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(35-08) Ammonia oxidizing bacteria in wastewater treatment systems: the relationship between diversity and process stability. Rowan, Arlene*,1, Snape, Jason2, Fearnside, Dave3, Curtis, Tom1, Barer, Mike4, Head, Ian1, 1 University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK2 Brixham Environmental Laboratory, AstraZeneca Global SHE, UK3 Yorkshire Water Services, West Yorkshire, UK4 University of Leicester, Leicester, UK ABSTRACT- Nitrification is an important and beneficial process in wastewater treatment systems for the removal of ammonia. Nonetheless due to the sensitivity and slow-growing nature of the bacteria involved, namely the nitrifying bacteria (ammonia- and nitrite-oxidisers), nitrification in wastewater treatment systems is prone to failure often for no apparent reason. The effect of reactor configuration on the diversity of ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) in two different full-scale wastewater treatment plants (a trickling filter and a biologically aerated filter, BAF) treating the same mixed industrial-domestic wastewater has been investigated. The trickling filter was observed to be less prone to failure or reduced nitrification performance than the BAF. The more robust plant harboured a more diverse population of AOB and the presence of diverse treatment populations may be indicative of process stability. AOB most similar to Nitrosococcus mobilis, which is halotolerant were found to be dominant in these industrial effluent treatment plants (ETPs) treating saline agrochemical and speciality chemical wastes. Monitoring the diversity of AOB populations may provide a tool to optimise treatment performance and assess the impact of novel process wastes prior to discharge. In addition to the composition of the AOB population, the size of the AOB population is also important, and rapid quantitative tools for determining the dynamics of AOB populations are being developed. This presentation will summarise the characterisation of AOB in industrial ETPs and the development of a rapid process monitoring assay. Key words: ammonia oxidising bacteria, wastewater, diversity, process stability |
