Isolation of an Aerobic Denitrifying Bacterial Strain from a Biofilter for Removal of Nitrogen Oxide

A strain of bacteria CP1 with high nitrogen removal efficiency was newly isolated from the biofilm of a biofilter for removal of NOx from flue gas. The isolate was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics and the results of 16S rRNA gene homology analysis. The new isolate had a high denitrifying ability, removing 98.49% of the nitrate in a 24-h period under aerobic conditions, with no nitrite accumulation. With regard to the nitrogen balance, the percentage of nitrogen lost in the flask culture was estimated to be 32.3%, which was presumed to be converted to nitrogen gas. An analysis of its denitrification activity showed that the optimal C/N and temperature were 12 and 30°C–40°C, respectively. By using glucose, sodium citrate and succinate, CP1 removed nitrate with high denitrification efficiency. The change in DO did not influence the effects of denitrification when it varied from 0 to 7.2 mg/L. The results show that CP1 could be a good candidate for the process of aerobic denitrification.