Changes in the Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria Community in Response to Operational Parameters During the Treatment of Anaerobic Sludge Digester Supernatant

The understanding of the relationship between ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities in activated sludge and the operational treatment parameters supports the control of the treatment of ammonia-rich wastewater. The modifications of treatment parameters by alteration of the number and length of aerobic and anaerobic stages in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) working cycle may influence the efficiency of ammonium oxidation and induce changes in the AOB community. Therefore, in the research, the impact of an SBR cycle mode with alternating aeration/mixing conditions (7 h/1 h vs. 4 h/5.5 h) and volumetric exchange rate (n) on AOB abundance and diversity in activated sludge during the treatment of anaerobic sludge digester supernatant at limited oxygen concentration in the aeration stage (0.7 mg $O_2/l$) was assessed. AOB diversity expressed by the Shannon-Wiener index (H') was determined by the cycle mode. At aeration/mixing stage lengths of 7 h/1 h, H' averaged $2.48{\pm}0.17$, while at 4 h/5.5 h it was $2.35{\pm}0.16$. At the given mode, AOB diversity decreased with increasing n. The cycle mode did not affect AOB abundance; however, a higher AOB abundance in activated sludge was promoted by decreasing the volumetric exchange rate. The sequences clustering with Nitrosospira sp. NpAV revealed the uniqueness of the AOB community and the simultaneously lower ability of adaptation of Nitrosospira sp. to the operational parameters applied in comparison with Nitrosomonas sp.