Effect of macroporous zeolite substrate on denitrification in tidal flow constructed wetland

Tidal flow constructed wetlands (TFCWs) enhance the process of microbial denitrification, while, the influence of substrate pore structure on denitrification are not clear. Herein, we prepare macroporous zeolite ball (MZ) by pore construction technique, and equipped as substrate in TFCWs, to explore the influence of MZ on the structure and function of microbial community. Results show ed that MZ has porous morphology both on the surface and inside. The removal rate of NH4+-N was 12% higher than that of the control. Surface characteristics of MZ provided more attachment sites for microorganisms. BugBase phenotypic and FAPROTAX prediction results showed that MZ had a wider ecological niche, and aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria coexisted on the surface, the main denitrification functional bacteria are Massilia, Pseudarthrobacter, Hydrogenophaga, Acidovorax and Pseudomonas. This study is conducive for improving the purification efficiency of constructed wetland.