title: Bacterial community dynamics in a functionally stable pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant.
abstract: To determine whether functional stability was correlated with a stable microbial community structure in a functionally stable pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant, bacterial communities in the system were monitored over a one-year period. Bacterial community dynamics was characterized by the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes. During the study period, the effluent BOD concentrations were very stable, with the average BOD concentration below 10 mg/L. The effluent TN concentrations were always below 20 mg/L, except for the first 40 days. T-RFLP results showed that, during the test period, the bacterial community structures were not stable, with an average change rate (every 15 days) of 20.4%±11.2%. Based on Lorenz distribution curves, it was observed that 20% of the species corresponded with 40-77% of cumulative relative abundances. Results clearly revealed that, in the pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant, functional stability did not correlate with stable bacterial communities.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xianghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hengjing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical