Free Nitrous Acid Inhibits Atenolol Removal during the Sidestream Partial Nitritation Process through Regulating Microbial-Induced Metabolic Types

Yifeng Xu, Ning Wang, Lai Peng*, Shengjun Li, Chuanzhou Liang, Kang Song, Shaoxian Song, Yan Zhou

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Limited studies have attempted to evaluate pharmaceutical removal during the sidestream partial nitritation (PN) process. In this work, atenolol biodegradation by PN cultures was investigated by maintaining ammonium and pH at different levels. For the first time, free nitrous acid (FNA), other than ammonium, pH, and free ammonia, was demonstrated to inhibit atenolol removal, with biodegradation efficiencies of ∼98, ∼67, and ∼28% within 6 days at average FNA levels of 0, 0.03, and 0.19 mg-N L-1, respectively. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-induced metabolism was predominant despite varying FNA concentrations. In the absence of ammonium/FNA, atenolol was mostly biodegraded via AOB-induced metabolism (65%) and heterotroph-induced metabolism (33%). AOB-induced metabolism was largely inhibited (down to 29%) at 0.03 mg-N L-1 FNA, while ∼27 and ∼11% were degraded via heterotroph-induced metabolism and AOB-induced cometabolism, respectively. Higher FNA (0.19 mg-N L-1) substantially reduced atenolol biodegradation via heterotroph-induced metabolism (4%), AOB-induced metabolism (16%), and AOB-induced cometabolism (8%). Newly identified products and pathways were related to metabolic types and FNA levels: (i) deamination and decarbonylation (AOB-induced cometabolism, 0.03 mg-N L-1 FNA); (ii) deamination from atenolol acid (heterotrophic biodegradation); and (iii) nitro-substitution (reaction with nitrite). This suggests limiting FNA to realize simultaneous nitrogen and pharmaceutical removal during the sidestream process.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11614-11624
Number of pages11
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume56
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 16 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Chemical Society.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry

Keywords

  • ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
  • free nitrous acid
  • metabolic types
  • partial nitritation
  • transformation pathways

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