The efficiency and the metabolic mechanism of carbon and nitrogen in Anammox-EGSB system for the treatment of nitrogen-containing aromatic coking wastewater

doi:10.19965/j.cnki.iwt.2025-0212

Abstract

Abstract:

Using synthetic coking wastewater containing four typical aromatic hydrocarbons as the treatment object,which containing phenol, quinoline, indole, and pyridine, an anaerobic ammonium oxidation-expanding granular sludge bed (Anammox-EGSB) system was employed. By adjusting key parameters such as the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) and hydraulic retention time (HRT), the long-term effects of multi-component aromatic hydrocarbons on system removal efficiency, sludge and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) characteristics, as well as microbial community and functional genes, were investigated. Over 116 days of reactor operation results indicated that reducing C/N enhanced the TN removal load of Anammox, with the highest TN removal load reaching 0.09 kg/(kg·d). Extending HRT effectively improved the removal rates of heterocyclic organic compounds such as indole and pyridine but weakened sludge activity, reduced the strength and stability of granular sludge, and decreased TN removal efficiency. As C/N decreased, the relative abundance of Candidatus Brocadia increased, while that of Denitratisoma and Caldimonas significantly declined. Additionally, microbial functional prediction identified key genes for aromatic hydrocarbon degradation and nitrogen transformation, leading to the proposed metabolic mechanism for simultaneous nitrogen and carbon removal in the EGSB system.

Key words: expanded granular sludge bed, Anammox, aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen removal efficiency, microbial community, metabolic mechanism

摘要：

以同时添加苯酚、喹啉、吲哚、吡啶这4种典型芳烃的合成焦化废水为处理对象，采用厌氧氨氧化-膨胀颗粒污泥床（Anammox-EGSB）系统，通过改变关键参数碳氮比（C/N）和水力停留时间（HRT），探究多组分芳烃对系统去除效能、污泥与胞外聚合物（EPS）特性、微生物群落与功能基因的长期影响机制。持续116 d的反应器运行结果表明，降低C/N有利于增强Anammox的TN去除负荷，TN去除负荷最高可达0.09 kg/（kg·d）；延长HRT可以有效提高吲哚和吡啶等杂环有机物的去除率，但会使得污泥活性减弱，颗粒污泥强度和稳定性变差，降低TN去除率。随着C/N的降低，Candidatus Brocadia的相对丰度增加，而Denitratisoma和Caldimonas的相对丰度显著降低。此外，通过微生物功能预测发现了芳烃降解与氮转化的关键基因，由此提出了EGSB系统同步脱氮除碳的代谢机制。

关键词: 膨胀颗粒污泥床, 厌氧氨氧化, 芳烃, 脱氮效能, 微生物群落, 代谢机制

CLC Number:

X703

Jin HAN, Xin ZHOU. The efficiency and the metabolic mechanism of carbon and nitrogen in Anammox-EGSB system for the treatment of nitrogen-containing aromatic coking wastewater[J]. Industrial Water Treatment, 2026, 46(2): 69-77.

韩晋, 周鑫. Anammox-EGSB系统处理含氮芳烃焦化废水的效能及碳氮代谢机制[J]. 工业水处理, 2026, 46(2): 69-77.

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URL: https://www.iwt.cn/EN/10.19965/j.cnki.iwt.2025-0212

https://www.iwt.cn/EN/Y2026/V46/I2/69

Figures/Tables 13

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of experimental setup

Table 1 Experimental operating conditions

阶段	时间	进水COD/ （mg·L^-1）	进水NH₄ ⁺-N/ （mg·L^-1）	进水NO₂ ^--N/ （mg·L^-1）	进水C/N	HRT/d
S1	第1~30天	1 000	50	100	6.7	3
S2	第31~61天	1 000	100	200	3.3	3
S3	第62~92天	1 000	200	300	2	3
S4	第93~116天	1 000	200	300	2	4

Fig.2 Aromatic hydrocarbon removal performance

Fig.3 Nitrogen removal effect

Table 2 Nitrogen removal performance of the system at different stages

阶段	出水			TKN去除率/%	TN去除率/%	TN去除负荷/ （kg·kg^-1·d^-1）
阶段	NH₄ ⁺-N/（mg·L^-1）	NO₂ ^--N/（mg·L^-1）	NO₃ ^--N/（mg·L^-1）	TKN去除率/%	TN去除率/%	TN去除负荷/ （kg·kg^-1·d^-1）
S1	13.8±11.2	4.1±3.3	2.4±1.1	75.5±18.5	86.7±6.2	0.02
S2	55.9±17.2	5.4±2.3	3.4±1.9	48.4±15.7	79.2±5.8	0.05
S3	96.9±12.4	19.0±13.2	4.2±3.0	53.2±6.1	76.1±4.4	0.09
S4	116.9±7.4	54.7±15.1	8.6±5.9	43.8±3.5	64.5±3.4	0.04

Fig.4 Appearance of granular sludge

Fig.5 Sludge concentration and settling performance

Fig.6 Composition and content of EPS

Fig.7 Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra of EPS

Fig.8 The composition of microbial communities at the phylum level

Fig.9 The composition of microbial communities at the genus level

Fig.10 The key functional genes

Fig.11 Proposed pathways of carbon and nitrogen transformation

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