Bioaugmentation of a sequencing batch biofilm reactor with Comamonas testosteroni and Bacillus cereus and their impact on reactor bacterial communities.

The immobilization of microorganisms is essential for efficient bioaugmentation systems. The performance of Bacillus cereus G5 as biofilm-forming bacteria and Comamonas testosteroni A3 a 3,5 dinitrobenzoic acid (DNB)-degrading strain] in laboratory-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) treating DNB synthetic wastewater has been examined. The microbial diversity in the reactors was also explored. The reactor R3 inoculated with B. cereus G5 and C. testosteroni A3 together not only improved the removal of contaminants, but also exhibited obvious resistance to shock loading with DNB during later operations. Pyrosequencing was used to evaluate bacterial communities in three reactors. Comamonas was predominant in the reactor R3, indicating the effect of G5 in promoting immobilization of A3 cells in biofilms. Those microbial resources, e.g.G5, which can stimulate the self-immobilization of the degrading bacteria offer a novel strategy for immobilization of degraders in bioaugmentation systems and show broader application prospects.