title: The Bacterial Communities of Full-Scale Biologically Active, Granular Activated Carbon Filters Are Stable and Diverse and Potentially Contain Novel Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms.
abstract: The bacterial community composition of the full-scale biologically active, granular activated carbon (BAC) filters operated at the St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) was investigated using Illumina MiSeq analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. These bacterial communities were consistently diverse (Shannon index, >4.4; richness estimates, >1,500 unique operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) throughout the duration of the 12-month study period. In addition, only modest shifts in the quantities of individual bacterial populations were observed; of the 15 most prominent OTUs, the most highly variable population (a Variovorax sp.) modulated less than 13-fold over time and less than 8-fold from filter to filter. The most prominent population in the profiles was a Nitrospira sp., representing 13 to 21% of the community. Interestingly, very few of the known ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB; <0.07%) and no ammonia-oxidizing Archaea were detected in the profiles. Quantitative PCR of amoA genes, however, suggested that AOB were prominent in the bacterial communities (amoA/16S rRNA gene ratio, 1 to 10%). We conclude, therefore, that the BAC filters at the SPRWS potentially contained significant numbers of unidentified and novel ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms that possess amoA genes similar to those of previously described AOB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA lapar001@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: LaPara
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Katheryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hope Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Strait
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hozalski
authors.affiliation: BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sadowksy
authors.affiliation: BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D061808:Air Filters / Q000382:microbiology*; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D002606:Charcoal; D000641:Ammonia