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Title
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Industrial activated sludge plants : from full-scale microbial profiling to fundamental filament research
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Author
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Abstract
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| My research focuses on the field of biological wastewater treatment. The effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is heavily influenced by the microbial communities that drive these processes. Therefore, understanding the roles these microorganisms play is crucial. Despite significant progress in this field, industrial WWTPs continue to experience operational challenges, often due to gaps in our knowledge of the microbial communities. One key issue is poor liquid-solid separation, commonly known as bulking sludge, which can disrupt plant performance. The aim of this thesis was to gain deeper insights into the microbial communities in industrial WWTPs by combining both fundamental and applied research approaches. I examined the bacterial communities in 29 industrial WWTPs in Flanders, Belgium, identifying key functional groups, with a particular focus on bacteria involved in sludge structure and settling properties. Special attention was given to two dominant filamentous bacteria in activated sludge, Thiothrix and Leptothrix. To study Thiothrix, I conducted applied research using laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR) under controlled conditions, to explore their impact on sludge structure and sulfur cycling. In the case of Leptothrix, my research was more fundamental, investigating the diversity, abundance, and metabolic potential of the most common Leptothrix species in activated sludge systems globally. |
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Language
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English
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Publication
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Antwerp
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University of Antwerp, Faculty of Applied Engineering
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2024
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DOI
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10.63028/10067/2079860151162165141
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Volume/pages
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x, 221 p.
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Note
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Dries, Jan [Supervisor]
:
Dobbeleers, Thomas [Supervisor]
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Full text (open access)
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