Adaptation of nitrifying microbial biomass to nickel in batch incubations

Nitrification-microbial oxidation of ammonia to nitrate-is sensitive to an array of inhibitors. Currently, little is known regarding the ecological processes that enable adaptation to inhibitors and recovery of nitrification. This study evaluated inhibition and recovery of nitrification in batch cultures of activated sludge incubated with different levels of nickel (Ni), a model inhibitor. Incubation with 1 mg/L of added Ni did not adversely affect nitrification, and little inhibition occurred at 5 and 10 mg/L Ni. Incubation with 50 mg/L Ni resulted in significant inhibition, decreased amoA transcript abundance, and delayed recovery of nitrification until amoA transcript abundance rebounded after 24 h. For this dosage, recovery of nitrification occurred without a significant change in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) community structure. By contrast, incubation with 150 mg/L of added Ni strongly inhibited nitrification and delayed recovery until a shift in AOB community structure occurred after similar to 6 weeks of incubation. The results indicate that inhibitor-resistant nitrifying cultures can be obtained from long-term batch incubations of decaying activated sludge incubated with high levels of added inhibitor.