Impact of a wastewater treatment plant on microbial community composition and function in a hyporheic zone of a eutrophic river

Siavash Atashgahi; Rozelin Aydin; Mauricio R. Dimitrov; Detmer Sipkema; Kelly Hamonts; Leo Lahti; Farai Maphosa; Thomas Kruse; Edoardo Saccenti; Dirk Springael; Winnie Dejonghe; Hauke Smidt

doi:10.1038/srep17284

Impact of a wastewater treatment plant on microbial community composition and function in a hyporheic zone of a eutrophic river

Siavash Atashgahi
, Rozelin Aydin
, Mauricio R. Dimitrov
, Detmer Sipkema
, Kelly Hamonts
, Leo Lahti
, Farai Maphosa
, Thomas Kruse
, Edoardo Saccenti
, Dirk Springael
, Winnie Dejonghe
, Hauke Smidt

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The impact of the installation of a technologically advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the benthic microbial community of a vinyl chloride (VC) impacted eutrophic river was examined two years before, and three and four years after installation of the WWTP. Reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased dissolved oxygen concentrations in surface water and reduced total organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the sediment were recorded in the post-WWTP samples. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments in sediment cores showed reduced relative abundance of heterotrophs and fermenters such as Chloroflexi and Firmicutes in more oxic and nutrient poor post-WWTP sediments. Similarly, quantitative PCR analysis showed 1-3 orders of magnitude reduction in phylogenetic and functional genes of sulphate reducers, denitrifiers, ammonium oxidizers, methanogens and VC-respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi. In contrast, members of Proteobacteria adapted to nutrient-poor conditions were enriched in post-WWTP samples. This transition in the trophic state of the hyporheic sediments reduced but did not abolish the VC respiration potential in the post-WWTP sediments as an important hyporheic sediment function. Our results highlight effective nutrient load reduction and parallel microbial ecological state restoration of a human-stressed urban river as a result of installation of a WWTP.

Original language	English
Article number	17284
Number of pages	13
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep17284
Publication status	Published - 2015

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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10.1038/srep17284

Cite this

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title = "Impact of a wastewater treatment plant on microbial community composition and function in a hyporheic zone of a eutrophic river",

abstract = "The impact of the installation of a technologically advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the benthic microbial community of a vinyl chloride (VC) impacted eutrophic river was examined two years before, and three and four years after installation of the WWTP. Reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased dissolved oxygen concentrations in surface water and reduced total organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the sediment were recorded in the post-WWTP samples. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments in sediment cores showed reduced relative abundance of heterotrophs and fermenters such as Chloroflexi and Firmicutes in more oxic and nutrient poor post-WWTP sediments. Similarly, quantitative PCR analysis showed 1-3 orders of magnitude reduction in phylogenetic and functional genes of sulphate reducers, denitrifiers, ammonium oxidizers, methanogens and VC-respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi. In contrast, members of Proteobacteria adapted to nutrient-poor conditions were enriched in post-WWTP samples. This transition in the trophic state of the hyporheic sediments reduced but did not abolish the VC respiration potential in the post-WWTP sediments as an important hyporheic sediment function. Our results highlight effective nutrient load reduction and parallel microbial ecological state restoration of a human-stressed urban river as a result of installation of a WWTP.",

author = "Siavash Atashgahi and Rozelin Aydin and Dimitrov, \{Mauricio R.\} and Detmer Sipkema and Kelly Hamonts and Leo Lahti and Farai Maphosa and Thomas Kruse and Edoardo Saccenti and Dirk Springael and Winnie Dejonghe and Hauke Smidt",

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T1 - Impact of a wastewater treatment plant on microbial community composition and function in a hyporheic zone of a eutrophic river

AU - Atashgahi, Siavash

AU - Aydin, Rozelin

AU - Dimitrov, Mauricio R.

AU - Sipkema, Detmer

AU - Hamonts, Kelly

AU - Lahti, Leo

AU - Maphosa, Farai

AU - Kruse, Thomas

AU - Saccenti, Edoardo

AU - Springael, Dirk

AU - Dejonghe, Winnie

AU - Smidt, Hauke

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - The impact of the installation of a technologically advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the benthic microbial community of a vinyl chloride (VC) impacted eutrophic river was examined two years before, and three and four years after installation of the WWTP. Reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased dissolved oxygen concentrations in surface water and reduced total organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the sediment were recorded in the post-WWTP samples. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments in sediment cores showed reduced relative abundance of heterotrophs and fermenters such as Chloroflexi and Firmicutes in more oxic and nutrient poor post-WWTP sediments. Similarly, quantitative PCR analysis showed 1-3 orders of magnitude reduction in phylogenetic and functional genes of sulphate reducers, denitrifiers, ammonium oxidizers, methanogens and VC-respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi. In contrast, members of Proteobacteria adapted to nutrient-poor conditions were enriched in post-WWTP samples. This transition in the trophic state of the hyporheic sediments reduced but did not abolish the VC respiration potential in the post-WWTP sediments as an important hyporheic sediment function. Our results highlight effective nutrient load reduction and parallel microbial ecological state restoration of a human-stressed urban river as a result of installation of a WWTP.

AB - The impact of the installation of a technologically advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the benthic microbial community of a vinyl chloride (VC) impacted eutrophic river was examined two years before, and three and four years after installation of the WWTP. Reduced dissolved organic carbon and increased dissolved oxygen concentrations in surface water and reduced total organic carbon and total nitrogen content in the sediment were recorded in the post-WWTP samples. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments in sediment cores showed reduced relative abundance of heterotrophs and fermenters such as Chloroflexi and Firmicutes in more oxic and nutrient poor post-WWTP sediments. Similarly, quantitative PCR analysis showed 1-3 orders of magnitude reduction in phylogenetic and functional genes of sulphate reducers, denitrifiers, ammonium oxidizers, methanogens and VC-respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi. In contrast, members of Proteobacteria adapted to nutrient-poor conditions were enriched in post-WWTP samples. This transition in the trophic state of the hyporheic sediments reduced but did not abolish the VC respiration potential in the post-WWTP sediments as an important hyporheic sediment function. Our results highlight effective nutrient load reduction and parallel microbial ecological state restoration of a human-stressed urban river as a result of installation of a WWTP.

UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:41757

U2 - 10.1038/srep17284

DO - 10.1038/srep17284

M3 - Article

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 5

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 17284

ER -

Impact of a wastewater treatment plant on microbial community composition and function in a hyporheic zone of a eutrophic river

Abstract

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