Biolog for the determination of microbial diversity in activated sludge systems

Abstract

In this study, different carbon source profiles were generated by inoculating Biolog GN microwell plates, with different dilutions of microbial communities from a number of activated sludge systems. This led to the successful generation of patterns reflecting diversity and evenness in the different systems. The high number of substrates utilized at the lower dilutions (1/10 and 1/100) indicated a high microbial diversity in the community, but not necessarily evenness of each species. Evenness of each species was reflected upon further dilution. Our results indicated differences in the microbial community composition amongst some of the activated sludge systems studied. These differences were not specifically related to phosphate removing and non phosphate removing systems.