One-step bioremediation of hypersaline and nutrient-rich food industry process water with a domestic microbial community containing diatom Halamphora coffeaeformis

Proper treatment of hypersaline and nutrient-rich food industry process water (FIPW) is challenging in conventional wastewater plants. Insufficient treatment leads to serious environmental hazards. However, bioremediation of FIPW with an indigenous microbial community can not only recover nutrients but generate biomass of diverse applications. In this study, monoculture of Halamphora coffeaeformis, together with synthetic bacteria isolated from a local wastewater plant, successfully recovered 91% of NH4+-N, 78% of total nitrogen, 95% of total phosphorus as well as 82% of total organic carbon from medium enriched with 10% FIPW. All identified organic acids and amino acids, except oxalic acid, were completely removed after 14 days treatment. A significantly higher biomass concentration (1.74 g L−1) was achieved after 14 days treatment in the medium with 10% FIPW than that in a nutrient-replete lab medium as control. The harvested biomass could be a potential feedstock for high-value biochemicals and fertilizer production, due to fucoxanthin accumulation (3 mg g−1) and a fantastic performance in P assimilation. Metagenomic analysis revealed that bacteria community in the algal system, dominated by Psychrobacter and Halomonas, also contributed to the biomass accumulation and uptake of nutrients. Transcriptomic analysis further disclosed that multiple pathways, involved in translation, folding, sorting and degradation as well as transport and catabolism, were depressed in H. coffeaeformis grown in FIPW-enriched medium, as compared to the control. Collectively, the proposed one-step strategy in this work offers an opportunity to achieve sustainable wastewater management and a way towards circular economy.