4. Conclusions
PCN bacteria capable of heterotrophic-aerobic nitrogen removal was used for the bioaugmented treatment of municipal wastewater in a pilot-scale SBR. At an appropriate COD/N ratio of 8.0 , the produced effluent could satisfy the first class requirement of the National Municipal Wastewater Discharge Standards of China without any extra system modification. The bioaugmentation improved the microbial community structure and facilitated their capabilities of aerobic nutrients removal. The proposed bioaugmentation strategy could be considered as an effective and economical alternative technology for the treatment of municipal wastewater and the upgrade or retrofitting of the WWTPs.