The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ammonia oxidizing bacterial populations and biological nitrogen removal in a small on-site domestic wastewater treatment system “Johkasou”. The population dynamics of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in six full-scale advanced Johkasous was surveyed using real-time PCR assay over a period of one year. These Johkasous were selected to compare the AOB populations in different treatment performance. When the effluent NH4-N concentration was higher than 2 mg L−1, it was difficult to meet the effluent standard of advanced Johkasous (T-N 10 mg L−1). In contrast, the nitrogen removal efficiency was hardly affected by nitrite oxidation and denitrification in these systems. In other words, ammonia oxidation was a rate-limiting step. Furthermore, we focused on the relationship between NH4-N loading per AOB cell and nitrogen removal. Real time PCR monitoring results demonstrated that it is important to regulate NH4-N loading per AOB cell below 210 pg cell−1 day−1 to meet the effluent standard of advanced Johkasou. It is considered that NH4-N loading per AOB cell is a useful parameter for determining suitable nitrogen loading and small decentralized system design.
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Research Article|
April 01 2007
Use of real-time PCR to examine the relationship between ammonia oxidizing bacterial populations and nitrogen removal efficiency in a small decentralized treatment system ‘Johkasou’
G. Nakagawa;
*Graduate school of Life and environmental science, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0006, Japan
E-mail: nakagawa.gou@nies.go.jp
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Y. Ebie;
Y. Ebie
**National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
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S. Tsuneda;
S. Tsuneda
***Department of Chemical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ohkubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
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M. Matsumura;
M. Matsumura
*Graduate school of Life and environmental science, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0006, Japan
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Y. Inamori
Y. Inamori
**National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
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Water Sci Technol (2007) 55 (7): 203–210.
Citation
G. Nakagawa, Y. Ebie, S. Tsuneda, M. Matsumura, Y. Inamori; Use of real-time PCR to examine the relationship between ammonia oxidizing bacterial populations and nitrogen removal efficiency in a small decentralized treatment system ‘Johkasou’. Water Sci Technol 1 April 2007; 55 (7): 203–210. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2007.146
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