Role of aeration intensity on performance and microbial community profiles in a sequencing batch reaction kettle (SBRK) for wastewater nutrients rapid removal

A lab-scale SBRK was operated to investigate the effects of aeration intensity on the system performance and microbial community dynamics within it. Results showed that the sewage nutrients was removed rapidly (just about 3-6 h) with the aeration intensity increasing from 0 to 0.6 MPa. Average effluent parameters were: COD below 50 mg/L, NH₄⁺-N less than 1 mg/L, 1.5-4.5 mg/L for nitrate and TP below 0.5 mg/L. The highest community similarity and diversity emerged simultaneously with the aeration pressure rising from 0.2 to 0.4MPa, which was regarded as the optimal aeration intensity range. Microbial community shifted obviously and the function species of Comamonadaceae, Dechloromonas, Flavobacterium and Nitrospira dominated in the corresponding communities. RDA indicated that aeration intensity was the main factor for regulating system communities to optimize the system performance. It inferred that high aeration pressure played a key role on sewage nutrients rapid removal.