Bacterium cleans wastewater nitrogen and drugs together
Yin C, Lu Z, Li H, Du J, Bao W
Phytoremediation
The runoff from wastewater treatment plants eventually reaches rivers and irrigation water that feeds gardens and farms downstream, so a microbe that strips out both excess nitrogen and leftover pharmaceuticals means cleaner water reaching the soil you plant in.
Researchers discovered a bacterium called Alcaligenes FDN-09 that does two hard jobs at once: it removes ammonia nitrogen from wastewater and breaks down diclofenac, a common anti-inflammatory drug that normally resists cleanup. It manages this even when there's limited food (carbon) for it to grow on, which is the situation most real treatment plants face, and it does so without producing toxic nitrogen byproducts along the way.
Key Findings
At an optimal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 4.0, the strain removed 63.3% of total nitrogen and 80.2% of diclofenac without producing toxic nitrite, nitrate, or nitrous oxide byproducts
Genomic analysis found a dnfA/B/C gene cluster but no conventional ammonia-oxidizing genes, pointing to an alternative 'Dirammox-like' nitrogen removal pathway
Chemical analysis identified nine major breakdown products of diclofenac, formed through hydroxylation, dechlorination, C-N bond cleavage, and ring-opening reactions
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found a bacterium that can strip ammonia pollution and break down a common painkiller drug from wastewater at the same time, using less carbon input than current treatment methods require.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Simultaneous nitrogen removal and diclofenac degradation by Alcaligenes sp. FDN-09 under carbon-limited conditions.
Microorganisms capable of simultaneously achieving nitrogen removal and emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) degradation under carbon-limited conditions are highly desirable for wastewater treatmen...
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