Intensified heterotrophic denitrification in constructed wetlands using four solid carbon sources: Denitrification efficiency and bacterial community structure

Abstract Biodenitrification using solid carbon sources is a cost-effective way for nitrate removal. In the study, wheat straw, cotton, poly(butylene succinate), and newspaper was chosen as the carbon source to compare the denitrification efficiency and bacterial communities in constructed wetlands. Parameters including COD, NO 3 − -N, NO 2 − -N and total nitrogen (TN) were analyzed. Results indicated that newspaper provided significantly higher NO 3 − -N and TN removal efficiency than the other three solid carbon sources in low-temperature condition. Moreover, both newspaper and wheat straw allowed high NO 3 − -N and TN removal efficiency in high-temperature condition. According to pyrosequencing analysis, denitrifying bacteria Dechloromonas and Thauera were the predominant genus in the anaerobic zone of CO- (3.92 and 2.35%, respectively), WS- (1.97 and 1.02%, respectively) and NP-CWs (1.71 and 1.31%, respectively). Genus of Levilinea was enriched in NP- (1.02%) and WS-CWs (0.91%). Furthermore, genus Paludibacter (2.69%) and Saccharofermentans (3.14%) showed high relative abundance in WS-CWs.