Microbial community analysis of a full-scale membrane bioreactor treating industrial wastewater.
A Kubotatrade mark submerged membrane bio-reactor was applied to treat wastewater from a sugar manufacturing industry. To achieve optimal results, fundamental and extended understanding of the microbiology is important. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to evaluate the microbial community present. The majority of cells visualized in the sludge flocs by staining with the DNA fluorochrome DAPI, hybridized strongly with a bacterial probe. Probes specific for the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-subclasses of proteobacteria and high G + C Gram positive bacteria were used to characterize the community structures by in situ hybridization. Sampling was carried out over 12 weeks and samples were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for gram positive organisms and ice cold ethanol for gram negative organisms. The activated sludge population usually constitutes about 80 to 90% of proteobacteria. However, in this study it was found that a relatively small amount of proteobacteria was present within the system. No positive hybridization signal was observed with any of the applied eubacterial family- level probes.
Naidoo
D
D
Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Centre for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa. dashikan@dut.ac.za
Ramdhani
N
N
Bux
F
F
D001483:Base Sequence; D019149:Bioreactors; D017931:DNA Primers; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007220:Industrial Waste; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D017931:DNA Primers; D007220:Industrial Waste; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014873:Water Pollutants