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Related Experiment Videos

Quantification of functional groups in activated sludge by microautoradiography.

J L Nielsen1, P H Nielsen

  • 1Department of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, Denmark. jeppe@civil.auc.dk

Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research
|September 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

This study quantifies bacterial groups in wastewater sludge by their acetate uptake under various electron acceptors. Facultative aerobic and denitrifying bacteria dominate, utilizing oxygen or nitrate.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Wastewater treatment technologies
  • Microbial ecology

Background:

  • Activated sludge is crucial for wastewater treatment.
  • Understanding microbial functional groups is key to optimizing treatment processes.
  • Acetate uptake is a primary metabolic activity in sludge communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify different bacterial functional groups in activated sludge.
  • To determine their acetate uptake capabilities under various electron acceptor conditions (oxygen, nitrate, ferric iron, sulfate, methanogenesis).
  • To correlate microbial community structure with wastewater treatment plant operating conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Microautoradiography and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for bacterial enumeration.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Acetate uptake assays using radiolabeled acetate.
  • Incubation with specific inhibitors to quantify sulfate reducers and methanogens.
  • Enumeration of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria using FISH.

    • Main Results:

    • 80% of bacteria hybridized with general bacterial probes.
    • Most bacteria (74% aerobic, 71% denitrifying) utilized acetate with oxygen or nitrate.
    • Anaerobic acetate uptake was observed in ~8% of bacteria, including phosphate-accumulating organisms and iron reducers.
    • Sulfate reducers and methanogens constituted ~1% and <0.5% of the bacterial population, respectively.

    Conclusions:

    • Wastewater treatment plant conditions favor facultative aerobic and denitrifying heterotrophic bacteria.
    • Bacterial acetate uptake varies significantly with electron acceptor availability.
    • Microbial community composition is adapted to the alternating aerobic and anoxic conditions of the treatment plant.