Microplastics inhibit biofloc formation and alter microbial community composition and nitrogen transformation function in aquaculture.

Biofloc technology, extensively used in intensive aquaculture systems, can prompt the formation of microbial aggregates. Microplastics (MPs) are detected abundantly in aquaculture waters. This study explored the effects of MPs on biofloc formation, microbial community composition and nitrogen transformation function in simulated biofloc aquaculture production systems. The formation process and settling performance of bioflocs were examined. High-throughput sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes was used to investigate the microbial community compositions of bioflocs. Nitrogen dynamics were monitored and further explained from functional genes and microorganisms related to nitrogen transformation by metagenome sequencing. We found that the aggregates consisting of bioflocs and MPs were formed and the systems with MPs had relatively weak settling performance. No significant differences in bacterial diversity (p > 0.05) but significant differences in eukaryotic diversity (p < 0.05) were found between systems without and with MPs. Significant separations in the microbial communities of prokaryotes (p = 0.01) and eukaryotes (p = 0.01) between systems without and with MPs were observed. The peak concentration of nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) in systems with MPs was lower than that in systems without MPs (pControl/MPs Low = 0.02 and pControl/MPs High = 0.03), probably due to the low abundance of hao and affiliated Alphaproteobacteria_bacterium_HGW-Alphaproteobacteria-1 and Alphaproteobacteria_bacterium, but the high abundance of nxrA and affiliated Alphaproteobacteria_bacterium_SYSU_XM001 and Hydrogenophaga_pseudoflava that related to nitrification. The low concentration of NO2--N in systems with MPs suggested that the presence of MPs might inhibit ammonia oxidation but promote nitrite oxidation by altering the microbial community structure and function. These results indicated that aggregates consisting of bioflocs and MPs could be formed in aquaculture water, and thus, inhibiting their settlement and altering nitrogen transformation function by affecting the microbial community composition.

[Denitrification and kinetic characteristics using biodegradable polymers as carbon source and biofilm carrier].

The PBS material that in the form of insoluble biodegradable polymers pellets was investigated as the solid carbon source and the biofilm carrier for nitrate removal from wastewater. The denitrification of nitrate removal and kinetic process were carried out in a packed-bed reactor in order to remove nitrate in recirculation aquaculture system. The experimental results indicated that the optimal influent loading rate was in the range of 0.107-1.098 kg/(m3 x d), when the water temperature was (29 +/- 1) degrees C and the influent nitrate concentration was in the range of 25-334 mg/L. The maximum nitrate volumetric removal rate of 0.577 kg/(m3 x d) was achieved at the influent loading rate of 1.098 kg/(m3 x d). When the influent loading rate exceeded 1.098 kg/(m3 x d), the nitrate volumetric removal rate was declined. The kinetic experimental results show that the denitrification rate of PBS as the solid carbon source and the biofilm carrier corresponds to first-order kinetics. Based on the kinetics characteristics, constants n and K used in Eckenfelder model were deduced, which can be successfully applied for the prediction of effluent nitrate concentration. The two groups' predictive values and actual values were analyzed by using SPSS 16.0 software for Paired-Samples t test analysis. The Paired-Samples t test analysis indicates that the corresponding p > 0.05 values are 0.553 and 0.632, which proved that no significant differences exist between the predictive values and actual values of the model.