Genomic analysis of on-site soil treatment units receiving partially and fully treated domestic wastewater effluent in a temperate region

Metagenomic analysis of two on-site wastewater soil treatment units sampled spatially for a community profile across the Biomat (infiltrative surface biofilm). The focus of this study is to determine if the addition of effluent of varying levels of treatment results in structural changes to the community present within subsoils of the soil treatment unit. The MIDAS database will be applied to reference sequences that indicate functional organisms which relate to the treatment of wastewater. Understanding microbial ecology in the STUs is crucial as over 30% of Irish households employ on-site wastewater systems, this research may also have implications for other microbial engineering fields such aquifer recharge and wastewater irrigation.