Detoxification-driven recovery of nitrogen removal under high linear alkylbenzene sulfonate stress by immobilized Pseudomonas sp. LM2.

Abstract

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is a widely used anionic surfactant that can inhibit microbial activity and destabilize biological wastewater treatment systems under high loading conditions. In this study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was exposed to increasing LAS concentrations (0-100 mg/L) to define the collapse trajectory of activated sludge and evaluate recovery following bioaugmentation with immobilized Pseudomonas sp. LM2. The system remained stable at 20 mg/L LAS, deteriorated after prolonged exposure to 50 mg/L, and developed severe sludge disintegration with near-complete nitrification failure at 100 mg/L. In the LM reactor, LAS removal increased from 25.4% to 53.1% after bioaugmentation, together with improved nitrogen-removal performance. Blank carriers did not restore reactor performance. Genome annotation showed that LM2 encoded genes associated with LAS degradation and denitrification but lacked nitrification genes. Thus, the observed nitrification recovery was likely indirect and associated with lower LAS stress and recovery of indigenous nitrifiers. Quantitative PCR and amplicon analyses showed enrichment of Nitrospira and Thauera and a shift toward more deterministic community assembly after bioaugmentation. The carrier-only control showed taxonomic recovery but persistent functional inhibition under high residual LAS exposure. Overall, the results indicate that immobilized bioaugmentation can support partial recovery of nitrogen removal under severe LAS stress.