Evaluation of microbial community shift on the spatial distribution in an innovative anoxic/aerobic device response to performance

Investigating microbial communities will facilitate the evaluation of the applicability of wastewater treating devices. A novel five-section anoxic/aerobic device was proposed and proved its feasibility as the biological unit in bio-ecosystems. Taxonomic diversity and microbial community shift across the sections of this device was investigated in this study. The special structure of this device enabled a gradual change in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration across different sections. Distinct microbial communities were formed in the different sections. Samples from eight different positions of this device were collected to investigate the microbial community shift via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial diversity was abundant in all the sections of this device. The phyla Proteobacteria (54.86%), Chloroflexi (8.94%), Acidobacteria (7.72%), Bacteroidetes (5.97%), and Firmicutes (4.31%) were dominant in the anoxic block, whereas the phyla Proteobacteria (45.89%-71.99%), Bacteroidetes (11.88%-21.45%), Nitrospirae (0.57%-23.5%) were dominant in the aerobic block. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (genuas Nitrosomonas, 0.63%-8.32%) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (genus Nitrospira, 0.57%-14.33%) were abundant in the aerobic block. The shift in microbial communities corresponded with the trend in contaminant removal and DO conditions. The findings of this study revealed that this multi-section device has a diverse microbial community that efficiently removes pollutants. The multi-stage structure of aerobic block is suitable for the nitrification of ammonia in small-scale devices. This device has commercial applications in rural areas where low-strength wastewater needs to be treated.

Automated summary

Investigating microbial communities is beneficial for evaluating the effectiveness of wastewater treatment devices. A novel five-section anoxic/aerobic device was proposed and proved feasible in bio-ecosystems, with distinct microbial communities formed in different sections. The device's diverse microbial community efficiently removes pollutants, making it suitable for rural areas with low-strength wastewater.