Deflocculation of Activated Sludge by the Dissimilatory Fe(III)-Reducing Bacterium Shewanella alga BrY

The influence of microbial Fe(III) reduction on the deflocculation of autoclaved activated sludge was investigated. Fe(III) flocculated activated sludge better than Fe(II). Decreasing concentrations of Fe(III) caused an increase in sludge bulk water turbidity, while bulk water turbidity remained relatively constant over a range of Fe(II) concentrations. Cells of the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella alga BrY coupled the oxidation of H(inf2) to the reduction of Fe(III) bound in sludge flocs. Cell adhesion to the Fe(III)-sludge flocs was a prerequisite for Fe(III) reduction. The reduction of Fe(III) in sludge flocs by strain BrY caused an increase in bulk water turbidity, suggesting that the sludge was deflocculated. The results of this study support previous research suggesting that microbial Fe(III) respiration may have an impact on the floc structure and colloidal chemistry of activated sludge.     

Carrier-mediated Potassium Efflux Across the Cell Membrane of Red Beet

The flux ratio (influx/efflux) of K⁺ across the plasmalemma of beet cells at an external potassium concentration of 0.6 mm does not respond to changes of membrane potential in the manner expected for the free diffusion of ions. The K⁺ efflux is affected by the presence of adsorbed Ca²⁺, but is apparently unrelated to the electrical potential or to the net uptake of potassium. The K⁺ efflux is greater than the efflux of the sulfate and organic anions which are accumulated with potassium, and is partially dependent on the presence of external potassium. Thus the loss of ⁴²K from the cell does not appear to be a leakage of freely diffusing K⁺ ions, nor a leakage of ion pairs, but a carrier-mediated transport or exchange of potassium across the cell membrane.     

The Efflux of Potassium from Electroplaques of Electric Eels

1. The movement of labeled potassium ions has been measured across the innervated membranes of single isolated electroplaques, obtained from the organ of Sachs of Electrophorus electricus, mounted in an apparatus which allowed a separate washing of the two membranes. 2. Equations have been derived for a 3 compartment system in series in which tracer from a large pool in one outer compartment is collected in the other outer compartment. The amount of unlabeled ion in the middle compartment may be calculated and also the fluxes across the two membranes. 3. The flux of potassium across the innervated membranes of resting cells in a steady state was between 700 to 1000 µµmoles/cm.²/sec. and was unaffected by d-tubocurarine. 4. Direct stimulation of electroplaques with external electrodes caused an increase in the efflux of potassium from the innervated membrane of 5 to 8 µµmoles/cm.²/impulse, which was unaffected by d-tubocurarine; no change occurred in the efflux across the non-innervated membrane. 5. It is concluded that the discharge of electroplaques is accompanied by a small outward movement of potassium ions across the innervated membrane of the same order of magnitude as that found on excitation of squid giant axons. The data show a basic similarity of potassium movements across these two entirely different types of conducting membranes and suggest that this phenomenon may be a general feature of bioelectric currents propagating an action potential.     

厌氧污泥体系脱氢酶活性表征细菌数的研究

以硫化钠作还原剂,甲苯为提取溶剂,用氯化三苯基四氮唑(TTC)法测定污泥脱氢酶活性,探讨了脱氢酶活性与细菌数对数(lgABN)的相关性,并建立了脱氢酶活性表征细菌数的数学模型。结果表明:在lgABN为7.5～12范围内,脱氢酶表征的污泥活性与细菌数对数(lgABN)呈明显线性相关,从理论上分析了其惟一线性相关性;在细菌数的对数达到7.5～12的对数期、稳定期与衰亡期,脱氢酶活性换算成对应细菌数所绘制的曲线与细菌生长曲线有明显拟合;在有重金属离子存在的污泥体系中,脱氢酶活性可用来作为评价重金属离子的毒性指标;从而脱氢酶活性可取代细菌计数表征污泥活性。     

Bioaugmentation of Anammox Activated Sludge with a Nitrifying Bacterial Community as a Way to Increase the Nitrogen Removal Efficiency

Microbiology - Bioaugmentation, i.e., increasing the abundance of certain microorganisms in the community by adding appropriate cells or establishing the conditions promoting their growth, is...     

活性污泥总DNA提取方法的研究

采用冻融＋玻璃珠、溶菌酶＋SDS和冻融＋玻璃珠＋溶菌酶＋SDS的方法提取活性污泥的微生物总DNA,并对以上三种方法进行比较,从中确定最佳的方法,以实现普通实验条件下成功提取符合PCR扩增要求的DNA。经紫外光度分析及电泳结果表明,冻融＋玻璃珠＋溶菌酶＋SDS方法所得的DNA的OD260/OD280为1．81,电泳结果显示,所提DNA片段分子量大于10kb,适于酶解和PCR扩增要求,为PCR技术应用于活性污泥的研究提供了一种简便、可靠的DNA提取方法。     

Introduction of Exogenous Activated Sludge as a Way to Enhance the Efficiency of Nitrogen Removal in the Anammox Process

Microbiology - The effect of introduction of exogenous activated sludge (bioaugmentation) on the activity and composition of the microbial consortium carrying out the nitritation-anammox process in...     

Implicating the glutathione-gated potassium efflux system as a cause of electrophile-induced activated sludge deflocculation

The glutathione-gated K(+) efflux (GGKE) system represents a protective microbial stress response that is activated by electrophilic or thiol-reactive stressors. It was hypothesized that efflux of cytoplasmic K(+) occurs in activated sludge communities in response to shock loads of industrially relevant electrophilic chemicals and results in significant deflocculation. Novosphingobium capsulatum, a bacterium consistent with others found in activated sludge treatment systems, responded to electrophilic thiol reactants with rapid efflux of up to 80% of its cytoplasmic K(+) pool. Furthermore, N. capsulatum and activated sludge cultures exhibited dynamic efflux-uptake-efflux responses very similar to those observed by others in Escherichia coli K-12 exposed to the electrophilic stressors N-ethylmaleimide and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and the reducing agent dithiothreitol. Fluorescent LIVE/DEAD stains were used to show that cell lysis was not the cause of electrophile-induced K(+) efflux. Nigericin was used to artificially stimulate K(+) efflux from N. capsulatum and activated sludge cultures as a comparison to electrophile-induced K(+) efflux and showed that cytoplasmic K(+) efflux by both means corresponded with activated sludge deflocculation. These results parallel those of previous studies with pure cultures in which GGKE was shown to cause cytoplasmic K(+) efflux and implicate the GGKE system as a probable causal mechanism for electrophile-induced, activated sludge deflocculation. Calculations support the notion that shock loads of electrophilic chemicals result in very high K(+) concentrations within the activated sludge floc structure, and these K(+) levels are comparable to that which caused deflocculation by external (nonphysiological) KCl addition.     

Cation-dependent Flocculation in a Flavobacterium Species Predominant in Activated Sludge

The predominant bacterium of activated sludge classified as belonging to the genus Flavobacterium showed good flocculent growth in the presence of both calcium and magnesium ions, although capsular material or gelatinous matrix was not detectable in the flocs. The bacterium accumulated a large amount of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate when grown on glucose, but not on peptone, in spite of good flocculent growth on both substrates. When the flocs formed during growth phase were suspended in deionized water and shaken for a few minutes, they disintegrated perfectly, and a uniformly dispersed cell suspension was obtained. Furthermore, when the dispersed cell suspension thus obtained was added with each of various mineral salts and shaken for a few minutes, the cells flocculated again, the resultant supernatant solution being almost clear. Even if the dispersed cells were killed by heat or treated by trypsin, they did not lose the ability to form flocs when added with mineral salts. Since the electric charge of the cell surface was negative, a possible mechanism of floc formation was suggested as follows: negatively charged surfaces of adjacent cells are bridged by ionic bonds intermediated by cations. The bacterium utilized a relatively wide variety of organic compounds and showed high metabolic activity comparable to that of naturally activated sludge. These properties, along with floc-forming ability, were considered to be factors for making the bacterium predominant in activated sludge.     

Biological Uptake of Phosphorus by Activated Sludge

The ability of activated sludge to remove phosphates was studied by adding carrier-free (32)P to raw sewage and measuring incorporation of the radioactivity into the cells over a period of time. Radioisotope determinations indicated that 48% of the (32)P radioactivity was removed by 12 hr. However, chemical methods indicated that only 30% of the orthophosphate apparently disappeared from the sewage during this period. Experiments with sludge prelabeled with (32)P indicated that considerable phosphate turnover occurred. The cells released large amounts of radioactivity as they were incorporating fresh phosphates. Starvation in isotonic saline for 18 hr caused the sludge to dump phosphate. When introduced into fresh sewage containing (32)P, the starved sludge removed about 60% of the radioactivity in 6 hr with little phosphate turnover. The ability of sludge to remove (32)P was inhibited approximately 83% by 10(-3)m 2,4-dinitrophenol. This inhibition was at the expense of the cell fraction that contained ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid. The sludge cells released orthophosphate when exposed to the chemical agent. Experiments using (45)Ca indicated that calcium phosphate precipitation plays a minor role in phosphate removal under our experimental conditions.     

活性污泥产酸发酵研究进展

有机物的厌氧生物处理一般经过三个阶段:水解阶段、产酸发酵阶段和产甲烷阶段;研究证明,产酸相不同发酵类型的形成对产甲烷相乃至整个工艺的稳定运行具有至关重要的作用,此外,污泥厌氧消化过程所产生的大量的挥发性脂肪酸(VFAs),如乙酸、丙酸、丁酸及戊酸等,还可作为化工原料用于发酵工业生产各种高附加值产品.近年来,产酸发酵受到越来越多的关注,该文主要对污泥产酸阶段的产酸发酵类型、产酸发酵细菌的生态学、产酸过程的影响因素和生态因子以及产酸发酵的液相末端产物VFAs的测定方法进行了论述.     

活性污泥驯化的微生物生态学原理

活性污泥是一种复杂的、具有生物多样性的微生态系统.生物多样性是活性污泥驯化的基础,驯化条件对微生物进行选择--适者生存增长,不适者被抑制或淘汰.此外,活性污泥微生物还能够通过表型适应和进化性适应主动地去适应驯化条件.活性污泥驯化的过程是微生物生态位在生态系统中重新分配和调整的过程,符合生态学"选择与适应"的原理.依据这种原理,原污泥、废水水质和处理工艺是影响活性污泥驯化的主要因素.     

活性污泥驯化的微生物生态学原理

活性污泥是一种复杂的、具有生物多样性的微生态系统。生物多样性是活性污泥驯化的基础, 驯化条件对微生物进行选择—— 适者生存增长, 不适者被抑制或淘汰。此外, 活性污泥微生物还能够通过表型适应和进化性适应主动地去适应驯化条件。活性污泥驯化的过程是微生物生态位在生态系统中重新分配和调整的过程, 符合生态学“选择与适应”的原理。依据这种原理, 原污泥、废水水质和处理工艺是影响活性污泥驯化的主要因素。     

Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations of Sewage and Activated Sludge: II. Method of Characterization of Activated Sludge Bacteria

The replica-plating technique and Lochhead's nutritional method were combined in exploratory experiments to test their feasibility as useful means for characterizing the aerobic heterotrophic flora of activated sludge and to minimize the burdensome process of isolation, purification, and testing of isolates. In the test run, the method was about 86% reliable at the 0.05 level of significance. About 40% of the total number of bacteria able to grow on an aqueous extract of activated sludge did not grow on media containing glucose, amino acids, growth factors, and inorganic salts. The requirement for activated sludge extract suggested the existence of a requirement for unidentified nutrients contained in the activated sludge extract.     

Effects of Ionic Strength on Bacterial Adhesion and Stability of Flocs in a Wastewater Activated Sludge System

The success of biological wastewater treatment is to a large extent governed by the ability of bacteria to induce floc formation, thereby facilitating the separation of particles from the treated water. We performed studies on the dynamics of floc stability, the desorption of cells from the flocs, and the reflocculation of detached material. The floc stability was affected by the ionic strength of the medium in a way that strongly suggests that the interactions between the floc components can be explained by the theory of Derjaugin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO theory). At increasing concentrations of electrolytes, the stability of the flocs increased. However, above an ionic strength of about 0.1 the floc stability decreased, and it seems that at this high electrolyte concentration the DLVO theory cannot be applied. The reversibility of the electrostatic double-layer effects was experimentally shown by treating the sludge repeatedly with a low-ionic-strength solution until parts of the flocs detached. When salt was added at this point, flocs re-form, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the turbidity of the supernatant liquid. Both reflocculation and detachment of floc material were seen with calcium as well as with potassium. This finding clearly indicates that the reflocculation and destabilization of flocs were due to changes in double-layer thickness rather than bridging effects of multivalent ions such as calcium. The results indicate that the ionic strength may well be an important factor for the floc stability in wastewater in situ.     

Quantification of Hyphomicrobium Populations in Activated Sludge from an Industrial Wastewater Treatment System as Determined by 16S rRNA Analysis

The bacterial community structure of the activated sludge from a 25 million-gal-per-day industrial wastewater treatment plant was investigated using rRNA analysis. 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) libraries were created from three sludge samples taken on different dates. Partial rRNA gene sequences were obtained for 46 rDNA clones, and nearly complete 16S rRNA sequences were obtained for 18 clones. Seventeen of these clones were members of the beta subdivision, and their sequences showed high homology to sequences of known bacterial species as well as published 16S rDNA sequences from other activated sludge sources. Sixteen clones belonged to the alpha subdivision, 7 of which showed similarity to Hyphomicrobium species. This cluster was chosen for further studies due to earlier work on Hyphomicrobium sp. strain M3 isolated from this treatment plant. A nearly full-length 16S rDNA sequence was obtained from Hyphomicrobium sp. strain M3. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Hyphomicrobium sp. strain M3 was 99% similar to Hyphomicrobium denitrificans DSM 1869^T in Hyphomicrobium cluster II. Three of the cloned sequences from the activated sludge samples also grouped with those of Hyphomicrobium cluster II, with a 96% sequence similarity to that of Hyphomicrobium sp. strain M3. The other four cloned sequences from the activated sludge sample were more closely related to those of the Hyphomicrobium cluster I organisms (95 to 97% similarity). Whole-cell fluorescence hybridization of microorganisms in the activated sludge with genus-specific Hyphomicrobium probe S-G-Hypho-1241-a-A-19 enhanced the visualization of Hyphomicrobium and revealed that Hyphomicrobium appears to be abundant both on the outside of flocs and within the floc structure. Dot blot hybridization of activated sludge samples from 1995 with probes designed for Hyphomicrobium cluster I and Hyphomicrobium cluster II indicated that Hyphomicrobium cluster II-positive 16S rRNA dominated over Hyphomicrobium cluster I-positive 16S rRNA by 3- to 12-fold. Hyphomicrobium 16S rRNA comprised approximately 5% of the 16S rRNA in the activated sludge.