Effects of electroconductive materials on treatment performance and microbial community structure in biofilter systems with silicone tubings

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 307; p. 135828
• Main Authors: Du, Jingjing, Niu, Yulong, Wu, Haiming, Konnerup, Dennis, Wu, Shubiao, Ramírez-Vargas, Carlos A., Yang, Yanqin, Brix, Hans, Arias, Carlos A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2022
• Subjects: Bacterial community; Biofilter system; Microbial electrochemical technology; Removal efficiency; Silicone tubings; Silicone tubings; Microbial electrochemical technology; Removal efficiency; Biofilter system; Bacterial community
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135828

Biofilter systems coupling with microbial electrochemical technology can enhance the removal performance of pollutants. In this study, two types of coke (PK-A and PK-LSN) were used as electroconductive substrates in biofilter systems with silicone tubings. The results showed that the silicone tubings were beneficial for removing NH4+-N. The PK-A systems reached removal efficiencies up to 83.5–85.3% for NH4+-N without aeration. Compared to gravel systems, significantly higher removal efficiencies of NO3−-N (84.8–95.4%) were obtained in coke systems, and better removal of PO43--P (91.9–95.7%) was also simultaneously achieved in PK-A systems. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the better performances of coke systems rely on the functions of both electroactive (Trichococcus and Sulfurovum) and non-electroactive bacteria (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Propionicicella, and Acinetobacter). These findings highlight the important contribution of silicone tubings to oxygen supply and provide useful guidance for the application of coke in composite matrix systems.
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•Silicone tubings can enhance the NH4+-N removal efficiency with passive O2 supply.•Higher removal efficiencies of NO3−-N were achieved in electroconductive systems.•Better removal performance of PO43--P was obtained simultaneously in PK-A systems.•Electroactive genera Trichococcus and Sulfurovum were enriched and promoted.