Heterotrophic ammonium removal characteristics of an aerobic heterotrophic nitrifying-denitrifying bacterium, Providencia rettgeri YL

Bacterium Providencia rettgeri YL was found to exhibit an unusual ability to heterotrophically nitrify and aerobically denitrify various concentrations of ammonium (NH4+-N). In order to further understand its removal ability, several experiments were conducted to identify the growth and ammonium removal response at different carbon to nitrogen (C/N) mass ratios, shaking speeds, temperatures, ammonium concentrations and to qualitatively verify the production of nitrogen gas using gas chromatography techniques. Results showed that under optimum conditions (C/N 10, 30°C, 120 r/min), YL can significantly remove low and high concentrations of ammonium within 12 to 48 h of growth, respectively. The nitrification products hydroxylamine (NH2OH), nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−) as well as the denitrification product, nitrogen gas (N2), were detected under completely aerobic conditions.