Succession of bacterial community structure and metabolic function during solid waste decomposition

Bacterial community structure and metabolic function during solid waste decomposition were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states, respectively. Results showed that bacterial community diversity and structure differed in aerobic phase, anaerobic acid phase, and methanogenic phase. Anaerobic acid phase had significantly (p < 0.05) higher richness. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant representatives with significant (p < 0.05) difference between three phases. Total nitrogen of solid waste and pH of leachate were the important factors in shaping bacterial community composition. Bacterial metabolism, information storage and processing, and cellular processes and signaling were the primary functions during solid waste decomposition. Key function genes (amo, nar, nis, and nos) profiles suggested that nitrification and denitrifiation mainly occurred in AP and both AP and MP, respectively.