Simultaneous degradation of tetracycline and denitrification by a novel bacterium, Klebsiella sp. SQY5

Polluted waters with a high residue of tetracycline also have a high concentration of nitrate. Thus, screening for both, highly efficient tetracycline biodegradation and nitrate transformation, is a key technical strategy. In this study, a novel tetracycline degrading strain, SQY5, which was identified as Klebsiella sp., was isolated from municipal sludge. Biodegradation characteristics of tetracycline were studied under various environmental conditions; including inoculation dose (v/v), initial tetracycline concentration, temperature, and pH. Response surface methodology (RSM) analysis demonstrated that the maximum degradation ratio of tetracycline can be obtained under the condition with an initial tetracycline concentration of 61.27 mg L−1, temperature of 34.96 °C, pH of 7.17, and inoculation dose of 29.89%. Furthermore, this was the first report on the relationship between the degradation of tetracycline and the denitrification effect, showing that a maximum tetracycline reduction rate of 0.113 mg L−1·h−1 and denitrification rate of 4.64 mg L−1·h−1 were observed within 32 h and 92 h of SQY5 inoculation, respectively. The data of this study has the potential for use in engineering processes designed for the simultaneous biological removal of nitrates while degrading antibiotics.