Recycling sludge-derived hydrochar to facilitate advanced denitrification of secondary effluent: Role of extracellular electron transfer

Sludge-derived hydrochar (SDHC) was recycled to enhance the denitrification of secondary effluent. Under different carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios, the nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) and carbon source efficiency (CSE) of denitrification coupled with SDHC (DN-SDHC) were distinctly higher than that of denitrification alone (DN). Moreover, at the C/N ratios of 3.0-3.2 and 5.8-5.9, the nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of DN-SDHC was 3.6- and 1.5-fold that of DN, respectively. The characterization of SDHC before and after used in denitrification indicated that the metal ions and functional groups did not participate in denitrification. Although SDHC has no redox capacity to donate electron for denitrification, its higher conductivity enabled the acceleration of extracellular electron transfer from carbon source to denitrifiers. The abundance of denitrifying community and functional genes was synchronously promoted by SDHC. Especially, the significant increase of nosZ gene encoding nitrous oxide reductase was conducive to mitigating the emission of N2O greenhouse gas.