Characterization of microbial communities removing nitrogen oxides from flue gas: the BioDeNOx process

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Oct;71(10):6345-52. doi: 10.1128/AEM.71.10.6345-6352.2005.

Abstract

BioDeNOx is an integrated physicochemical and biological process for the removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from flue gases. In this process, the flue gas is purged through a scrubber containing a solution of Fe(II)EDTA2-, which binds the NOx to form an Fe(II)EDTA.NO2- complex. Subsequently, this complex is reduced in the bioreactor to dinitrogen by microbial denitrification. Fe(II)EDTA2-, which is oxidized to Fe(III)EDTA- by oxygen in the flue gas, is regenerated by microbial iron reduction. In this study, the microbial communities of both lab- and pilot-scale reactors were studied using culture-dependent and -independent approaches. A pure bacterial strain, KT-1, closely affiliated by 16S rRNA analysis to the gram-positive denitrifying bacterium Bacillus azotoformans, was obtained. DNA-DNA homology of the isolate with the type strain was 89%, indicating that strain KT-1 belongs to the species B. azotoformans. Strain KT-1 reduces Fe(II)EDTA.NO2- complex to N2 using ethanol, acetate, and Fe(II)EDTA2- as electron donors. It does not reduce Fe(III)EDTA-. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments showed the presence of bacteria closely affiliated with members of the phylum Deferribacteres, an Fe(III)-reducing group of bacteria. Fluorescent in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes designed for strain KT-1 and members of the phylum Deferribacteres showed that the latter were more dominant in both reactors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus / classification*
  • Bacillus / genetics
  • Bacillus / isolation & purification
  • Bacteria / classification*
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification
  • Bioreactors / microbiology*
  • Culture Media
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Ecosystem*
  • Edetic Acid / metabolism
  • Ferric Compounds / metabolism
  • Ferrous Compounds / metabolism
  • Gases / chemistry*
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nitrogen Oxides / metabolism*
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Gases
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Fe(II)-EDTA
  • Edetic Acid
  • Fe(III)-EDTA

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY920317
  • GENBANK/AY920318
  • GENBANK/AY920319
  • GENBANK/AY920320
  • GENBANK/AY920321
  • GENBANK/AY920322
  • GENBANK/AY920323
  • GENBANK/AY920324
  • GENBANK/AY920325