Premium
Heterotrophic Community‐Level Physiological Profiles of Domestic Wastewater Following Treatment by Small Constructed Subsurface Flow Wetlands
Author(s) -
Hench Keith R.,
Sexstone Alan J.,
Bissonnette Gary K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143004x151554
Subject(s) - subsurface flow , wetland , environmental science , heterotroph , wastewater , environmental engineering , sewage treatment , constructed wetland , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental chemistry , ecology , chemistry , groundwater , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , bacteria , paleontology
Seasonal treatment performance of small‐surface flow wetlands was evaluated during their second operational year and compared with community‐level physiological profiles (CLPP) of the heterotrophic bacterial community obtained from sole‐carbon source utilization patterns in BIOLOG GN (Haywood, California) microplates. The CLPP patterns varied significantly by season, indicating reduced functional diversity in the heterotrophic community during warmer months of active plant growth (April through October). Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that the functional community differed in planted versus unplanted wetlands during the growing season. Wetlands generally improved wastewater quality; however, treatment performance was reduced in the second year. Despite differences in the heterotrophic community suggested by CLPP, treatment efficiency with respect to removal of five‐day biochemical oxygen demand or reduction in fecal indicator organisms generally was not significantly changed as a function of growing season or plant treatment.