Removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants from water using seeding type immobilized microorganisms.
OBJECTIVE
To study the possibility of removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants using seeding type immobilized microorganisms.


METHODS
Lakes P and M in Wuhan were chosen as the objects to study the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants with the seeding type immobilized microorganisms. Correlations between the quantity of heterotrophic bacteria and the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC) in the two lakes were studied. The dominant bacteria were detected, inoculated to the sludge and acclimated by increasing nitrogen, phosphorus and decreasing carbon source in an intermittent, time-controlled and fixed-quantity way. The bacteria were then used to prepare the seeding type immobilized microorganisms, selecting diatomite as the adsorbent carrier. The ability and influence factors of removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutant from water samples by the seeding type immobilized microorganisms were studied.


RESULTS
The coefficients of the heterotrophic bacterial quantity correlated with TOC, TP, and TN were 0.9143, 0.8229, 0.7954 in Lake P and 0.9168, 0.7187, 0.6022 in Lake M. Ten strains of dominant heterotrophic bacteria belonging to Pseudomonas, Coccus, Aeromonas, Bacillus, and Enterobateriaceae, separately, were isolated. The appropriate conditions for the seeding type immobilized microorgansims in purifying the water sample were exposure time=24 h, pH=7.0-8.0, and quantity of the immobilized microorganisms=0.75-1 g/50 mL. The removal rates of TOC, TP, and TN under the above conditions were 80.2%, 81.6%, and 86.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The amount of heterotrophic bacteria in the two lakes was correlated with TOC, TP, and TN. These bacteria could be acclimatized and prepared for the immobilized microorganisms which could effectively remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and mixed organic pollutants in the water sample.
Institute of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
Lin
L
Wang
Li-Jing
LJ
Huang
Luo-Jia
LJ
Yun
Fei
F
Tang
Jing-Hui
JH
Zhao
Yan-Qun
YQ
Liu
Xin
X
Zeng
Qi-Fang
QF
Luo
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen