Dataset Information

Sulfur bacteria in wastewater stabilization ponds periodically affected by the 'red-water' phenomenon.

ABSTRACT: Several wastewater stabilization ponds (WSP) in Tunisia suffer periodically from the 'red-water' phenomenon due to blooming of purple sulfur bacteria, indicating that sulfur cycle is one of the main element cycles in these ponds. In this study, we investigated the microbial diversity of the El Menzeh WSP and focused in particular on the different functional groups of sulfur bacteria. For this purpose, we used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene and of different functional genes involved in microbial sulfur metabolism (dsrB, aprA, and pufM). Analyses of the 16S rRNA revealed a relatively high microbial diversity where Proteobacteria, Chlorobi, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria constitute the major bacterial groups. The dsrB and aprA gene analysis revealed the presence of deltaproteobacterial sulfate-reducing bacteria (i.e., Desulfobacter and Desulfobulbus), while the analysis of 16S rRNA, aprA, and pufM genes assigned the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria community to the photosynthetic representatives belonging to the Chlorobi (green sulfur bacteria) and the Proteobacteria (purple sulfur and non sulfur bacteria) phyla. These results point on the diversity of the metabolic processes within this wastewater plant and/or the availability of sulfate and diverse electron donors.

SUBMITTER: Belila A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3536956 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sulfur bacteria in wastewater stabilization ponds periodically affected by the 'red-water' phenomenon.

Belila Abdelaziz A Abbas Ben B Fazaa Imed I Saidi Neila N Snoussi Mejdi M Hassen Abdennaceur A Muyzer Gerard G

Applied microbiology and biotechnology 20120223 1

Several wastewater stabilization ponds (WSP) in Tunisia suffer periodically from the 'red-water' phenomenon due to blooming of purple sulfur bacteria, indicating that sulfur cycle is one of the main element cycles in these ponds. In this study, we investigated the microbial diversity of the El Menzeh WSP and focused in particular on the different functional groups of sulfur bacteria. For this purpose, we used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene ...[more]

PMID: 22354366

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Project description:Wastewater management in the Canadian Arctic is challenging due to climate extremes, small population sizes, and lack of conventional infrastructure for wastewater treatment. Although many northern communities use waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) as their primary form of wastewater treatment, few studies have explored WSP microbial communities and assessed effluent impacts on receiving waters from a microbiological perspective. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenome sequencing to characterize WSP and receiving water microbial communities for two time points bracketing the spring WSP thaw in Baker Lake (Nunavut) and compared these results to other Nunavut WSPs in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. Most amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) recovered from these WSP samples belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, with considerable variation between the three locations and only six ASVs shared among the WSPs at >0.2% relative abundance. Wastewater indicator ASVs for the Baker Lake WSP were identified, and few indicator ASVs were detected in samples originating from other upstream or downstream sites. The metagenomic data revealed a strong enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes for WSP samples relative to downstream and reference samples, especially for genes associated with macrolide resistance. Together, our results provide a baseline characterization for WSP microbial communities, demonstrate how indicator ASVs can be used to monitor attenuation and dilution of effluent microorganisms, and reveal that WSPs can serve as hot spots for antibiotic resistance genes.IMPORTANCE Given that the microbial communities of Arctic waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) are poorly studied to date, our characterization of multiple WSP systems and time points provides important baseline data that will assist with ongoing monitoring of effluent impacts on downstream aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. This research also identifies indicator amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of WSPs that will be helpful for future monitoring for WSP effluent attenuation and demonstrates that WSP microbial communities are enriched in antibiotic resistance genes. Given operational and infrastructure changes anticipated for wastewater treatment systems in the Arctic, baseline data such as these are essential for further development of safe and effective wastewater treatment systems.

Dataset Information

Sulfur bacteria in wastewater stabilization ponds periodically affected by the 'red-water' phenomenon.

Publications

Sulfur bacteria in wastewater stabilization ponds periodically affected by the 'red-water' phenomenon.

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