title: Development of an analytical microbial consortia method for enhancing performance monitoring at aerobic wastewater treatment plants.
abstract: An analytical method to produce profiles of bacterial biomass fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was developed employing rapid agitation followed by static incubation (RASI) using selective media of wastewater microbial communities. The results were compiled to produce a unique library for comparison and performance analysis at a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). A total of 146 samples from the aerated WWTP, comprising 73 samples of each secondary and tertiary effluent, were included analyzed. For comparison purposes, all samples were evaluated via a similarity index (SI) with secondary effluents producing an SI of 0.88 with 2.7% variation and tertiary samples producing an SI 0.86 with 5.0% variation. The results also highlighted significant differences between the fatty acid profiles of the tertiary and secondary effluents indicating considerable shifts in the bacterial community profile between these treatment phases. The WWTP performance results using this method were highly replicable and reproducible indicating that the protocol has potential as a performance-monitoring tool for aerated WWTPs. The results quickly and accurately reflect shifts in dominant bacterial communities that result when processes operations and performance change.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Behrooz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Razban
authors.forename: Kristina Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Dena W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: McMartin
authors.forename: D Roy
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Cullimore
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Dunling
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids