Enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal by Saccharimonadales sp. in a sequencing batch reactor

Simultaneous nitrification denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) is an elegant process that can uptake influent carbon and effectively remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. However, meeting the increasingly stringent effluent discharge standards requires a more stable performance. This study aimed to analyze the nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance and microbial community shifts of SNDPR system under different levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Results showed that maintaining DO levels at 0.4 ± 0.2 mg/L significantly enhanced nutrient removal efficiencies, with an average nitrogen and phosphorus removal rate of 86.28 ± 7.42 % and 92.40 ± 10.48 %, respectively. The research also identified Saccharimonadales sp. as a crucial microbial genus, with its relative abundance increasing from 1.38 % to 28.16 % under optimized conditions. These findings demonstrate that optimizing microbial interactions and DO levels can lead to substantial improvements in wastewater treatment performance, making the process economically viable. This discovery provides a potential pathway for optimizing wastewater treatment processes, leading to the improvement of nutrient removal efficiency, cost savings, and enhancement of environmental sustainability.