A sulfur packed-bed reactor was employed, with lime mud-an industrial by-product, serving as an alkalinity source. The concentration of Sulfamethoxazole (SMM) was gradually increased to investigate the microscopic response mechanisms of sulfur autotrophic denitrifying (SADN) microbial communities under SMM stress. The results indicated that the SADN microbial communities could utilize the alkalinity provided by lime mud to achieve efficient nitrogen removal. Under low-concentration SMM stress, the system remained stable, Thiobacillus was enriched with removal efficiencies of nitrate (NO3--N) and SMM exceeding 99%. Under the impact of high-concentration SMM, the abundance of Thiobacillus in the system decreased, and the nitrogen removal performance fluctuated. However, the dominant bacteria in the system regulated the synthesis of hydrophobic amino acids glutamic acid (Glu) and proline (Pro) by increasing the secretion of C6-HSL, promoted the synthesis of tightly bound protein (TB-PN) in extracellular polymer (EPS), maintained the tight secondary structure of the protein, and thus promoted the aggregation of floc sludge. Under this regulation, the denitrification performance was recovered, and the SMM removal rate reached 60%. Additionally, under high-concentration SMM stress, unclassified_f__Rhodocyclaceae utilized the carbon sources secreted by apoptotic autotrophic bacteria and EPS to synergize with Ferritrophicum and Thiobacillus for efficient nitrogen removal.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |