Bacterial dynamics and functions driven by biomass wastes to promote rural toilet blackwater absorption and recycling in an ectopic fermentation system

Abstract

Due to high concentration of organic matter and the ease of disease transmission, blackwater pose a serious threat to both the environment and human health, especially in rural areas where wastewater treatment is dispersed. The reuse of biomass waste is also a difficult issue to be addressed urgently. In this study, an ectopic fermentation system (EFS) was used to treat toilet blackwater, and the effects of different biomass waste combinations on bacterial communities and functions during aerobic fermentation of blackwater were compared. The results showed that adding bran powder prolonged the high temperature period of 11 d, improved blackwater absorption capacity by 7.5% and was beneficial to microbial metabolic activities to enhance organic degradation. By contrast, the combination of corn straw and rice husk obtained abundant bacterial OTUs and diversity. Bacillus, Thermobifida and Thermopolyspora were the main microorganisms involved in the degradation of organic matter in EFS, and their abundance varied in different filler combinations. Bacterial communities were directly affected by environmental factors such as temperature, NH₄⁺-N and organic carbon as well as biomass materials during fermentation. This study revealed the role of corn straw, rice husk and bran powder in EFSs, provided new technical support for blackwater treatment and a new direction for the resource utilization of agricultural biomass waste.

Keywords: Agricultural waste recycling; Bacterial community and function; Biomass waste; Ectopic fermentation system; Rural toilet blackwater.