Evaluation of Rhizobium tropici-Derived Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Selected Soil Properties, Seed Germination, and Growth of Black-Eyed Peas (Vigna unguiculata)

Rhizobium tropici-derived extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have been used in soils to enhance soil structures and mitigate soil erosions. However, information on their use to improve soil health and fertility indicators, and plant growth is limited. In a greenhouse study, we investigated their effects on some soil health, soil fertility indices, and the growth of black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculate). Results showed that soils incubated with EPS significantly increased basal soil respiration, soil microbial biomass, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POC), and potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN). The EPS shifted microbial populations from bacteria to fungi and Gram (−ve) to Gram ( ve) bacteria. However, it had little or no effects on soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The EPS decreased soil moisture loss, increased soil aggregate stability, but delayed blacked-eyed peas germinations in the soils. At 0.1% (w/w) concentrations in soils, there was increase in plant root nodulations and vegetative growth. This study was carried out within 40 days of incubating soils with EPS or growing the black-eyed peas in a greenhouse study. The plant growth parameters were taken before flowering and fruiting. Further studies of the effects of incubating soils with the extracellular polymeric substances on plant growth. Soil microbial biomass, microbial diversities, and other soil fertility indices are deemed necessary.

Role of extracellular polymeric substances in resistance to allelochemical stress on Microcystis aeruginsosa and its mechanism

Using allelochemicals to suppress cyanobacteria growth is a prospective method for its high efficiency and ecological safety.However,the suppression efficiency is affected inevitably by the extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)produced by cyanobacteria,and the knowledge about the roles of EPS in resistance to allelochemical stress is scarce.For the study,two typical anti-cyanobacterial allelochemicals were adopted to investigate the role of EPS in resistance to allelochemical stress on Microcystis aeruginosa.Results show that EPS was crucial in alleviating the toxicity of allelochemicals to algae,especially in stabilizing the metabolism and photosynthetic activity of algal cells.The aggregation rate of algal cells increased with the increase of EPS secretion,which alleviated the stress of allelopathy.Tryptophan proteins and humic acids in EPS provided a binding site for allelochemicals,and the EPS-allelochemicals complex were formed by chemical bonding.This study improved our comprehension of the role of EPS in algal inhibition by allelochemicals.

Effect of extracellular polymeric substances on Dolichospermum aggregation during temperature rise

Dolichospermum,a typical model filamentous of cyanobacteria,has the potential to cause severely bloom.Extracellular polymeric substances(EPSs)are considered to influence the aggregation of the algae,and temperature is a significant factor affecting EPSs secretion.However,the mechanism of how EPSs affects the aggregation of Dolichospermum is still unclear because the structure and composition of EPSs are complex.In this study,the effects of EPSs on the aggregation of Dolichospermum during the rise of temperature(7-37℃)were determined.The results showed that the concentration of extracellular polysaccharides and proteins changed significantly with increasing temperature(P<0.01).Firstly,during the increasing temperature,the polysaccharide content of EPSs increased from 20.34 to 54.64 mg/L,and the polysaccharides in the soluble EPS(S-EPS)layer changed significantly.The protein content reached maximum value at 21℃(14.52 mg/L)and varied significantly in S-EPS and loosely bound EPS(LB-EPS).In the EPSs matrix,humus substances and protein were main components of S-EPS and LB-EPS,and protein was the main component of tightly bound EPS(TB-EPS).Secondly,the cell density of Dolichospermum increased during the temperature rise while the aggregation ratio decreased.Moreover,zeta potential and surface thermodynamic analysis of Dolichospermum revealed that the interfacial free energy and electrostatic repulsion increased gradually with increasing temperature,which further reduced the aggregation of Dolichospermum.Finally,principal component analysis(PCA)analysis showed the aggregation of Dolichospermum was directly related to the changes of protein in EPSs(especially S-EPS and LB-EPS)and zeta potential,and polysaccharides in EPSs inhibited the aggregation of Dolichospermum.Based on these results,it was illustrated that the composition and concentration of EPSs affected the cell surface properties of Dolichospermum with the change of temperature and thus affected the aggregation of Dolichospermum.

Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability and extracellular polymeric substances distribution in mesophilic anaerobic digestion

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge dewaterability was determined and the fate of extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） matrix in mesophilic anaerobic digestion after ultrasonic pretreatment was studied. Characteristics of proteins （PN）, polysaccharides （PS）, excitation-emission matrix （EEM） fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular weight （MW） distribution of dissolved organic matters （DOM） in different EPS fractions were evaluated. The results showed that after ultrasonic pretreatment, the normalized capillary suction time （CST） decreased from 44.4 to 11.1 （sec·L）/g total suspended solids （TSS） during anaerobic digestion, indicating that sludge dewaterability was greatly improved. The normalized CST was significantly correlated with PN concentration （R2 = 0.92, p 〈 0.01） and the PN/PS ratio （R2 = 0.84, p 〈 0.01） in the loosely bound EPS （LB-EPS） fraction. Meanwhile, the average MW of DOM in the LB- EPS and tightly bound EPS （TB-EPS） fractions also had a good correlation with the normalized CST （R2 〉 0.66, p 〈 0.01）. According to EEM fluorescence spectroscopy, tryptophan-like substances intensities in the slime, LB-EPS and TB-EPS fractions were correlated with the normalized CST. The organic matters in the EPS matrix played an important role in influencing sludge dewaterability.

Functions and behaviors of activated sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS): a promising environmental interest

Extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） are the predominant constituents of activated sludge and represent up to 80% of the mass of activated sludge. They play a crucial role in the flocculation, settling and dewatering of activated sludge. Furthermore, EPS also show great efficiency in binding heavy metals. So EPS are key factors influencing reduction in sludge volume and mass, as well as activity and utilization of sludge. EPS are of considerable environmental interest and hundreds of articles on EPS have been published abroad, while information on EPS in China is limited. In this paper, results of over 60 publications related to constituents and characteristics of EPS and their influences on flocculation, settling and dewatering of sludge are compiled and analyzed. Metal-binding ability of EPS is also discussed, together with a brief consideration of possible research interests in the future.

Key physiological traits and chemical properties of extracellular polymeric substances determining colony formation in a cyanobacterium

Colony formation of cyanobacteria is crucial for the formation of surface blooms in lakes.However,the underlying mechanisms of colony formation involving in physiological and cell surface characteristics remain to not well be established.Six cyanobacterial Microcystis strains(including both unicellular and colonial ones)were employed to estimate the influences of their physiological traits and the composition of extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)on colony or aggregate formation.Results show that raising the number of the photosynthetic reaction center and light-harvesting antenna in the PSII and reducing the growth rate were the major physiological strategies of Microcystis to produce excess EPS enhancing colony formation.Tightly bound EPS(T-EPS)was responsible for colony formation,which approximately accounted for 50%of the total amount of EPS.Five fluorescent components(protein-,tryptophan-,and tyrosine-like components and two humic-like components)were found in the T-EPS,although the amounts of these components varied with strains.Importantly,colonial strains contained much higher tyrosine-like substances than unicellular ones.We suggest that tyrosine-like substances might serve as a crosslinking agent to connect other polymers in EPS(e.g.,proteins or polysaccharides)for colony formation.Our findings identified key physiological traits and chemical components of EPS for colony formation in Microcystis,which can contribute to a better understanding on the formation of Microcystis blooms.

The effect of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of iron-oxidizing bacteria (Ochrobactrum EEELCW01) on mineral transformation and arsenic (As) fate

Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)are an importantmedium for communication and material exchange between iron-oxidizing bacteria and the external environment and could induce the iron(oxyhydr)oxides production which reduced arsenic(As)availability.The main component of EPS secreted by iron-oxidizing bacteria(Ochrobactrum EEELCW01)was composed of polysaccharides(150.76-165.33 mg/g DW)followed by considerably smaller amounts of proteins(12.98–16.12 mg/g DW).Low concentrations of As(100 or 500μmol/L)promoted the amount of EPS secretion.FTIR results showed that EPS was composed of polysaccharides,proteins,and a miniscule amount of nucleic acids.The functional groups including-COOH,-OH,-NH,-C=O,and-C-O played an important role in the adsorption of As.XPS results showed that As was bound to EPS in the form of As3+.With increasing As concentration,the proportion of As3+adsorbed on EPS increased.Ferrihydrite with a weak crystalline state was only produced in the system at 6 hr during the mineralization process of Ochrobactrum sp.At day 8,the minerals were composed of goethite,galena,and siderite.With the increasing mineralization time,the main mineral phases were transformed from weakly crystalline hydrous iron ore into higher crystallinity siderite(FeCO_(3))or goethite(α-FeOOH),and the specific surface area and active sites of minerals were reduced.It can be seen from the distribution of As elements that As is preferentially adsorbed on the edges of iron minerals.This study is potential to understand the biomineralizationmechanism of iron-oxidizing bacteria and As remediation in the environment.

Extracellular polymeric substances-antibiotics interaction in activated sludge:A review

Antibiotics,the most frequently prescribed drugs,have been widely applied to prevent or cure human and veterinary diseases and have undoubtedly led to massive releases into sewer networks and wastewater treatment systems,a hotspot where the occurrence and transformation of antibiotic resistance take place.Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS),biopolymers secreted via microbial activity,play an important role in cell adhesion,nutrient retention,and toxicity resistance.However,the potential roles of sludge EPS related to the resistance and removal of antibiotics are still unclear.This work summarizes the composition and physicochemical characteristics of state-of-the-art microbial EPS,highlights the critical role of EPS in antibiotics removal,evaluates their defense performances under different antibiotics exposures,and analyzes the typical factors that could affect the sorption and biotransformation behavior of antibiotics.Next,interactions between microbial EPS and antibiotic resistance genes are analyzed.Future perspectives,especially the engineering application of microbial EPS for antibiotics toxicity detection and defense,are also emphatically stressed.

Flocculating characteristic of activated sludge flocs:Interaction between Al^(3+) and extracellular polymeric substances

Aluminum flocculant can enhance the flocculating performance of activated sludge.However,the binding mechanism of aluminum ion（Al 3＋） and extracellular polymeric substances（EPS） in activated sludge is unclear due to the complexity of EPS.In this work,threedimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy（3DEEM）,fluorescence quenching titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） were used to explore the binding behavior and mechanism between Al 3＋ and EPS.The results showed that two fluorescence peaks of tyrosineand tryptophan-like substances were identified in the loosely bound-extracellular polymeric substances（LB-EPS）,and three peaks of tyrosine-,tryptophanand humic-like substances were identified in the tightly boundextracellular polymeric substances（TB-EPS）.It was found that these fluorescence peaks could be quenched with Al 3＋ at the dosage of 3.0 mg/L,which demonstrated that strong interactions took place between the EPS and Al 3＋.The conditional stability constants for Al 3＋ and EPS were determined by the Stern-Volmer equation.As to the binding mechanism,the-OH,N-H,C=O,C-N groups and the sulfurand phosphorus-containing groups showed complexation action,although the groups in the LB-EPS and TB-EPS showed different behavior.The TB-EPS have stronger binding ability to Al 3＋ than the LB-EPS,and TB-EPS play an important role in the interaction with Al 3＋.

Effects of solution conditions on the physicochemical properties of stratification components of extracellular polymeric substances in anaerobic digested sludge

The composition and effects of solution conditions on the physicochemical properties of the stratification components of extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） in anaerobic digested sludge were determined. The total EPS in anaerobic digested sludge were extracted by the cation exchange resin method. Another EPS extraction method, the ceutrifugation and sonication technique was employed to stratify the EPS into three fractions： slime, loosely bound （LB）-EPS, and tightly bound （TB）-EPS from the outside to the inside of the anaerobic digested sludge. Proteins and polysaccharides were dispersed uniformly across the different EPS fractions, and humic-like substances were mainly partitioned in the slime, with TB-EPS second. Protein was the major constituent of the LB-EPS and TB-EPS, and the corresponding ratios ranged from 54.0% to 65.6%. The hydrophobic part in the EPS chemical components was primarily comprised of protein and DNA, while the hydrophilic part was mainly composed of polysaccharide. In the slime, the hydrophobic values of several EPS chemical components （protein, polysaccharide, humic-like substances and DNA） were all below 50%. The protein/polysaccharide ratio had a significant influence on the Zeta potentials and isoelectric point values of the EPS： the greater the protein/polysaccharide ratio of the EPS was, the greater the Zeta potential and the higher the isoelectric point value were. All Zeta potentials of the EPS showed a decreasing trend with increasing pH. The corresponding isoelectric point values （pH） were 2.8 for total EPS, 2.2 for slime, 2.7 for LB-EPS, and 2.6 for TB-EPS. As the ionic strength increased, the Zeta potentials sharply increased and then gradually became constant without charge reversal. In addition, as the temperature increased （〈 40℃）, the apparent viscosity of the EPS decreased monotonically and then gradually became stable between 40 and 60℃.

Effects of Al^3+on pollutant removal and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)under anaerobic,anoxic and oxic conditions

Aluminum ions produced by aluminum mining,electrolytic industry and aluminum-based coagulants can enter wastewater treatment plants and interact with activated sludge.They can subsequently contribute to the removal of suspended solids and affect activated sludge flocculation,as well as nitrogen and phosphorus removal.In this study,the effects of Al^3+on pollutant removal,sludge flocculation and the composition and structure of extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)were investigated under anaerobic,anoxic and oxic conditions.Results demonstrated that the highest chemical oxygen demand(COD)and total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiencies were detected for an Al^3+concentration of 10 mg/L.In addition,the maximal dehydrogenase activity and sludge flocculation were also observed at this level of Al^3+.The highest removal efficiency of total phosphorus(TP)was achieved at an Ar+concentration of30 mg/L.The flocculability of sludge in the anoxic zone was consistently higher than that in the anaerobic and oxic zones.The addition of Al^3+promoted the secretion of EPS.Tryptophan-like fluorescence peaks were detected in each EPS layer in the absence of Al^3+.At the Al^3+concentration of 10 mg/L,fulvic acid and tryptophan fluorescence peaks began to appear while the majority of protein species and the highest microbial activity were also detected.Low Al^3+concentrations(<10 mg/L)could promote the removal efficiencies of COD and TN,yet excessive Al^3+levels(>10 mg/L)weakened microbial activity.Higher Al^3+concentrations(>30 mg/L)also inhibited the release of phosphorus in the anaerobic zone by reacting with PO4^3-.

Biosorption of Cu（II） to extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） from Synechoeystis sp.： a fluorescence quenching study

Biosorption of extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） from Synechocystis sp. （cyanobacterium） with Cu（II） was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Three fluorescence peaks were found in the excitation-emission matrix （EEM） fluorescence spectra of EPS. Fluorescence of peak A （Ex/Em = 275/452 nm） and peak C （Ex/Em= 350/452nm） were originated from humic-like substances and fluorescence of peak B （Ex/ Em= 275/338nm） was attributed to protein-like sub- stances. Fluorescence of peaks A, B, and C could be quenched by Cu（II）. The effective quenching constants （lg Ka） were 2.8-5.84 for peak A, 6.4-9.24 for peak B, and 3.48-6.68 for peak C, respectively. The values of lg Ka showed a decreasing trend with increasing temperature, indicating that the quenching processes were static in nature. The binding constants （lg Kb） followed the order of peak A 〉 peak B 〉 peak C, implying that the humic-like substances in EPS have greater Cu（II） binding capacity than the protein-like substances. The binding site number, n, in EPS-Cu（II） complexes for peaks A, B, and C was less than 1. This suggests the negative cooperativity between multiple binding sites and the presence of more than one Cu binding site.

A Synergistic Acceleration of Corrosion of Q235 Carbon Steel Between Magnetization and Extracellular Polymeric Substances

In this work, surface characterization and electrochemical measurement were employed to investigate the effects of magnetic field（MF） on the corrosion of Q235 carbon steel in a NaCl solution containing sulphate-reducing bacteria（SRB） or extracellular polymeric substances（EPS）. Results demonstrated that a 150 mT MF enhanced steel corrosion in a SRB-containing NaCl solution by 202% calculated from weight loss with pitting corrosion as the main corrosion type.Either EPS or MF rendered steel corrosion, but a synergistic interaction between MF and EPS boosted up steel corrosion.This synergistic enhancement could be referred to the alteration in orientation of EPS induced by MF. The presence of higher percentage of chloride ions on the carbon steel surface manifested that MF initiated the erosion of chloride ions on the carbon steel coupon.

Influence of extracellular polymeric substances from activated sludge on the aggregation kinetics of silver and silver sulfide nanoparticles

Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)in activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)could affect interactions between nanoparticles and alter their migration behavior.The influence mechanisms of silver nanoparticles(Ag NPs)and silver sulfide nanoparticles(Ag_(2)S NPs)aggregated by active EPS sludge were studied in monovalent or divalent cation solutions.The aggregation behaviors of the NPs without EPS followed the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek(DLVO)theory.The counterions aggravated the aggregation of both NPs,and the divalent cation had a strong neutralizing effect due to the decrease in electrostatic repulsive force.Through extended DLVO(EDLVO)model analysis,in NaNO3 and low-concentration Ca(NO_(3))_(2)(<10 mmol/L)solutions,EPS could alleviate the aggregation behaviors of Cit-Ag NPs and Ag_(2)S NPs due to the enhancement of steric repulsive forces.At high concentrations of Ca(NO_(3))_(2)(10‒100 mmol/L),exopolysaccharide macromolecules could promote the aggregation of Cit-Ag NPs and Ag_(2)S NPs by interparticle bridging.As the final transformation form of Ag NPs in water environments,Ag_(2)S NPs had better stability,possibly due to their small van der Waals forces and their strong steric repulsive forces.It is essential to elucidate the surface mechanisms between EPS and NPs to understand the different fates of metal-based and metal-sulfide NPs in WWTP systems.

In situ role of extracellular polymeric substances in microbial electron transfer by Methylomonas sp.LW13

Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS),produced by microorganisms,establish the functional and structural integrity of microbial biofilms.In biological wastewater treatments,the transformation of pollutants largely relies on microbial electron transfer.As a bridge between the microbial cytomembrane/cytoderm and terminal electron acceptors,the role of EPS in microbial electron transfer cannot be ignored.However,due to the complexity of its composition,the in situ function of EPS in extracellular electron transfer is still unclear.In this work,we constructed an epsH gene knockout mutant of Methylomonas sp.LW13 with significantly reduced EPS formation.The content of protein and polysaccharide,two major components of EPS,of theΔepsH mutant and wild-type during different growth stages were compared.The redox signal and in situ Au reduction of theΔepsH mutant were obviously stronger than those of the wild-type,which suggested that EPS can hinder extracellular electron transfer in this system.Although redox activity was detected in EPS,high faradaic resistance of EPS was demonstrated.Our results enlighten the in situ role of EPS in extracellular electron transfer with the help of molecular manipulations and provide insights into how to regulate the microbial process of wastewater treatments.

Nitrate removal and extracellular polymeric substances of autohydrogenotrophic bacteria under various pH and hydrogen flow rates

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the use of autohydrogenotrophic bacteria to treat nitrate from wastewater. However, our knowledge about the characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances（EPS） releasing by these activities is not yet very advanced. This study aimed to investigate the change in EPS compositions under various p H values and hydrogen flow rates, taking into consideration nitrogen removal. Results showed that p H 7.5 and a hydrogen flow rate of 90 m L/min were the optimal operating conditions, resulting in 100% nitrogen removal after 6 hr of operation. Soluble and bound polysaccharides decreased, while bound proteins increased with increasing p H. Polysaccharides increased with increasing hydrogen flow rate. No significant change of bound proteins was observed at various hydrogen flow rates.

Extraction and characterization of bound extracellular polymeric substances from cultured pure cyanobacterium(Microcystis wesenbergii)

Preliminary characterization of bound extracellular polymeric substances（bEPS） of cyanobacteria is crucial to obtain a better understanding of the formation mechanism of cyanobacterial bloom. However,the characterization of bEPS can be affected by extraction methods. Five sets（including the control） of bEPS from Microcystis extracted by different methods were characterized using three-dimensional excitation and emission matrix（3DEEM） fluorescence spectroscopy combined chemical spectrophotometry; and the characterization results of bEPS samples were further compared. The agents used for extraction were NaOH,pure water and phosphate buffered saline（PBS） containing cationic exchange resins,and hot water. Extraction methods affected the fluorescence signals and intensities in the bEPS. Five fluorescence peaks were observed in the excitation and emission matrix fluorescence spectra of bEPS samples. Two peaks（peaks T1 and T2） present in all extractions were identified as protein-like fluorophores,two（peaks A and C） as humic-like fluorophores,and one（peak E） as a fulvic-like substance.Among these substances,the humic-like and fulvic-like fluorescences were only seen in the bEPS extracted with hot water. Also,NaOH solution extraction could result in strong fluorescence intensities compared to the other extraction methods. It was suggested that NaOH at pH 10.0 was the most appropriate method to extract bEPS from Microcystis. In addition,dialysis could affect the yields and characteristics of extracted bEPS during the determination process. These results will help us to explore the issues of cyanobacterial blooms.

Detoxification strategy of Microcystis aeruginosa to the toxicity of Cd(Ⅱ):role of EPS in alleviating toxicity

Although many studies have found that cadmium(Cd)can be toxic to microalgae,only a few reports focused on the role of extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)in Cd(Ⅱ)detoxification.The biochemical and physiological endpoints of Microcystis aeruginosa,including the composition and functional groups of soluble EPS(SL-EPS),loosely bound EPS(LB-EPS),and tightly bound EPS(TB-EPS),were detected to elucidate the toxicity and detoxification mechanisms of Cd(Ⅱ)for cyanobacteria.Toxicological and physiological assays on M.aeruginosa showed that the 0.25-mg/L Cd(Ⅱ)resulted in a larger inhibition on growth and F_(v)/F_(m).Nevertheless,Cd(Ⅱ)significantly induced much higher contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD),intracellular microcystin LR(MC-LR),extracellular MC-LR,and EPS.Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed that Cd(Ⅱ)was absorbed into the EPS layer.Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis revealed that the functional groups bound with Cd(Ⅱ)of algae biomass,SL-EPS,LB-EPS,and TB-EPS were somewhat different.The C=O/C=N groups ofδ-lactam or protein were their prominent functional groups,suggesting that amide or proteins in the EPS played a key role in the adsorption in Cd(Ⅱ).The concentration of 0.25 mg/L of Cd(Ⅱ)may change the chemical structure of EPS by altering the production of protein-like substances containing tryptophan.This study indicated that M.aeruginosa could detoxify Cd(Ⅱ)stress via induction of antioxidant capacity(higher SOD activity and MC synthesis),EPS production,and modification in chemical structure of EPS.

A Review of Biochemical Processes and Techniques for Soil Stabilization and Resilience

Biochemical, chemical, and mechanical, techniques have been employed to enhance soil resilience for decades. While the use of mechanical techniques requires transporting huge amounts of soil materials, the cement used in chemical techniques may lead to increase atmospheric carbon dioxide. Numerous studies indicate that biochemical techniques may be less expensive, cost effective, and environmentally friendly. Biopolymers and enzymes derived from microorganisms have been suggested as biological enhancers in strengthening and fortifying soils used for earthen structures. Lime and other treatment techniques used as biobased materials have been shown to be less effective for stabilizing soils. Here, we review biochemical processes and techniques involved in the interactions of soil enzymes, microorganisms, microbial extracellular polymeric substances, and other biopolymers with soil particles, and the challenges and strategies of their use as biobased materials for stabilizing soils. This review provides their impacts on various soil properties and the growth potentials of agricultural crops. .

氮负荷对短程反硝化耦合厌氧氨氧化生物膜系统脱氮性能的影响

短程反硝化作为厌氧氨氧化反应基质亚硝酸盐(NO_(2)^(-)-N)获取的新途径,近年来受到广泛关注.短程反硝化与厌氧氨氧化耦合的污水脱氮工艺具有重要应用潜力.然而,城市污水基质浓度较低且波动频繁,有效实现厌氧氨氧化菌持留与富集是该工艺稳定脱氮的关键.针对上述问题,构建了基于生物膜的短程反硝化耦合厌氧氨氧化工艺,采用2种结构不同的生物填料为载体,对比系统长期脱氮性能,重点考察氮负荷降低过程中系统氮素转化规律及菌群活性变化,深入分析生物膜胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances,EPS)产生特性.结果表明,以含氨氮(NH_(4)^(+)-N)与硝酸盐氮(NO_(3)^(-)-N)废水为处理对象,乙酸钠为有机碳源,分别采用聚氨酯海绵填料(R1)和聚乙烯空心环填料(R2)成功构建了短程反硝化耦合厌氧氨氧化生物膜系统.进水NH_(4)^(+)-N与NO_(3)^(-)-N由150 mg/L逐渐降低至50 mg/L、氮负荷由0.6 kg/(m^(3)·d)降为0.2 kg/(m^(3)·d)时,R1和R2维持高效稳定脱氮,低负荷阶段平均总氮(TN)去除率分别为87.6%和83.6%.厌氧氨氧化作用始终为主要脱氮途径,其占两系统TN去除的贡献率分别高达98.2%和97.4%.生物膜短程反硝化速率随氮负荷减少而降低,但高NO_(2)^(-)-N积累特性未受影响,R1系统NO_(2)^(-)-N积累效率达到95.1%且高于R2(89.8%),其厌氧氨氧化活性降低程度小于R2,表明聚氨酯填料更适合低负荷下该工艺长期运行.低负荷下微生物分泌更多EPS,蛋白质含量增加有助于系统应对氮负荷变化.综上,短程反硝化耦合厌氧氨氧化生物膜工艺处理低基质废水时具有稳定高效的重要优势,为解决厌氧氨氧化应用的瓶颈问题提供了新方法,具有研究意义和应用价值.