Characterization of bacterial diversity in two aerated lagoons of a wastewater treatment plant using PCR-DGGE analysis

Aerated lagoons are commonly used for domestic and industrial wastewater treatment due to their tow cost and minimal need of operational requirements. However, little information is known regarding microbial communities that inhabit these ecosystems. In this study, a 16S-DGGE approach was used to estimate bacterial. diversity and to monitor community changes in two aerated lagoons from a wastewater treatment plant receiving urban and industrial effluents. Pronounced shifts between bacterial communities collected in winter-spring and summer-autumn months were detected. Temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were the variables that most influenced the bacterial communities. Phylogenetic affiliation of predominant members was assessed by the determination of the 16S rDNA sequence of correspondent bands. Affiliations to Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) group, Firmicutes, and beta- and epsilon-proteobacteria were found. (C) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.