Effect of nitrate on indole degradation characteristics and methanogenesis under mixed denitrification and methanogenesis culture

Abstract

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of nitrate on indole degradation characteristics and methanogenesis under mixed denitrification and methanogenesis culture for the first time. The degradation characteristics were studied under various nitrate concentrations. Nitrate was found to facilitate indole degradation and inhibit methane formation, and the optimum concentration was 50 mg L−1 (COD/NO3−-N = 12). Balance analyses showed that nitrate mainly affected indole-C, which generated a higher degree of indole mineralization under NO3−-N treatment than in the control. Furthermore, GC–MS combined with 13C-isotope analyses conclusively identified the intermediate metabolites, which included the hydroxylated compounds oxindole and isatin, and the methylated compound 3-methylindole. The results indicated that oxindole did not accumulate and was quickly reduced when nitrate was added, but 3-methylinole, as a recalcitrant material, accumulated without reduction. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyse the dynamic microbial community. Results showed that the denitrifying bacterial genera Acinetobacter, Candidimonas and Longilinea accumulated in denitrification stage and decreased in methanogenesis stage, whereas the fermentation genera Alcaligenes and Thermogutta increased in methanogenesis stage. The genera Methanosphaerula and Methanothrix constituted the dominant archaeal communities. The findings obtained in this work may provide a theoretical basis for treatment with N-heterocyclic compounds under mixed culture.