Controlling anammox speciation and biofilm attachment strategy using N-biotransformation intermediates and organic carbon levels

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-12, Vol.12 (1), p.21720-13, Article 21720
• Main Authors: Lu, Yang, Natarajan, Gayathri, Nguyen, Thi Quynh Ngoc, Thi, Sara Swa, Arumugam, Krithika, Seviour, Thomas, Williams, Rohan B. H., Wuertz, Stefan, Law, Yingyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/326; 704/172; Ammonia; Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; Ammonium; Ammonium Compounds; Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation; Anaerobic bacteria; Anaerobiosis; Bacteria; Biofilms; Bioreactors; Bioreactors - microbiology; Biotransformation; Candidatus Brocadia caroliniensis; Carbon; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immobilization; Inoculum; Intermediates; multidisciplinary; Nitric oxide; Nitrites; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Dioxide; Nitrogen removal; Organic carbon; Oxidation-Reduction; Reactors; Relative abundance; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Speciation; Species diversity; Supplements; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Water treatment
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26069-2

Conventional nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment requires a high oxygen and energy input. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), the single-step conversion of ammonium and nitrite to nitrogen gas, is a more energy and cost effective alternative applied extensively to sidestream wastewater treatment. It would also be a mainstream treatment option if species diversity and physiology were better understood. Anammox bacteria were enriched up to 80%, 90% and 50% relative abundance, from a single inoculum, under standard enrichment conditions with either stepwise-nitrite and ammonia concentration increases (R1), nitric oxide supplementation (R2), or complex organic carbon from mainstream wastewater (R3), respectively. Candidatus  Brocadia caroliniensis predominated in all reactors, but a shift towards Ca.  Brocadia sinica occurred at ammonium and nitrite concentrations > 270 mg NH 4 –N L −1 and 340 mg NO 2 –N L −1 respectively. With NO present, heterotrophic growth was inhibited, and  Ca.  Jettenia coexisted with Ca.  B. caroliniensis before diminishing as nitrite increased to 160 mg NO 2 –N L −1 . Organic carbon supplementation led to the emergence of heterotrophic communities that coevolved with Ca. B. caroliniensis. Ca.  B. caroliniensis and Ca.  Jettenia preferentially formed biofilms on surfaces, whereas Ca.  Brocadia sinica formed granules in suspension. Our results indicate that multiple anammox bacteria species co-exist and occupy sub-niches in anammox reactors, and that the dominant population can be reversibly shifted by, for example, changing nitrogen load (i.e. high nitrite concentration favors Ca. Brocadia caroliniensis). Speciation has implications for wastewater process design, where the optimum cell immobilization strategy (i.e. carriers vs granules) depends on which species dominates.