Abstract

SANCHEZ, Jaime; SANABRIA, Janeth  and  JETTEN, Mike. Faster autotrophic growth of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms in presence of nitrite, using inocula from Colombia. Rev. colomb. biotecnol [online]. 2014, vol.16, n.1, pp.146-152. ISSN 0123-3475.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rev.colomb.biote.v16n1.44282.

Anammox is a nitrite dependent process, catalyzed by bacteria of the order Brocadiales. Anammox bacteria oxidize ammonia under anoxic conditions, with nitrite as electron acceptor producing dinitrogen gas. Here, we demonstrated the presence of anammox bacteria by enriched them in a SBR reactor, with anaerobic samples taken from de bottom of a pond used in primary wastewater treatment. The enrichment reached nitrogen (N) removal rates of nearly 1.92kg N/m3/day. (The stoichiometry of the reaction matched previous anammox studies). The enriched bacterial communities were analyzed by Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (FISH), and showed a nearly 90% enrichment at the end of the experiment (day 90). As far as we know this is the first time that the anammox bacteria were enriched using Colombian inocula. The enrichment was achieved in relatively short time with high yields and have an excellent potential for application in wastewater treatment opening the opportunity to treat nitrogen-rich effluents by partial nitritation and anammox, thereby decreasing operational costs with respect to aeration (nitrification) and addition of organic electron donor (heterotrophic denitrification). This more sustainable treatment is a good alternative to control nutrient pollution in water bodies in tropical countries.

Keywords : nitrogen cycle; advanced treatment; anammox; nitritation; nitratation; denitrification.

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