title: Nitrifying microorganisms in fixed-bed biofilm reactors fed with different nitrite and ammonia concentrations.
abstract: Nitrifying bacteria and archaea were fed in fixed-bed biofilm reactors with different nitrite and ammonia concentrations in synthetic and real wastewater. During high nitrite concentrations (rho(NO(2)(-))=5-10mg/L), an increase in the abundance of Nitrobacter species was detected with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), while Nitrospira species disappeared to a large extent. During high ammonia concentrations (rho(NH(4)(+))=60-80 mg/L), a slight increase in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria was obtained, while the abundance of archaebacteria remained unchanged. Lab-scale reactors showed a similar nitrifying microbial population as reactors fed with real wastewater. However, increased abundances of Nitrospira species as observed in wastewater reactors and in the wastewater trickling filters could not be found in the laboratory reactors.
authors.affiliation: Engler-Bunte-Institute, Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. eike.terhaseborg@kit.edu
authors.forename: Eike
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: ter Haseborg
authors.forename: Talia Mateu
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Zamora
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
authors.forename: Fritz H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Frimmel
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors; D004867:Equipment Design; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen