Microbial composition analysis for 10 full-scale slow sand filters

Slow sand filters (SSF) are used as a final barrier for pathogen removal in some drinking water production. In this study, we investigated the microbial communities of the 'Schmutzdecke', a biofilm-like layer at the top of SSF. DNA- and RNA-displayed communities in the Schmutzdecke from 10 full-scale SSFs were investigated and compared. Amplicon sequencing was performed based on V4–V5 region of the 16S gene via Illumina MiSeq.