Simultaneous nitrogen removal via heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) has received widespread attention in biological treatment of wastewater. This study reported a novel Lysinibacillus fusiformis B301 strain, which effectively removed nitrogenous pollutants via HN-AD in one aerobic reactor with no nitrite accumulated. It exhibited the optimal nitrogen removal efficiency under 30 C, citrate as the carbon source and C/N ratio of 15. The maximum nitrogen removal rates were up to 2.11 mgNH 4 + -N/(LÁh), 1.62 mgNO 3 À -N/(LÁh), and 1.41 mgNO 2 À -N/(LÁh), respectively, when ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite were employed as the only nitrogen source under aerobic conditions. Ammonium nitrogen was preferentially consumed via HN-AD in the coexistence of three nitrogen species, and the removal efficiencies of total nitrogen were up to 94.26%. Nitrogen balance analysis suggested that 83.25% of ammonium was converted to gaseous nitrogen.The HD-AD pathway catalyzed by L. fusiformissupported by the results of key denitrifying enzymatic activities.
Practitioner Points:• The novel Lysinibacillus fusiformis B301 exhibited the outstanding HN-AD ability.• The novel Lysinibacillus fusiformis B301 simultaneously removed multiple nitrogen species.• No nitrite accumulated during the HN-AD process.• Five key denitrifying enzymes were involved in the HN-AD process.• Ammonium nitrogen (83.25%) was converted to gaseous nitrogen by the novel strain.