Screening and Characterization of a Bacterium Capable of Simultaneous Heterotrophic Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification at High Concentrations of Ammonia-Nitrogen

A bacterium capable of simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification at high concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen was screened and identified and the denitrification property was investigated in this paper. The strain was isolated from aeration tank of wastewater disposed by activated sludge and analyzed and identified by 16S rDNA. The effects of different carbon sources and carbon and nitrogen mass ratios on denitrification rate were studied. The changes of various forms of ammonia-nitrogens during the simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification process were characterized. A strain capable of simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification at 600 mg/L nitrogen concentration has been isolated and screened. Comparison of its 16S rDNA sequence showed 100% similarity to Bacillus licheniformis strain Lr124/6. The strain was named as Bacillus sp. A22. The optimal conditions for degradation of ammonia-nitrogen by Bacillus sp. A22 were trisodium citrate as carbon source and carbon and nitrogen mass ratios of 10. The denitrification rate was 98.2% after 96 h of culture under the optimal conditions and there was hardly any intermediates accumulation in the denitrification process. It has practical applications that the denitrification can be performed efficiently at high concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen by method of simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification by Bacillus sp. A22 in nitrogen purification treatment of wastewater with high concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen.