Characteristics and Mechanisms of Simultaneous Quinoline and Ammonium Nitrogen Removal by a Robust Bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri H3.

The discharge of organic and inorganic nitrogenous pollutants in wastewater leads to eutrophication and disrupts the ecological balance. Therefore, the pressing need for an effective treatment method has become increasingly evident. A robust bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri H3 capable of simultaneous organic and inorganic nitrogen removal was isolated from the activated sludge in the coking wastewater treatment system. The optimal conditions for the simultaneous removal of ammonium nitrogen and quinoline were as follows: C/N ratio of 15-20, initial pH of 7-8, culture temperature of 30 °C, and shaking speed of 150-300 rpm. At 200 mg/L ammonium nitrogen and 100 mg/L quinoline, strain H3 achieved above 90% of removal efficiency, exhibiting excellent simultaneous nitrogen removal capabilities. The outstanding nitrogen removal efficiencies in the presence of quinoline and different inorganic nitrogen sources further confirmed the simultaneous organic and inorganic nitrogen removal capability of strain H3. The whole genome sequencing and nitrogen metabolic intermediates determination of strain H3 were performed to elucidate the gene function annotations, nitrogen removal function genes, and nitrogen metabolic pathways. The findings provide a promising pathway to treat the organic and inorganic nitrogenous pollutants in wastewater.