Zhao Qiushi, Chen Chunmao, Chen Zhongxi, Shan Hongman, Liang Jiahao
College of Chemical Engineering and Environment, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China.
Daqing Oilfield Design Institute Co., Ltd., Daqing 163712, China.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Jul 19;12(7):784. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12070784.
The presence of recalcitrant organic compounds in oilfield-produced-water poses significant challenges for conventional biological treatment technologies. In this study, an Fe-augmented composite bioreactor was developed to enhance the multi-pollutant removal performance and to elucidate the associated microbial community dynamics. The Fe-augmented system achieved efficient removal of oil (99.18 ± 0.91%), suspended solids (65.81 ± 17.55%), chemical oxygen demand (48.63 ± 15.15%), and polymers (57.72 ± 14.87%). The anaerobic compartment served as the core biotreatment unit, playing a pivotal role in microbial pollutant degradation. High-throughput sequencing indicated that Fe supplementation strengthened syntrophic interactions between iron-reducing bacteria ( and ) and methanogenic archaea ( and ), thereby facilitating the biodegradation of long-chain hydrocarbons (e.g., eicosane and nonadecane). Further metabolic function analysis identified long-chain-fatty-acid CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.3) as a key enzyme mediating the interplay between hydrocarbon degradation and nitrogen cycling. This study elucidated the ecological mechanisms governing Fe-mediated multi-pollutant removal in a composite bioreactor and highlighted the potential of this approach for efficient, sustainable, and adaptable management of produced water in the petroleum industry.
油田采出水中难降解有机化合物的存在给传统生物处理技术带来了重大挑战。在本研究中，开发了一种铁强化复合生物反应器，以提高多污染物去除性能，并阐明相关的微生物群落动态。铁强化系统实现了对油（99.18±0.91%）、悬浮固体（65.81±17.55%）、化学需氧量（48.63±15.15%）和聚合物（57.72±14.87%）的高效去除。厌氧区作为核心生物处理单元，在微生物污染物降解中起关键作用。高通量测序表明，添加铁增强了铁还原细菌（和）与产甲烷古菌（和）之间的互营相互作用，从而促进了长链烃（如二十烷和十九烷）的生物降解。进一步的代谢功能分析确定长链脂肪酸辅酶A连接酶（EC 6.2.1.3）是介导烃降解与氮循环相互作用的关键酶。本研究阐明了复合生物反应器中铁介导的多污染物去除的生态机制，并强调了该方法在石油工业中高效、可持续和适应性管理采出水方面的潜力。
