Summary
During a period of 2 years the active biomass in thermophilic aerobic sewage sludge, sampled from a continuous 8 m3 — pilot plant operated under varying cultural conditions, was analyzed for viable cell counts. Mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms were detected in every case. The viable counts varied up to five orders of magnitude at the respective sludge temperatures between 50 and 67°C. The percentage of bacteria able to grow on either starch or casein (or both) as sole carbon source was occasionally found to be as high as 100% when determined exactely at the sludge temperature. High stability of the mixed thermophilic population was observed even in the case of abrupt changes of cultural conditions such as mean hydraulic retention time, aeration rate, or temperature. Never were less than 105 viable thermophilic organisms g−1 sludge detected.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aiba S, Humphrey AE, Millis NF (1973) Biochemical engineering, 2nd ed. Academic Press, pp 239–244
Breer C, Hess E, Keller U (1979) Soll Klärschlamm vor oder nach dem Ausfaulen pasteurisiert werden? Gas Wasser Abwasser 59:323–328
Cooney CL, Wise DL (1975) Thermophilic anaerobic digestion of solid waste for fuel gas production. Biotechnol Bioeng 17:1119–1135
Hess E, Breer C (1975) Salmonellenepidemiologie und Grünland-düngung mit Klärschlamm. Zentralbl Bakteriol [Orig B] 161:54–60
Hess E, Lott G, Breer C (1974) Klärschlamm und Freilandbiologie von Salmonellen. Zentralbl Bakteriol [Orig B] 158:446–455
Jewell WJ, Kabrick RM, Spada JA (1982) Autoheated, aerobic thermophilic digestion with air aeration. In: US environmental protection agency report: EPA-600/S2-82-023 project sum mary
Keller U (1980) Klärschlammpasteurisierung in der Abwasserreinigungsanlage Altenrhein. Wasser Energie Luft 72:51–61
Kuhn HJ, Friederich U, Fiechter A (1979) Defined minimal medium for a thermophilic Bacillus sp. developed by a chemostat pulse and shift technique. Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 6:341–349
Kushner DJ (1978) Life in high salt and solute concentrations: halophilic bacteria. In: Kushner DJ (ed) Microbial life in extreme environments. Academic Press, pp 318–368
Loll U (1974) Neue Aspekte zur getrennten aeroben Schlammstabilisierung. Korrespondenz Abwasser 21:135–140
Loll U (1976) Purification of concentrated organic waste waters from the foodstuffs industry by means of aerobic-thermophilic degradation process. Prog Wat Tech 8:373–379
Loll U (1977) Maschinelle Entwässerung von aerob-thermophil stabilisiertem Klärschlamm. Kommunalwirtschaft 9:1–4
Loll U (1981) Betriebswerte und Wirtschaftlichkeit der aerob-thermophilen Stabilisation. BMFT-Statusseminar, Juelich, VII 1981, S 247–278
Loll U, Ottow JCG (1974) Das Verhalten aerob-thermophiler Mikroorganismen bei der Flüssigkompostierung. ‘gwf’-wasser/abwasser 115:511–514
Redl B, Tiefenbrunner F (1981) Microcalorimetric measurements of microbial metabolic activity in sewage digesting systems. Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 12:234–238
Strauch D, Boehm R (1979) Hygienische Probleme der Abwasseraufbereitung und ein neuer Weg zu ihrer Lösung. Forum Microbiol 2:121–126
Sykes G (1969) Methods and equipment for sterilization of laboratory apparatus and media. Methods Microbiol 1:77–121
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sonnleitner, B., Fiechter, A. Bacterial diversity in thermophilic aerobic sewage sludge. European J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 18, 47–51 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508128
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508128