HOUJintao,WANGMin,CHENGYu,et al.Enhanced Organic Matter Metabolism and Microbial Denitrification by Iron?modified Activated Carbon[J].China Water & Wastewater,2026,42(5):1-9.
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Enhanced Organic Matter Metabolism and Microbial Denitrification by Iron?modified Activated Carbon

China Water & Wastewater[ISSN:1000-4062/CN:12-1073/TU] volume: 第42卷 Number: 第5期 Page: 1-9 Column: Date of publication: 2026-03-01
Author(s):
HOU　Jintao1; 2;  WANG　Min3;  CHENG　Yu2;  SUN　Yurun2; 4;  GU　Zhen’ao2; 4;  ZHANG　Wei2; 4;  CHU　Biwu2; 4;  ZHANG　Xinbo1;  HU　Chengzhi2; 4
（1. School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering， Tianjin Chengjian University， Tianjin 300384， China； 2. State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability， Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences， Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100085， China； 3. Shuiyi Environmental Protection Group Co. Ltd.， Ningbo 315300， China； 4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100049， China）
Keywords:
iron?modified activated carbon;  electron transfer;  refractory organic matter;  advanced nitrogen removal;  carbon source utilization
Abstract:
Advanced nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater is a current research focus,and employing refractory organic matter as internal carbon sources for denitrification holds significant practical potential. In this study, an iron?modified granular activated carbon (Fe-GAC) material was synthesized and introduced into an activated sludge system to investigate the metabolic transformation of refractory organic matter and their roles in nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Compared with the control activated sludge system, the Fe-GAC system exhibited higher removal efficiencies of total organic carbon(TOC), nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus (TP), with respective increases of 11.67%, 25.11%, and 25.54%.The Fe-GAC system also demonstrated enhanced resistance to shock loading. Mechanism analysis revealed that Fe-GAC facilitated electron transfer and enriched functional genera such as Chthonomonas and Runella, thereby stimulating microbial carbon-nitrogen metabolism and energy metabolism activities. Moreover, Fe-GAC promoted the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), improving the utilization of endogenous carbon sources. This work provides theoretical insights and technical support for developing efficient denitrification processes for low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio wastewater.
Last Update: 2026-03-01