The effects of heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and other contaminants on activated sludge and wastewater treatment operations have been studied extensively. However, the potential for infiltration of bacterial species not native to activated sludge has not been extensively examined. This project investigated the effect of the contamination of activated sludge wastewater treatment systems by Bacillus anthracis. From a pure culture of Bacillus megaterium inoculations of two bench-scale, sequencing batch reactors with different solids retention times was studied. Microbial enumeration testing was initially done on the mixed liquor alone, but to further detail the Bacillus path through the reactor, further testing was done to examine the supernatant. The data indicated that little effect would be caused from Bacillus inoculation of activated sludge reactors as population diversity returned to normal within a period of time equal to approximately one quarter of the solids retention time.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-4614 |
| Date | 30 April 2011 |
| Creators | Hoyt, Robert Frederick |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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