Nitrification can be difficult to maintain at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during cold periods resulting in disrupted nitrogen removal. The aim of this study was to relate nitrification process performance to abundance and composition of the ammonia oxidizer communities in two closely located municipal WWTPs in Sweden during an eight month period covering seasonal changes and low temperature conditions. Both facilities showed lower NH4+-N removal efficiency and nitrification rates as temperature decreased. However, one of the plants had a more stable nitrification rate and higher ammonia removal efficiency throughout the entire period. The differences in performance was related to a shift in the composition of the bacterial ammonia oxidizing community from a Nitrosomonas oligotropha-dominated community to a mixed community including also Nitrosomonas ureae-like ammonia oxidizers. This was likely a response to differences in NH4+-N and organic loading.
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Research Article|
January 01 2012
Ammonia oxidizing bacterial community composition and process performance in wastewater treatment plants under low temperature conditions
A. Rodriguez-Caballero
;
1
School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Mälardalens University, Box 883, SE-721 23 Västerås, Sweden2
Catalan Institute for Water Research, Science and Technology Park of the University of Girona, E-17003 Girona, Spain
E-mail: arodriguez@icra.cat
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S. Hallin
;
S. Hallin
3
Department of Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7025, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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C. Påhlson
;
C. Påhlson
4
Department of Medical Science, Clinical Bacteriology/Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University, SE-752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
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M. Odlare
;
M. Odlare
1
School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Mälardalens University, Box 883, SE-721 23 Västerås, Sweden
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E. Dahlquist
E. Dahlquist
1
School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Mälardalens University, Box 883, SE-721 23 Västerås, Sweden
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Water Sci Technol (2012) 65 (2): 197-204.
Article history
Received:
December 10 2010
Accepted:
April 06 2011
Citation
A. Rodriguez-Caballero, S. Hallin, C. Påhlson, M. Odlare, E. Dahlquist; Ammonia oxidizing bacterial community composition and process performance in wastewater treatment plants under low temperature conditions. Water Sci Technol 1 January 2012; 65 (2): 197–204. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.643
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A. Rodriguez-Caballero, S. Hallin, C. Påhlson, M. Odlare, E. Dahlquist; Ammonia oxidizing bacterial community composition and process performance in wastewater treatment plants under low temperature conditions. Water Sci Technol 1 January 2012; 65 (2): 197–204. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.643
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