Article
Dynamic Growth Rates of Microbial Populations in Activated Sludge Systems
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Abstract
Results of mathematical modeling and whole cell 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridizations challenge the widely held perception that microbial populations in "steady-state" activated sludge systems share a common net growth rate that is proportional to the inverse of the mean cell residence time. Our results are significant because they encourage bioprocess engineers to appreciate the differences in growth physiology among individual microbial populations in complex mixed microbial communities such as suspended growth activated sludge bioreactor systems.
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
- Biological sewage treatment,
- Biomass,
- Bioreactors,
- Cells,
- Ecology,
- Fluorescence,
- Growth kinetics,
- Mathematical models,
- Microbiology,
- RNA,
- Activated sludge systems,
- Dynamic growth rates,
- Growth physiology,
- Microbial populations,
- Activated sludge process,
- activated sludge,
- biological treatment,
- mathematical modeling,
- microbial pollutant,
- Microbes
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2005 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
12-1-2005
Publication Date
01 Dec 2005
Disciplines
Citation Information
Peter George Stroot, Pascal E. Saikaly and Daniel B. Oerther. "Dynamic Growth Rates of Microbial Populations in Activated Sludge Systems" Journal of Environmental Engineering Vol. 131 Iss. 12 (2005) p. 1698 - 1705 ISSN: 0733-9372 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/daniel_oerther/46/