Analysis of microbial diversity in tomato paste wastewater through PCR-DGGE

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the flora and the changes in the microbial communities during tomato paste wastewater treatment. The bio-analytical techniques like Polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) analysis, and testing of mixed liquid and suspended solids (MLSS) were simultaneously conducted to analyze the dynamics of the microbial communities during tomato paste wastewater treatment process. The study suggests that the combined approaches of PCR-DGGE, ATP, and MLSS provided a simple and accurate method to evaluate the changes in microbial activity, microbial structure, and population size with the shift in contaminants in different treatment processes. The study also demonstrates that the structure and quantity of a microbial community are influenced by MLSS during the wastewater treatment process, which consequently determines the overall functionality of the system.