Bacterial diversity of a full scale EBPR WWTP treating domestic waste

This study evaluates the efficiency of three full scale wastewater treatment plants in removing organic loads, especially the nitrogenous fractions, the different raw effluents, domestic and pharmaceutical industry, and the impacts caused by the discharge of treated effluents into the respective receiving water bodies. A great diversity of PAOs was responsible by the TP removal efficiency in the sludge samples. However, partial nitrification with simultaneous accumulation of NO2 in the treated effluent could be result of a low activity of nitrite oxidizing bacteria identified. This work presents the strategies used to mitigate the different environmental impacts in these sensitive water bodies, which despite having low average flows, are capable of self purification as long as they receive loads with low ecotoxicity.