Protozoários de vida livre (Ciliofora, Excavate e Amoebozoa) em duas fontes de água utilizadas para o abastecimento humano no município de Blumenau, SC

The knowledge of the diversity of free-living protozoa in aquatic ecosystems represents an important tool in environmental quality management. It has been widely used in studies evaluating the water quality of fresh-water sources with environmental variables. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the diversity of free-living protozoa in two water sources used as a public supply for human consumption in the municipality of Blumenau, SC, for 12 months. Water samples were collected monthly for analysis of environmental variables and for identification of organisms. In total, 39 taxa were recorded in P1 and P2, both in the readings performed on the day of collection and in the cultivation. In P1, 11 taxa were identified in the readings of the day of collection, and after reading the cultivation, 20 new taxa were recorded.  P2 presented 12 taxa in the readings performed on the day of collection and 10 new taxa in the cultivations' readings. Ciliates were the most expressive group in the period, with 69.5% frequency in P1 and 66.1% in P2. The results of the environmental variables in conjunction with the survey of the free-living protozoa of P1 and P2 did not show marked differences between the points. Still, they contributed to the knowledge of the diversity of protozoa in aquatic environments.O conhecimento da diversidade de protozoários de vida livre em ecossistemas aquáticos representa uma importante ferramenta na gestão da qualidade ambiental. Tem sido amplamente utilizado em estudos de avaliação da qualidade da água de mananciais de água doce com variáveis ambientais. Portanto, este estudo teve como objetivo verificar a diversidade de protozoários de vida livre em dois mananciais utilizados como abastecimento público para consumo humano no município de Blumenau, SC, durante 12 meses. Amostras de água foram coletadas mensalmente para análise de variáveis ambientais e identificação de organismos. No total, 39 táxons foram registrados em P1 e P2, tanto nas leituras realizadas no dia da coleta quanto no cultivo. Em P1, 11 táxons foram identificados nas leituras do dia da coleta, e após a leitura do cultivo, 20 novos táxons foram registrados. P2 apresentou 12 táxons nas leituras realizadas no dia da coleta e 10 novos táxons nas leituras dos cultivos. Os ciliados foram o grupo mais expressivo no período, com frequência de 69,5% em P1 e 66,1% em P2. Os resultados das variáveis ambientais em conjunto com o levantamento dos protozoários de vida livre de P1 e P2 não mostraram diferenças marcantes entre os pontos. Ainda assim, contribuem para o conhecimento da diversidade de protozoários em ambientes aquático

Ciliate Communities Respond via Their Traits to a Wastewater Treatment Plant With a Combined UASB-Activated Sludge System

Assessing functional diversity of communities is an efficient method to link community composition to ecosystem quality. Still, studies using functional traits of microeukaryote ciliate communities in biological wastewater treatment plants are lacking. The present work explores the functional diversity of the ciliate protist community in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operating with a combined UASB-activated sludge system, and specifically to: 1) investigate the taxonomic and functional composition of the ciliate communities over time; 2) compare taxonomic and functional diversity indices with regard to its applicability in WWPS; 3) assess the relationship between the ciliate community's functional composition and the WWTPs temporal conditions; and 4) investigate the potential use of functional diversity as an indicator of WWTP efficiency. Totally, we recorded 21 ciliate species throughout 37 samplings. The number of species was low compared to other plants. Bacterivorous and flake-forming species were the main functional strategies found in the samples. The correlation between taxonomic and functional richness was significant, indicating a functionally redundant community. There was a correlation between the Simpson and Rao's quadratic entropy indexes suggesting that loss of taxonomic diversity leads to a loss of functional diversity. The homogeneity of the measured physical and chemical data led to functional homogenization and redundancy (homogenous CWM) of the ciliate community. The functional diversity is positively correlated with parameters of removal efficiency, indicating a promising application in WWTPs. Future studies will broaden knowledge on functional diversity in biological wastewater treatment systems, this being a first step with the unprecedented application of this methodology in artificial ecosystems.Peer reviewe

Morfologia de ciliados haptoriais (Protista: Litostomatea) encontrados em uma estação de tratamento de esgoto da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Os ciliados haptoriais compõem também a microfauna do lodo ativado atuando como predadores de outros ciliados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um estudo da morfologia de cinco espécies de ciliados haptoriais encontrados em amostras de esgoto bruto e lodo ativado da Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto da Penha (ETEP), do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Amphileptus punctatus apresenta corpo flexível, fusiforme, achatado lateralmente, dois nódulos macronucleares, um micronúcleo e 14 cinécias longitudinais. Didinum nasutum possui corpo ovóide, com um cone oral, duas bandas ciliares, um macronúcleo em forma de “C” e um micronúcleo. Loxophyllum australe tem corpo flexível e contrátil, achatado lateralmente, com extremidade anterior mais afilada, 15 cinécias longitudinais, quatro nódulos macronucleares esféricos e dois micronúcleos. Spathidium anguillatem corpo anforiforme, abertura oral constituída por um anel circum-oral, ciliatura somática constituída por 12 cinécias longitudinais, com aparato nuclear formado por um alongado e flexível macronúcleo e de 3 a 8 micronúcleos esféricos. Spathidium deforme apresenta corpo com formato oval a elipsóide, 24 a 28 cinécias meridionais, um macronúcleo e um micronúcleo. A. punctatus foi a espécie com maior frequência de ocorrência nas amostras obtidas em três pontos de coleta. D. nasutun e L. australe foram registradas pela primeira vez em plantas de lodo ativado. Os tanques de tratamento de esgoto de uma estação, principalmente o tanque de aeração, constituem importantes ecossistemas artificiais, constituídos por uma comunidade formada por espécies de ciliados comumente encontrados em água doce e ainda por espécies pouco conhecidas taxonômica e ecologicamente. O presente estudo permitiu o conhecimento de algumas espécies de ciliados predadores que coexistem com os importantes componentes da ciliatofauna que atuam na depuração do esgoto

Ciliated Protozoa Community Of A Combined Uasb-activated Sludge System In Southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The aims of the present study were (1) to evaluate the abundance and taxonomic composition of ciliated protozoa in the activated sludge of a full-scale combined anaerobic-aerobic system operating in a tropical country and (2) to study the relationship between the effluent quality, the physicochemical variables, and the ciliates present in the operating system. The total ciliate fauna of the activated sludge of the Picarro Wastewater Treatment Plant (Picarro WWTP) was composed of 36 morphospecies belonging to 33 genera. These included 21 species observed in the activated sludge samples on the day of collection and 15 species found in cultures. The activated sludge of the Picarro WWTP contained a diversified ciliate community composed mainly of indicator organisms. The most frequently occurring morphospecies were Aspidisca cicada, Vorticella spp., Gastronauta aloisi, Acineria uncinata, and Epistylis plicatilis complex. These results showed that satisfactory operating conditions prevailed at the Picarro WWTP. In the combined UASB-activated sludge system, the presence of Aspidisca cicada suggests the occurrence of denitrification in the process while the presence of Acineria uncinata and G. alosi indicates the removal of carbonaceous organic matter.23232380423814FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Foundation) [2010/16222]CAPES (Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education) [23038.008057/2010-13]FURB (Fundacao Universidade Regional de Blumenau) [05/2008]CNPq (National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development-Edital Universal) [14/2010]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Checklist of ciliated protozoa from surface water and sediment samples of Atibaia River, Campinas, São Paulo (Southeast Brazil).

The knowledge of the diversity of ciliated protozoa in an aquatic ecosystem is an important information that can serve as a tool in the environmental quality management. A survey of the ciliated protozoa of the Atibaia River, Campinas, São Paulo was done during 24 months. Surface water and sediment samples were collected monthly from two sampling points. Qualitative analyses of ciliates were performed in vivo and by protargol staining. A total of 66 taxa belonging to 55 genera were identified. This is the first study in Atibaia River and, as this is an impacted water body, these informations can be very useful for conservation

First Report Of Predation Of Giardia Sp Cysts By Ciliated Protozoa And Confirmation Of Predation Of Cryptosporidium Spp. Oocysts By Ciliate Species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Ciliated protozoa are important components of the microbial food web in various habitats, especially aquatic environments. These organisms are useful bioindicators for both environmental quality assessment and the wastewater purification process. The pathogenic parasitic protozoan species Giardia and Cryptosporidium represent a significant concern for human health, being responsible for numerous disease outbreaks worldwide. The predation of cysts and oocysts in 15 ciliate species from water and sewage samples collected in Campinas, So Paulo, Brazil were verified under laboratory conditions. The ciliated protozoan species were selected based on their mode of nutrition, and only bacterivorous and suspension-feeders were considered for the experiments. The species Blepharisma sinuosum, Euplotes aediculatus, Sterkiella cavicola, Oxytricha granulifera, Vorticella infusionum, Spirostomum minus, and Stentor coeruleus ingested cysts and oocysts, the resistance forms of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp., respectively. This is the first time that the ingestion of Giardia cysts by ciliated protozoa has been reported. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the biological removal of these pathogens from aquatic environments.23111135711362Sao Paulo Research Foundation [2010/16222-4, 2011/502448]National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

First report of predation of Giardia Sp Cysts by Ciliated Protozoa and confirmation of predation of cryptosporidium Spp. Oocysts by ciliate species

Ciliated protozoa are important components of the microbial food web in various habitats, especially aquatic environments. These organisms are useful bioindicators for both environmental quality assessment and the wastewater purification process. The pathogenic parasitic protozoan species Giardia and Cryptosporidium represent a significant concern for human health, being responsible for numerous disease outbreaks worldwide. The predation of cysts and oocysts in 15 ciliate species from water and sewage samples collected in Campinas, So Paulo, Brazil were verified under laboratory conditions. The ciliated protozoan species were selected based on their mode of nutrition, and only bacterivorous and suspension-feeders were considered for the experiments. The species Blepharisma sinuosum, Euplotes aediculatus, Sterkiella cavicola, Oxytricha granulifera, Vorticella infusionum, Spirostomum minus, and Stentor coeruleus ingested cysts and oocysts, the resistance forms of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp., respectively. This is the first time that the ingestion of Giardia cysts by ciliated protozoa has been reported. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the biological removal of these pathogens from aquatic environments23111135711362COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2010/16222-4; 2011/50244

Giardia spp. and cryptosporidium spp. removal efficiency of a combined fixed-film system treating domestic wastewater receiving hospital effluent

Giardia and Cryptosporidium have caused numerous outbreaks of diarrhea as a result of the ingestion of water contaminated with sewage. In Brazil, the efficiency of Giardia and Cryptosporidium removal by combined fixed-film systems has rarely been studied. The aims of the present study were therefore to verify the removal efficiency of Giardia and Cryptosporidium by a combined system (anaerobic/anoxic filter and aerated submerged biofilter) and to perform the genetic characterization of these parasites. The (oo)cysts were detected by centrifuge concentration and membrane filtration from raw sewage, effluents, adhered biomass, and sludge samples. Immunofluorescence assay and differential interference contrast microscopy were used for the visualization of the (oo)cysts. Nested PCR was applied to confirm Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in 27% and 5.5% of the 144 analyzed samples of raw sewage and effluents, respectively. A total of 33,000cysts/L were recovered in the adhered biomass samples (n=25) from different points of the aerated submerged biofilter, while 6000oocysts/L were registered in a single point. An average of 11,800cysts/L were found in the sludge samples (n=5). The combined system exhibited a removal efficiency of Giardia cysts of 1.8 +/- 1.0 log removal. The C and BIV assemblages of Giardia were identified in the raw sewage while AII was found in the treated effluent sample. It was not possible to calculate the removal efficiency of Cryptosporidium oocysts by the combined system. The combined system exhibited some potential as a suitable treatment for the removal of parasites from sewage222275622771CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível SuperiorFAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulonão tem2011/21878-