Microbial communities from different types of natural wastewater treatment systems: Vertical and horizontal flow constructed wetlands and biofilters

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 55; pp. 304 - 312
• Main Authors: Adrados, B., Sánchez, O., Arias, C.A., Becares, E., Garrido, L., Mas, J., Brix, H., Morató, J.
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.05.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Actinobacteria; ACTIVATED-SLUDGE; Advection; Aiguamolls; Aigües residuals; Applied sciences; Archaea; Archaebacteria; Bacteria; Bacteris; Biofilters; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Communities; Constructed wetlands; Construction; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; Desenvolupament humà i sostenible; DIVERSITY; Domestic; Domestic wastewater; Enginyeria ambiental; Enginyeria química; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Filters and filtration; Filtration; Filtres i filtració; Firmicutes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GRADIENT; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Microbial community; Microbial metabolism; Microorganisms; Other wastewaters; PCR-DGGE; PLANTS; Pollution; Polymerase Chain Reaction; PROTEIN; Química de l’aigua; Química del medi ambient; REMOVAL; Sewage; Tractament dels residus; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water Microbiology; Water treatment and pollution; Wetlands; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; Denmark; Europe; Biofilters; PCR-DGGE; Domestic wastewater; Constructed wetlands; Microbial community; Vertical flow; Water treatment; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Biological purification; Polymerase chain reaction; Domestic waste water; Gene amplification; Bioreactor; Artificial medium; Biofilter; Molecular biology; Waste water purification; Horizontal flow; Wetland
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2014.02.011

The prokaryotic microbial communities (Bacteria and Archaea) of three different systems operating in Denmark for the treatment of domestic wastewater (horizontal flow constructed wetlands (HFCW), vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) and biofilters (BF)) was analysed using endpoint PCR followed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Further sequencing of the most representative bacterial bands revealed that diverse and distinct bacterial communities were found in each system unit, being γ-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes present mainly in all of them, while Firmicutes was observed in HFCW and BF. Members of the Actinobacteria group, although found in HFCW and VFCW, seemed to be more abundant in BF units. Finally, some representatives of α, β and δ-Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi were also retrieved from some samples. On the other hand, a lower archaeal diversity was found in comparison with the bacterial population. Cluster analysis of the DGGE bacterial band patterns showed that community structure was related to the design of the treatment system and the organic matter load, while no clear relation was established between the microbial assemblage and the wastewater influent. [Display omitted] •Compared the community composition of different types of constructed wetland systems by PCR-DGGE.•Analyzed the bacterial diversity profiles over time.•Discarding the idea of community related to type of system.•Microbial community structure was related to the oxygen conditions (saturated or unsaturated) and organic matter load.•A lower diversity of aechae was found in comparison with the bacterial population.