Response of microbial communities to exogenous nitrate nitrogen input in black and odorous sediment

Abstract

Since nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) input has proved an effective approach for the treatment of black and odorous river waterbody, it was controversial whether the total nitrogen concentration standard should be raised when the effluent from the sewage treatment plant is discharged into the polluted river. To reveal the effect of exogenous nitrate (NO₃^--N) on black odorous waterbody, sediments with different features from contaminated rivers were collected, and the changes of physical and chemical characteristics and microbial community structure in sediments before and after the addition of exogenous NO₃^--N were investigated. The results showed that after the input of NO₃^--N, reducing substances such as acid volatile sulfide (AVS) in the sediment decreased by 80 % on average, ferrous (Fe²⁺) decreased by 50 %, yet the changing trend of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) in some sediment samples increased while others decreased. High-throughput sequencing results showed that the abundance of Thiobacillus at most sites increased significantly, becoming the dominant genus in the sediment, and the abundance of functional genes in the metabolome increased, such as soxA, soxX, soxY, soxZ. Network analysis showed that sediment microorganisms evolved from a single sulfur oxidation ecological function to diverse ecological functions, such as nitrogen cycle nirB, nirD, nirK, nosZ, and aerobic decomposition. In summary, inputting an appropriate amount of exogenous NO₃^--N is beneficial for restoring and maintaining the oxidation states of river sediment ecosystems.

Keywords: Black and odorous sediment; Ecosystem; Exogenous nitrate nitrogen; Microorganisms; Succession.