
Water Science and Technology Vol 37 No 4-5 pp 469473 © IWA Publishing 1998
Bioaugmentation of sequencing batch reactors for biological phosphorus removal: comparative rRNA sequence analysis and hybridization with oligonucleotide probes
Daniel B. Oerther*, James Danalewich*, Ebru Dulekgurgen*, Eric Leveque*, David L. Freedman** and Lutgarde Raskin*
*Environmental Engineering and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3221 Newmark, 205 N. Mathews Urbana, IL 61801 USA
**Environmental Systems Engineering, Clemson University Clemson, SC 29634 USA
ABSTRACT
Four laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated to evaluate whether bioaugmentation with Acinetobacter spp. can be used to improve start-up and performance of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems. Two of the SBRs were bioaugmented during start-up by adding pure cultures of Acinetobacter spp., the third reactor received an amendment of activated sludge from a laboratory-scale EBPR system, and the fourth reactor, receiving no amendment, served as a control. Various chemical parameters were measured to monitor the performance of the four SBRS. Oligonucleotide probes of nested phylogenetic specificity were designed to quantify the contribution of Acinetobacter to EBPR. The probes were characterized for use in quantitative membrane hybridizations and fluorescent in situ hybridizations. Data from hybridizations with samples collected from the SBRs show declining levels of Acinetobacter spp. over the experiment. All four reactors achieved significant phosphorus removal and 90% nitrification after three days of operation. The results do not show a positive correlation between levels of Acinetobacter and successful EBPR.
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