Heterotrophic nitrogen removal by Providencia rettgeri strain YL.

Providencia rettgeri strain YL was found to be efficient in heterotrophic nitrogen removal under aerobic conditions. Maximum removal of NH(4) (+)-N occurred under the conditions of pH 7 and supplemented with glucose as the carbon source. Inorganic ions such as Mg(2+), Mn(2+), and Zn(2+) largely influenced the growth and nitrogen removal efficiency. A quantitative detection of nitrogen gas by gas chromatography was conducted to evaluate the nitrogen removal by strain YL. From the nitrogen balance during heterotrophic growth with 180 mg/l of NH(4) (+)-N, 44.5% of NH(4) (+)-N was in the form of N(2) and 49.7% was found in biomass, with only a trace amount of either nitrite or nitrate. The utilization of nitrite and nitrate during the ammonium removal process demonstrated that the nitrogen removal pathway by strain YL was heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification. A further enzyme assay of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activity under the aerobic condition confirmed this nitrogen removal pathway.