Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria Maintain Abundance but Lower<i>amoA</i>-Gene Expression during Cold Temperature Nitrification Failure in a Full-Scale Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Juliet Johnston, Zhe Du, Sebastian Behrens
Abstract
The diverse microbial community of activated sludge used in biological treatment systems exhibits dynamic seasonal shifts in community composition and activity. Many wastewater treatment plants in temperate/continental climates experience seasonal cold temperature nitrification failure. “Seasonal nitrification failure” is the discharge of elevated concentrations of ammonia (greater than 4 mg/liter) with treated wastewater during the winter (influent wastewater temperatures below 13°C).
Topics & Concepts
NitrificationBacteriaWastewaterAbundance (ecology)Sewage treatmentAmmoniaOxidizing agentActivated sludgeEnvironmental scienceBiologyEcologyEnvironmental chemistryEnvironmental engineeringMicrobiologyChemistryNitrogenGeneticsBiochemistryOrganic chemistryWastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalMicrobial Community Ecology and PhysiologyMicrobial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation