title: Heterotrophic community-level physiological profiles of domestic wastewater following treatment by small constructed subsurface flow wetlands.
abstract: Seasonal treatment performance of small-surface flow wetlands was evaluated during their second operational year and compared with community-level physiological profiles (CLPP) of the heterotrophic bacterial community obtained from sole-carbon source utilization patterns in BIOLOG GN (Haywood, California) microplates. The CLPP patterns varied significantly by season, indicating reduced functional diversity in the heterotrophic community during warmer months of active plant growth (April through October). Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that the functional community differed in planted versus unplanted wetlands during the growing season. Wetlands generally improved wastewater quality; however, treatment performance was reduced in the second year. Despite differences in the heterotrophic community suggested by CLPP, treatment efficiency with respect to removal of five-day biochemical oxygen demand or reduction in fecal indicator organisms generally was not significantly changed as a function of growing season or plant treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant and Soil Science, Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506-6058, USA.
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hench
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sexstone
authors.forename: Gary K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bissonnette
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005374:Filtration; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants; D012621:Seasons; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen