1 research outputs found
Groundwater Chemistry Determines the Prokaryotic Community Structure of Waterworks Sand Filters
Rapid
sand filtration is essential at most waterworks that treat
anaerobic groundwater. Often the filtration depends on microbiological
processes, but the microbial communities of the filters are largely
unknown. We determined the prokaryotic community structures of 11
waterworks receiving groundwater from different geological settings
by 16S rRNA gene-based 454 pyrosequencing and explored their relationships
to filtration technology and raw water chemistry. Most of the variation
in microbial diversity observed between different waterworks sand
filters could be explained by the geochemistry of the inlet water.
In addition, our findings suggested four features of particular interest:
(1) Nitrospira dominated over Nitrobacter at all waterworks, suggesting that Nitrospira is a key nitrifying bacterium in groundwater-treating
sand filters. (2) Hyphomicrobiaceae species were abundant at all waterworks, where they may be involved
in manganese oxidation. (3) Six of 11 waterworks had significant concentrations
of methane in their raw water and very high abundance of the methanotrophic Methylococcaceae. (4) The iron-oxidizing bacteria Gallionella was present at all waterworks suggesting
that biological iron oxidation is occurring in addition to abiotic
iron oxidation. Elucidation of key members of the microbial community
in groundwater-treating sand filters has practical potential, for
example, when methods are needed to improve filter function