16S rRNA gene-based characterization of bacteria potentially associated with phosphate and carbonate precipitation from a granular autotrophic nitrogen removal bioreactor.
A bench-scale granular autotrophic nitrogen removal bioreactor (completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) system) used for the treatment of synthetic wastewater was analyzed for the identification of microbiota with potential capacity for carbonate and phosphate biomineral formation. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-based studies revealed that different bacterial species found in the granular biomass could trigger the formation of phosphate and calcite minerals in the CANON bioreactor. iTag analysis of the microbial community in the granular biomass with potential ability to precipitate calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite constituted around 0.79-1.32 % of total bacteria. Specifically, the possible hydroxyapatite-producing Candidatus Accumulibacter had a relative abundance of 0.36-0.38 % and was the highest phosphate-precipitating bacteria in the granular CANON system. With respect to calcite precipitation, the major potential producer was thought to be Stenotrophomonas with a 0.38-0.50 % relative abundance. In conclusion, our study showed evidences that the formation of hydroxyapatite and calcite crystals inside of the granular biomass of a CANON system for the treatment wastewater with high ammonium concentration was a biological process. Therefore, it could be suggested that microorganisms play an important role as a precipitation core and also modified the environment due to their metabolic activities.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, Aalto, FI-00076, Espoo, Finland. alejandro.gonzalezmartinez@aalto.fi.
Alejandro
A
Gonzalez-Martinez
Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
Alejandro
A
Rodriguez-Sanchez
Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
María Angustias
MA
Rivadeneyra
Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Almudena
A
Rivadeneyra
Institute of Nanoelectronics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Daniel
D
Martin-Ramos
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, Aalto, FI-00076, Espoo, Finland.
Riku
R
Vahala
Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.|Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Jesús
J
Gonzalez-Lopez
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002254:Carbonates / Q000378:metabolism*; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
D002254:Carbonates; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D009584:Nitrogen; D010710:Phosphates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D062065:Wastewater
Biomineralization; CANON; Calcite; Nitrogen; Phosphate; iTag