Effect of sulfate absence and nitrate addition on bacterial community in a sulfidogenic bioreactor.

The characteristics and behavior of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), methane-producing bacteria (MPB) and denitrifying bacteria (DB) were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods under the transitory sulfate absence or nitrate addition conditions in a sulfidogenic continuously stirred tank reactor. The bioreactor started-up feeding with 4000 mg l(-1) COD (lactate) and 2000 mg l(-1) sulfate (SO(4)(2-)). The sulfate removal efficiency reached 3.84 g l(-1)d(-1) when the activated sludge formed a stable bacterial community comprising of some members of genera Desulfobulbus, Desulfovibrio, Clostridium and Pseudomonas after 20 days' operation. And about 79% of reduced sulfate captured electrons from the oxidization of propionate. Sulfate absence influenced little on quantity and population structure of SRB and DB, while much on MPB and metabolic typing. And the acetate (up to 86% (w/w) of total end-products) in end-product profiles was replaced by the propionate (75% (w/w)). The addition of nitrate to sulfidogenic system suppressed the sulfidogenesis mainly by capturing the electron flow. These results suggested that sulfate absence or nitrate addition would not inhibit SRB permanently in a stable sulfidogenic community.