Nitrifying biofilms deprived of organic carbon show higher functional resilience to increases in carbon supply.

ABSTRACT: In nitrifying biofilms, the organic carbon to ammonia nitrogen (C/N) supply ratio can influence resource competition between heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria for oxygen and space. We investigated the impact of acute and chronic changes in carbon supply on inter-guild competition in two moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), operated with (R1) and without (R0) external organic carbon supply. The microbial and nitrifying community composition of the reactors differed significantly. Interestingly, acute increases in the dissolved organic carbon inhibited nitrification in R1 ten times more than in R0. A sustained increase in the carbon supply decreased nitrification efficiency and increased denitrification activity to a greater extent in R1, and also increased the proportion of potential den

SUBMITTER: Navada S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7189377 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature