Effect of elevated nitrate on biodegradation of pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) and change in microbial communities during groundwater recharge with tertiary-treated municipal wastewater

Abstract

The use of tertiary-treated municipal wastewater for groundwater recharge through river utilization may cause pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) pollution, which poses a potential risk to groundwater aquifers. Elevated nitrate levels may change the structure of microbial communities, thus influencing the biodegradation of BDE-99. To investigate the influence of elevated nitrate levels on the changes in microbial communities and associated biodegradation of BDE-99 appropriately, a laboratory-scale column was designed to simulate the percolation process. The results showed that the attenuation rate of BDE-99 increased with nitrate concentrations. The lower-brominated ether congeners were the primary debrominated metabolites, while high-brominated diphenyl ethers and isomers of BDE-100 also emerged, and their concentrations decreased with reduced nitrate concentrations. The microbial community composition and structure significantly changed with elevated nitrate levels and relative abundance of nitrate-reducing bacteria with diverse metabolic capabilities increased. The order of the relative abundance of the largest five classes, as well as the relative abundances of the largest five families and genera, changed with increasing nitrate concentrations. The diversity of microorganisms with universal aromatics-degrading abilities related to nitrogen transformation played an important role in mitigating the infiltration of BDE-99 to groundwater.