scholarly journals Seasonal Dynamics of the Activated Sludge Microbiome in Sequencing Batch Reactors, Assessed Using 16S rRNA Transcript Amplicon Sequencing

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Johnston ◽  
Sebastian Behrens
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Seasonal Dynamics ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Batch Reactors ◽  
Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽  
Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT Activated sludge is comprised of diverse microorganisms which remediate wastewater. Previous research has characterized activated sludge using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, which can help to address questions on the relative abundance of microorganisms. In this study, we used 16S rRNA transcript sequencing in order to characterize “active” populations (via protein synthesis potential) and gain a deeper understanding of microbial activity patterns within activated sludge. Seasonal abundances of individual populations in activated sludge change over time, yet a persistent group of core microorganisms remains throughout the year which are traditionally classified on presence or absence without monitoring of their activity or growth. The goal of this study was to further our understanding of how the activated sludge microbiome changes between seasons with respect to population abundance, activity, and growth. Triplicate sequencing batch reactors were sampled at 10-min intervals throughout reaction cycles during all four seasons. We quantified the gene and transcript copy numbers of 16S rRNA amplicons using real-time PCR and sequenced the products to reveal community abundance and activity changes. We identified 108 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with stable abundance, activity, and growth throughout the year. Nonproliferating OTUs were commonly human health related, while OTUs that showed seasonal abundance changes have previously been identified as being associated with floc formation and bulking. We observed significant differences in 16S rRNA transcript copy numbers, particularly at lower temperatures in winter and spring. The study provides an analysis of the seasonal dynamics of microbial activity variations in activated sludge based on quantifying and sequencing 16S rRNA transcripts. IMPORTANCE Sequencing batch reactors are a common design for wastewater treatment plants, particularly in smaller municipalities, due to their low footprint and ease of operations. However, like for most treatment plants in temperate/continental climates, the microbial community involved in water treatment is highly seasonal and its biological processes can be sensitive to cold temperatures. The seasonality of these microbial communities has been explored primarily in conventional treatment plants and not in sequencing batch reactors. Furthermore, most studies often only address which organisms are present. However, the activated sludge microbial community is very diverse, and it is often hard to discern which organisms are active and which organisms are simply present. In this study, we applied additional sequencing techniques to also address the issues of which organisms are active and which organisms are growing. By addressing these issues, we gained new insights into seasonal microbial populations dynamics and activity patterns affecting wastewater treatment.

scholarly journals The diversity of active microbial groups in an activated sludge process treating painting process wastewater

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 01002
Author(s):  
Herto Dwi Ariesyady ◽  
Mentari Rizki Mayanda ◽  
Tsukasa Ito
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Biological Treatment ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Painting Process ◽  
Process Wastewater

Activated sludge process is one of the wastewater treatment method that is applied for many wastewater types including painting process wastewater of automotive industry. This wastewater is well-known to have high heavy metals concentration which could deteriorate water environment if appropriate performance of the wastewater treatment could not be achieved. In this study, we monitored microbial community diversity in a Painting Biological Treatment (PBT) system. We applied a combination of cultivation and genotypic biological methods based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis to identify the diversity of active microbial community. The results showed that active microbes that could grow in this activated sludge system were dominated by Gram-negative bacteria. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis, it was revealed that their microbial diversity has close association with Bacterium strain E286, Isosphaera pallida, Lycinibacillus fusiformis, Microbacterium sp., Orchobactrum sp., Pseudomonas guariconensis, Pseudomonas sp. strain MR84, Pseudomonas sp. MC 54, Serpens sp., Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila, and Xylella fastidiosa with similarity of 86 – 99%. This findings reflects that microbial community in a Painting Biological Treatment (PBT) system using activated sludge process could adapt with xenobiotics in the wastewater and has a wide range of diversity indicating a complex metabolism mechanism in the treatment process.

scholarly journals Contribution of prokaryotes and eukaryotes to CO2 emissions in the wastewater treatment process

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9325
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Jaromin-Gleń ◽  
Roman Babko ◽  
Tatiana Kuzmina ◽  
Yaroslav Danko ◽  
Grzegorz Łagód ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Greenhouse Effect ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Batch Reactors ◽  
Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Process ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms ◽  
Quantitative Contribution

Reduction of the greenhouse effect is primarily associated with the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the gases that increases the greenhouse effect - it is responsible for about half of the greenhouse effect. Significant sources of CO2 are wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and waste management, with about 3% contribution to global emissions. CO2 is produced mainly in the aerobic stage of wastewater purification and is a consequence of activated sludge activity. Although the roles of activated sludge components in the purification process have been studied quite well, their quantitative contribution to CO2 emissions is still unknown. The emission of CO2 caused by prokaryotes and eukaryotes over the course of a year (taking into account subsequent seasons) in model sequencing batch reactors (SBR) is presented in this study. In this work, for the first time, we aimed to quantify this contribution of eukaryotic organisms to total CO2 emissions during the WWTP process. It is of the order of several or more ppm. The contribution of CO2 produced by different components of activated sludge in WWTPs can improve estimation of the emissions of GHGs in this area of human activity.

scholarly journals Microbial community similarity and dissimilarity inside and across full-scale activated sludge processes for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-344
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Wen ◽  
Mark W. LeChevallier ◽  
Wendong Tao
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Batch Reactors ◽  
Simultaneous Nitrification And Denitrification ◽  
Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽  
Mixed Liquor

Abstract Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification under low dissolved oxygen conditions is an energy-saving modification of the activated sludge process to achieve efficient nitrogen removal. Geographically distinct full-scale treatment plants are excellent platforms to address the links of microbial community with operating parameters. Mixed liquor samples were collected from a sequencing batch reactor plant, oxidation ditch plant, and step-feed activated sludge plant. Next-Generation Sequencing of the samples showed that the microbial communities were similar at the phylum level among the plants, being dominated by Proteobacteria. Microbial composition of functional groups was similar between the react fill and react phases of the sequencing batch reactors, among four sequencing batch reactors, and among four oxidation ditches. Nitrospira was the only identified genus of autotropic nitrifying bacteria with a relative abundance of 2.2–2.5% in the oxidation ditches and 0.4–0.7% at the other plants. Heterotrophic nitrifying–aerobic denitrifying bacteria were dominated by Dechloromonas with a relative abundance of 0.4–1.0%. Microbial community composition and nitrogen removal mechanisms were related to overall level and local zonation of dissolved oxygen, mixed liquor suspended solids concentration, nitrogen and organic loadings, and solids retention time. Low dissolved oxygen and low organic and nitrogen loadings favored growth of Nitrospira.

Effect of salinity on the activity, settling and microbial community of activated sludge in sequencing batch reactors treating synthetic saline wastewater

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Wu ◽  
Y. Guan ◽  
X. Zhan
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Synthetic Wastewater ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
Yield Coefficient ◽  
Batch Reactors ◽  
Sequencing Batch Reactors ◽  
Saline Wastewater ◽  
Sludge Flocs

The effects of salinity on the activity in nutrient removal, settling and microbial community of activated sludge in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) treating synthetic saline wastewater were investigated. Two SBRs, one treating synthetic saline wastewater (the N-Reactor, with NaCl addition) and the other treating fresh synthetic wastewater (the C-Reactor, without NaCl addition), were operated for 68 days. Three salinities (in terms of concentrations of NaCl)—10, 20 and 40 g NaCl/l—were examined. The microbial activity described with the specific glucose utilization rate, specific nitritation and nitratation rates, and specific phosphorus release and uptake rates, was inhibited in the N-Reactor, in comparison with that in the C-Reactor, except that the specific nitritation and nitratation rates were improved at the salinity of 10 g NaCl/l. The sludge yield coefficient decreased at salinities of 10 and 20 g NaCl/l but it rose at the salinity of 40 g NaCl/l. The settling of activated sludge flocs, in terms of the sludge volume index (SVI), was improved by adding NaCl. Particularly in the first 5 minutes during the SVI measurement, activated sludge flocs in the N-Reactor settled much faster than those in the C-Reactor. However, the effluent from the N-Reactor contained higher suspended solids than the effluent from the C-Reactor. The microbial diversity decreased with increasing the salinity, and the microbial community structure was greatly influenced by the salinity. Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria were the dominant phylums detected with molecular fingerprinting techniques.

Revealing microbial community structures in large- and small-scale activated sludge systems by barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 2155-2161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Purnika Damindi Ranasinghe ◽  
Hiroyasu Satoh ◽  
Mamoru Oshiki ◽  
Kenshiro Oshima ◽  
Wataru Suda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Community Structures ◽  
Microbial Community Structures ◽  
Insight Into

The diversity of bacterial groups in activated sludge from large- and small-scale wastewater treatment plants was explored by barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Activated sludge samples (three small and 17 large scale) were collected from 12 wastewater treatment plants to clarify precise taxonomy and relative abundances. DNA was extracted, and amplified by 4 base barcoded 27f/519r primer set. The 454 Titanium (Roche) pyrosequences were obtained and analyses performed by Quantitative Insight Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) with around 100,000 reads. Sequence statistics were computed, while constructing a phylogenetic tree and heatmap. Computed results explained total microbial diversity at phylum and class level and resolution was further extended to Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) based taxonomic assignment for investigating community distribution based on individual sample. Composition of sequence reads were compared and microbial community structures for large- and small-scale treatment plants were identified as major phyla (Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes) and classes (Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes). Also, family level breakdowns were explained and differences in family Nitrospiraceae and phylum Actinobacteria found at their species level were also illustrated. Thus, the pyrosequencing method provides high resolution insight into microbial community structures in activated sludge that might have been unnoticed with conventional approaches.

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