Simultaneously ammonium and perchlorate remove via the partial nitrification-anammox coupled sulfur autotrophic system

In this study, partial nitrification-anammox coupled sulfur autotrophic (PNA-SA) system was constructed for removing ammonium and perchlorate from composite wastewater simultaneously. The removal rates of ammonium and perchlorate could reach 94.2% and 93.1%, respectively, at an ammonium concentration of 60 mg N∙L −1 and a perchlorate concentration of 30 mg N∙L −1 . Ammonium was mainly removed by anammox bacteria (AnAOB) in PNA reactor, while perchlorate removal was attributed to perchlorate reducing bacteria (PRB) in SA reactor. Furthermore, combined with Pearson analysis, N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs)-mediated quorum sensing regulated the production of TB-EPS, improving biofilm stability and thus ensuring the removal performance of reactors. 16sRNA gene sequencing results indicated that the key functional bacteria in the PNA reactor were Comamonas and Candidatus Kuenenia , and the key functional bacteria in the SA reactor were Sulfurimonas , Thiobacillus , and Defluviimonas . These key functional bacteria ensured PNA-SA system feasibility and stability. Such results indicated that PNA-SA system could be used to treat ammonium and perchlorate composite wastewater, thereby providing a new strategy for removing such composite wastewater.