Effect of Increasing C/N Ratio on Performance and Microbial Community Structure in a Membrane Bioreactor with a High Ammonia Load

Huaihao Xu, Yuepeng Deng, Xiuying Li, Yuxian Liu, Shuangqiu Huang, Yunhua Yang, Zhu Wang and Chun Hu
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Huaihao Xu: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yuepeng Deng: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xiuying Li: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yuxian Liu: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Shuangqiu Huang: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yunhua Yang: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Zhu Wang: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Chun Hu: Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Clean Energy and Materials, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Herein, the responses of the operational performance of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a high ammonium-nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) load and microbial community structure to increasing carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios were studied. Variation in the influent C/N ratio did not affect the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH 4 + -N but gradually abated the ammonia oxidization activity of sludge. The concentration of the sludge in the reactor at the end of the process increased four-fold compared with that of the seed sludge, ensuring the stable removal of NH 4 + -N. The increasing influent COD concentration resulted in an elevated production of humic acids in soluble microbial product (SMP) and accelerated the rate of membrane fouling. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the C/N ratio had selective effects on the microbial community structure. In the genus level, Methyloversatilis , Subsaxibacter , and Pseudomonas were enriched during the operation. However, the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) involved in nitrification declined gradually and were decreased by 86.54 and 90.17%, respectively, with influent COD increasing from 0 to 2000 mg/L. The present study offers a more in-depth insight into the control strategy of the C/N ratio in the operation of an MBR with a high NH 4 + -N load.

Keywords: nitrification; C/N ratio; membrane bioreactor; membrane fouling; microbial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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