Elucidation of N2O production/consumption mechanisms in biofilms and development of a wastewater treatment technology mitigating N2O emission

• Project/Area Number: 17H01893
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental engineering and reduction of environmental burden
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Terada Akihiko 東京農工大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (30434327)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 藤原 拓 高知大学, 教育研究部自然科学系農学部門, 教授 (10314981) ; 堀 知行 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, エネルギー・環境領域, 主任研究員 (20509533)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥18,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,170,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥5,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,200,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥5,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,200,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥7,670,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,770,000)
• Keywords: 亜酸化窒素 / 亜酸化窒素還元細菌 / ガス透過膜 / バイオフィルム / 15Nトレーサー法 / 微生物叢解析 / 硝化 / 脱窒 / 生成機構解明 / N2O還元細菌 / 対抗拡散方式 / 亜酸化窒素消費細菌 / pH / 硫化水素 / 対抗拡散型バイオフィルム / 硝化・脱窒 / 微小電極 / 生成機構 / 排水処理 / 細菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed at developing a novel biofilm process mitigating the emissions of highly potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O). The process is based on a biofilm on a gas-permeable membrane where the exhaust gas from an aeration tank, containing N2O, is supplied. The reactor operation demonstrated that the biofilm process substantially alleviates N2O emission by bacteria consuming N2O in the biofilm. The microbial community analysis successfully identified promising N2O-consuming bacteria. Furthermore, physiological experiments revealed favorable ranges of temperature and oxygen levels for the selected bacteria to maximize their N2O consumption potentials.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

亜酸化窒素（N2O）は第三の温室効果ガスと言われ、排水の高度処理を行っている施設での排出削減が求められている。N2Oは高度処理施設において、排水中に含まれる窒素化合物を窒素ガスに変換する際に副生成物として排出される。本研究は、このN2Oを効率的に削減できる新しい技術を提案している。本研究で得られた成果は、提案した技術の排水処理施設への導入によるN2O排出量削減につなげられる。また、N2Oを効率的に窒素ガスに分解できる細菌群を同定したため、農地などへの適用により、N2O排出の削減が期待される。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] ダルムシュタット工科大学(ドイツ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] デンマーク工科大学(デンマーク)
• [Int'l Joint Research] デンマーク工科大学(デンマーク)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ダルムシュタット工科大学(ドイツ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] デンマーク工科大学(デンマーク)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ノートルダム大学(米国)
• [Journal Article] Exploration and enrichment of methane-oxidizing bacteria derived from a rice paddy field emitting highly concentrated methane (2020)
  • Author(s): Yasuda, S., Toyoda, R., Agrawal, S., Suenaga, T., Riya, S., Hori, T., Lackner, S., Hosomi, M., Terada, A.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering Volume: in press Issue: 3 Pages: 311-318
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.04.006
  • NAID: 40022351710
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Startup, performance, and microbial communities of an anammox reactor inoculated with indigenous sludge for the treatment of high-salinity and mesophilic underground brine (2019)
  • Author(s): Yokota, N., Mineshima, R., Yamaguchi, H., Hirase, T., Ishikawa, H., Azuma, T., Hosomi, M., Terada, A.
  • Journal Title: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy Volume: 21 Issue: 5 Pages: 1001-1011
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10098-019-01688-y
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Enrichment, Isolation, and Characterization of High-Affinity N2O-Reducing Bacteria in a Gas-Permeable Membrane Reactor (2019)
  • Author(s): Suenaga, T., Hori, T., Riya, S., Hosomi, M., Smets, Barth F., Terada, A.
  • Journal Title: Environmental Science & Technology Volume: 53 Issue: 20 Pages: 12101-12112
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02237
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Determining uncertainties in PICRUSt analysis - An easy approach for autotrophic nitrogen removal (2019)
  • Author(s): Agrawal, S., Kinh, C. T., Schwartz, T., Hosomi, M., Terada, A., Lackner, S.
  • Journal Title: Biochemical Engineering Journal Volume: 152 Pages: 107328-107328
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2019.107328
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Immobilization of Azospira sp. strain I13 by gel entrapment for mitigation of N 2 O from biological wastewater treatment plants: Biokinetic characterization and modeling (2018)
  • Author(s): Suenaga Toshikazu、Aoyagi Ryo、Sakamoto Nozomi、Riya Shohei、Ohashi Hidenori、Hosomi Masaaki、Tokuyama Hideaki、Terada Akihiko
  • Journal Title: Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 2 Pages: 213-219
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.02.014
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Draft genome sequence of Azospira sp. strain I13, a nitrous oxide-reducing bacterium harboring clade II type nosZ (2018)
  • Author(s): Toshikazu Suenaga、Tomo Aoyagi、Masaaki Hosomi、Tomoyuki Hori、Akihiko Terada
  • Journal Title: Genome Announcements Volume: Accepted
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Identification of hotspots for NO and N 2 O production and consumption in counter- and co-diffusion biofilms for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (2017)
  • Author(s): Kinh Co Thi、Riya Shohei、Hosomi Masaaki、Terada Akihiko
  • Journal Title: Bioresource Technology Volume: 245 Pages: 318-324
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.08.051
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 15Nトレーサー法を用いた脱窒細菌のN2O還元ポテンシャルの評価 (2020)
  • Author(s): 大場康平、末永俊和、利谷翔平、寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第54回日本水環境学会年会
• [Presentation] A membrane-aerated biofilm reactor for cost-effective nitrogen removal with low greenhouse gas emissions: Insights from macro and micro scale observations (2019)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: The 5th EnvironmentAsia International Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ガス透過膜を用いたバイオフィルムリアクターの省エネ化・高機能化に向けた現状と課題 (2019)
  • Author(s): 寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第36回ニューメンブレンテクノロジーシンポジウム2019
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Activity, abundance, and identification of N2O-reducing bacteria present in Anammox biomass - Combination of 15N tracer and molecular analyses (2019)
  • Author(s): Suenaga, T., Ota, T., Hori, T., Riya, S., Hosomi, M., Chandran, K., Lackner, S., Smets, B.F., Terada, A.
  • Organizer: The 8th IWA Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering Specialist Conference (MEWE2019)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Counter-current substrate diffusion biofilms for nitrogen removal from wastewaters (2019)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: The 2nd International Conference on Non-point Source Pollution Control and Aquatic Ecosystem Protection (NPAE-2019)
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] A Membrane-aerated Biofilm Reactor for Effective Nitrogen Removal from Wastewaters: Opportunities and Challenges (2019)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: IEEC & BWR 2019
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] 下水汚泥処理工程における亜酸化窒素排出メカニズムの検討 (2019)
  • Author(s): 藤川真理子，野村洋平，末永俊和，寺田昭彦，藤原 拓
  • Organizer: 第53回日本水環境学会年会
• [Presentation] アナモックス汚泥に棲息するN2O還元細菌のポテンシャル評価 (2019)
  • Author(s): 太田琢，末永俊和，細見正明，寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第53回日本水環境学会年会
• [Presentation] 排水中の微量元素が部分硝化法におけるN2O生成に及ぼす影響 (2019)
  • Author(s): 大野哲，末永俊和，細見正明，寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第53回日本水環境学会年会
• [Presentation] 工学システムの進展から見る窒素マネジメントの現状と課題 (2018)
  • Author(s): 寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第70回日本生物工学会大会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 対抗拡散型バイオフィルムによる水処理技術：窒素除去の観点から見た利点と課題 (2018)
  • Author(s): 寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 化学工学会第50回秋季大会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] A membrane-aerated biofilm reactor for efficient single-stage nitrogen removal and mitigation of nitrous oxide emission: Proof-of-concept from biofilm depth profile analysis (2018)
  • Author(s): Terada, A., Kinh, C.T., Suenaga, T., Hori, T., Riya, S., Hosomi, M.
  • Organizer: IWA Water Reuse 2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] バイオフィルムに関する最新の研究動向：形成抑制から利用技術まで (2017)
  • Author(s): 寺田昭彦
  • Organizer: 第20回日本水環境学会シンポジウム
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Nitrous oxide emission from cost-effective nitrogen removal systems: Mechanisms and mitigation strategies (2017)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: 2017 International Conference on Environmental Pollution Control
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Counter-current substrate diffusion biofilm as an innovative strategy for effective nitrogen removal from wastewaters: Principles, performances and in situ biofilm analyses (2017)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: The 8th China-Japan Symposium on Chemical Engineering
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Effect of nitrate and hydrogen sulfide on N2O emission in sewage sludge treatment system (2017)
  • Author(s): Qian Yang、Sijing Jia、Shaolan Ding、Taku Fujiwara
  • Organizer: The 10th CESE Conference International Conference in Challenges in Environmental Science & Engineering
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Membrane-aerated biofilm reactors for nitrogen removal and mitigation of nitrous oxide emission from wastewater streams (2017)
  • Author(s): Akihiko Terada
  • Organizer: EnvironmentAsia 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited