Simultaneous partial nitrification and 2-fluorophenol biodegradation with aerobic granular biomass: Reactor performance and microbial communities

•Nitritation and biodegradation of 2-fluorophenol were achieved in granular reactor.•Stable aerobic granules were maintained 135 days in a sequencing batch reactor.•2-Fluorophenol feeding decreased the species richness.•The microbial community changed by treating 2-fluorophenol.•Aerobic granular reactors are a promising technology for industrial wastewaters.

An aerobic granular bioreactor was operated for over 4 months, treating a synthetic wastewater with a high ammonium content (100 mg N L−1). The inoculum was collected from a bioreactor performing simultaneous partial nitrification and aromatic compounds biodegradation. From day-56 onwards, 2-fluorophenol (2-FP) (12.4 mg L−1) was added to the feeding wastewater and the system was bioaugmented with a 2-FP degrading bacteria (Rhodococcus sp. FP1). By the end of operation, complete 2-FP biodegradation and partial nitrification were simultaneously achieved. Aerobic granules remained stable over time. During the 2-FP loading, a shift in the community structure occurred, coinciding with the improvement of 2-FP degradation. DGGE analysis did not allow to infer on the bioaugmented strain presence but pyrosequencing analysis detected Rhodococcus genus by the end of operation. Together with other potential phenolic-degraders within granules, these microorganisms were probably responsible for 2-FP degradation.

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