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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

Published on: January 22, 2015

Ecological engineering of bioaugmentation from side-stream nitrification.

R C Smith¹, P E Saikaly, K Zhang

¹Malcolm Pirnie Inc., 1900 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240, USA. rocsmith@pirnie.com

Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research

|July 1, 2008

Summary

Bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment is enhanced by understanding microbial ecology. Reactor configuration significantly impacts ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) diversity, crucial for successful treatment processes.

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Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor

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Published on: October 15, 2015

Area of Science:

Environmental engineering
Microbial ecology
Molecular biology

Background:

Wastewater treatment success depends on integrating environmental engineering and microbial ecology principles.
Bioaugmentation, introducing external organisms to wastewater reactors, requires understanding microbial survival mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanisms of successful bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment.
To understand how reactor configuration influences the community structure of ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB).

Main Methods:

Utilized molecular biology tools for analysis.
Employed molecular fingerprinting techniques to assess AOB community structure.
Conducted phylogenetic analysis for diversity assessment.

Main Results:

Side-stream reactor configuration significantly influenced AOB community structure.
AOB communities in side-stream and main-stream reactors were highly similar across lab-scale and full-scale systems.
Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) side-streams showed greater AOB diversity than Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR) side-streams within a PFR main-stream system; however, a full-scale side-stream resulted in an AOB monoculture.

Conclusions:

Reactor configuration is a key factor in bioaugmentation success by shaping AOB communities.
Molecular fingerprinting and phylogenetic analysis provide insights into microbial community dynamics during bioaugmentation.
Further research may be needed to address potential biases in molecular techniques for diversity assessment.