underpinning the electric field augmentation of micro/nano aeration biofilter performance and provide a foundation for future research.

Keywords: rural sewage; electric field; biofilter; pollutant removal; bacterial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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