The bacterial diversity in an anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) reactor community

An anaerobic ammonium-oxidation (anammox) reactor was operated for more than 500 days and the anammox activity of the biomass in the reactor reached 0.58 kg N_total/kg VSS d. The removal ratios of NO₂⁻-N to NH₄⁺-N in both reactor and activity tests were nearly 1.1. The bacterial diversity in the reactor was investigated by analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The analysis showed that more than half of the clones in the library were affiliated to recognized filamentous bacteria. The previously recognized anammox bacterium (AnAOB) Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis was only detected by using a Planctomycetes-specific 16S rRNA gene primer set. However, at least two different types of AnAOB were detected by the primer set targeting the hydrazine-oxidizing enzyme gene (hzo). The aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AAOB) Nitrosomonas europaea–eutropha group, which is widely detected in oxygen-limited environments, was also found in this reactor. The result of qPCR indicated that AnAOB comprised 16% of the community population while AAOB comprised less than 1% in the reactor.