Aeration-driven regulation of heterotrophic ammonia assimilation under high salinity: Carbon-nitrogen conversion and microbial community

Oxygen is essential for heterotrophic ammonia assimilation (HAA), driving the microbial degradation of organic compounds and ammonia assimilation in aerobic wastewater treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying carbon-nitrogen transformation and microbial community assembly by heterotrophs under aerobic conditions remained elusive. This study investigated the impact of aeration rates (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 3 L/min·L) on the pollutant removal and microbial dynamics of HAA bioreactors over a 120-day operation period to improve the performance of the system by regulating the microbial oxygen affinity. The NH₄⁺ -N and COD removal efficiencies of the highest aeration rate (3 L/min·L) were as high as 94.8 % and 96.8 %. Batch tests on nitrogen balance verified that nitrogen removal was attributed to assimilation rather than nitrification. The kinetic and mass balances analysis highlighted enhanced microbial activity and substrate utilization at increased aeration rates. Halomonas, emerged as dominant taxa, correlating with improved ammonia assimilation under higher aeration rates. Increased aeration enhanced the microbial robustness and reduced the modularity of microbial interactions, and stochastic processes emerged as the primary drivers of community assembly. The aeration rates of 1-3 L/min·L were considered as the parameter range of optimal pollutant removal, and the aeration rate parameter close to 1 L/min·L was considered as the optimal efficiency combined with the cost. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing biotechnological applications and engineering microbial systems for enhanced environmental performance.