Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community
The growth of microbial mats or “biomats” has been identified as an essential component in the attenuation of pollutants within the soil treatment unit (STU) of conventional on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). This study aimed to characterize the microbial community which colonizes these n...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.915856/full |
| _version_ | 1811239432764784640 |
|---|---|
| author | Alejandro Javier Criado Monleon Jan Knappe Jan Knappe Celia Somlai Carolina Ospina Betancourth Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali Thomas P. Curtis Laurence William Gill |
| author_facet | Alejandro Javier Criado Monleon Jan Knappe Jan Knappe Celia Somlai Carolina Ospina Betancourth Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali Thomas P. Curtis Laurence William Gill |
| author_sort | Alejandro Javier Criado Monleon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growth of microbial mats or “biomats” has been identified as an essential component in the attenuation of pollutants within the soil treatment unit (STU) of conventional on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). This study aimed to characterize the microbial community which colonizes these niches and to determine the influence of the pre-treatment of raw-domestic wastewater on these communities. This was achieved through a detailed sampling campaign of two OWTSs. At each site, the STU areas were split whereby half received effluent directly from septic tanks, and half received more highly treated effluents from packaged aerobic treatment systems [a coconut husk media filter on one site, and a rotating biodisc contactor (RBC) on the other site]. Effluents from the RBC had a higher level of pre-treatment [~90% Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal], compared to the media filter (~60% TOC removal). A total of 92 samples were obtained from both STU locations and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The fully treated effluent from the RBC resulted in greater microbial community richness and diversity within the STUs compared to the STUs receiving partially treated effluents. The microbial community structure found within the STU receiving fully treated effluents was significantly different from its septic tank, primary effluent counterpart. Moreover, the distance along each STU appears to have a greater impact on the community structure than the depth in each STU. Our findings highlight the spatial variability of diversity, Phylum- and Genus-level taxa, and functional groups within the STUs, which supports the assumption that specialized biomes develop around the application of effluents under different degrees of treatment and distance from the source. This research indicates that the application of pre-treated effluents infers significant changes in the microbial community structure, which in turn has important implications for the functionality of the STU, and consequently the potential risks to public health and the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:00:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff65435862be45f9b3d6c8196a1d3afc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:00:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff65435862be45f9b3d6c8196a1d3afc2022-12-22T03:32:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-06-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.915856915856Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat CommunityAlejandro Javier Criado Monleon0Jan Knappe1Jan Knappe2Celia Somlai3Carolina Ospina Betancourth4Muhammad Ali5Muhammad Ali6Thomas P. Curtis7Laurence William Gill8Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin College Green, Dublin, IrelandDepartment of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin College Green, Dublin, IrelandMathematics Applications Consortium for Science and Industry (MASCI), Limerick University, Limerick, IrelandDepartment of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin College Green, Dublin, IrelandDepartment of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomDepartment of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin College Green, Dublin, IrelandBiological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomDepartment of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin College Green, Dublin, IrelandThe growth of microbial mats or “biomats” has been identified as an essential component in the attenuation of pollutants within the soil treatment unit (STU) of conventional on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs). This study aimed to characterize the microbial community which colonizes these niches and to determine the influence of the pre-treatment of raw-domestic wastewater on these communities. This was achieved through a detailed sampling campaign of two OWTSs. At each site, the STU areas were split whereby half received effluent directly from septic tanks, and half received more highly treated effluents from packaged aerobic treatment systems [a coconut husk media filter on one site, and a rotating biodisc contactor (RBC) on the other site]. Effluents from the RBC had a higher level of pre-treatment [~90% Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal], compared to the media filter (~60% TOC removal). A total of 92 samples were obtained from both STU locations and characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The fully treated effluent from the RBC resulted in greater microbial community richness and diversity within the STUs compared to the STUs receiving partially treated effluents. The microbial community structure found within the STU receiving fully treated effluents was significantly different from its septic tank, primary effluent counterpart. Moreover, the distance along each STU appears to have a greater impact on the community structure than the depth in each STU. Our findings highlight the spatial variability of diversity, Phylum- and Genus-level taxa, and functional groups within the STUs, which supports the assumption that specialized biomes develop around the application of effluents under different degrees of treatment and distance from the source. This research indicates that the application of pre-treated effluents infers significant changes in the microbial community structure, which in turn has important implications for the functionality of the STU, and consequently the potential risks to public health and the environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.915856/fullbiocloggingon-site wastewater treatmentsoil treatment unitmicrobial diversitymicrobial community structuremicrobial community composition |
| spellingShingle | Alejandro Javier Criado Monleon Jan Knappe Jan Knappe Celia Somlai Carolina Ospina Betancourth Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali Thomas P. Curtis Laurence William Gill Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community Frontiers in Microbiology bioclogging on-site wastewater treatment soil treatment unit microbial diversity microbial community structure microbial community composition |
| title | Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community |
| title_full | Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community |
| title_short | Spatial Variation of the Microbial Community Structure of On-Site Soil Treatment Units in a Temperate Climate, and the Role of Pre-treatment of Domestic Effluent in the Development of the Biomat Community |
| title_sort | spatial variation of the microbial community structure of on site soil treatment units in a temperate climate and the role of pre treatment of domestic effluent in the development of the biomat community |
| topic | bioclogging on-site wastewater treatment soil treatment unit microbial diversity microbial community structure microbial community composition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.915856/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alejandrojaviercriadomonleon spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT janknappe spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT janknappe spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT celiasomlai spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT carolinaospinabetancourth spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT muhammadali spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT muhammadali spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT thomaspcurtis spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity AT laurencewilliamgill spatialvariationofthemicrobialcommunitystructureofonsitesoiltreatmentunitsinatemperateclimateandtheroleofpretreatmentofdomesticeffluentinthedevelopmentofthebiomatcommunity |