Flow regimes drive rapid and stable nitrite production for low‐carbon nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment

Résumé fourni par la source

Abstract Sustained nitritation underpins energy‐efficient nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment, yet remains constrained to chemically dependent and tightly controlled systems due to the instability of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Here, we present a turbulence kinetic energy (TKE)‐driven biofilm structuring (TDBS) strategy that overcomes this constraint by coupling hydrodynamic shear with microbial self‐assembly to stabilize AOB. In a 1 m3/day pilot‐scale MBBR, TDBS achieved 76.4% nitrite accumulation within 37 days (1.6–5.0 times faster than conventional SBRs) and sustained long‐term stable performance without chemical intervention or intensive control. TKE‐induced shear enhanced biofilm density and substrate transport, triggering spatial niche partitioning that selectively enriched AOB. This niche orchestrated microbial self‐organization into AOB‐centered cross‐feeding consortia, forming a self‐reinforcing network that sustained AOB over nitrite‐oxidizing bacteria, evidenced by 1.67‐fold higher activity and two‐fold abundance. These findings represent a mechanistic and engineering breakthrough in microbial engineering, positioning TDBS as a scalable, chemical‐free strategy for low‐carbon nitrogen removal.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.