Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 16873-16881 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Environmental Science and Pollution Research |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| Early online date | 4 Jul 2016 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2016 |
Abstract
In recent years, the occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has often been reported. However, until now there is limited knowledge about the factors that promote Legionella’s growth in such systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical wastewater parameters that might be correlated to the concentration of Legionella spp. in WWTP receiving industrial effluents. For this purpose, samples were collected at different processes in three WWTP. In 100 % of the samples taken from the activated sludge tanks Legionella spp. were detected at varying concentrations (4.8 to 5.6 log GU/mL) by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method, but not by the culture method. Statistical analysis with various parameters yielded positive correlations of Legionella spp. concentration with particulate chemical oxygen demand, Kjeldahl nitrogen and protein concentration. Amino acids were quantified in wastewater and activated sludge samples at concentrations that may not support the growth of Legionella, suggesting that in activated sludge tanks this bacterium multiplied in protozoan hosts.
Keywords
- Activated sludge tanks, Amino acids, Industrial effluents, Legionella spp, Proteins, Wastewater treatment plants
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Science(all)
- Pollution
- Environmental Science(all)
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
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In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 23, No. 16, 08.2016, p. 16873-16881.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants linked to wastewater characteristics
AU - Caicedo, C.
AU - Beutel, S.
AU - Scheper, T.
AU - Rosenwinkel, K. H.
AU - Nogueira, R.
N1 - Funding Information: We thank Mrs. Karen Kock from the Institute for Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management from Leibniz University Hannover, for valuable technical assistance in implementing and performing the qPCR analysis. We also thank Mrs. Martina Weiss from Institute of Technical Chemestry from Leibniz University Hannover, for her support on amino acids quantification. The financial support from the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Conservation and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (P 03/13-71 Ar) and the Ruhrverband (Essen) is acknowledged.
PY - 2016/8
Y1 - 2016/8
N2 - In recent years, the occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has often been reported. However, until now there is limited knowledge about the factors that promote Legionella’s growth in such systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical wastewater parameters that might be correlated to the concentration of Legionella spp. in WWTP receiving industrial effluents. For this purpose, samples were collected at different processes in three WWTP. In 100 % of the samples taken from the activated sludge tanks Legionella spp. were detected at varying concentrations (4.8 to 5.6 log GU/mL) by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method, but not by the culture method. Statistical analysis with various parameters yielded positive correlations of Legionella spp. concentration with particulate chemical oxygen demand, Kjeldahl nitrogen and protein concentration. Amino acids were quantified in wastewater and activated sludge samples at concentrations that may not support the growth of Legionella, suggesting that in activated sludge tanks this bacterium multiplied in protozoan hosts.
AB - In recent years, the occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has often been reported. However, until now there is limited knowledge about the factors that promote Legionella’s growth in such systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical wastewater parameters that might be correlated to the concentration of Legionella spp. in WWTP receiving industrial effluents. For this purpose, samples were collected at different processes in three WWTP. In 100 % of the samples taken from the activated sludge tanks Legionella spp. were detected at varying concentrations (4.8 to 5.6 log GU/mL) by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method, but not by the culture method. Statistical analysis with various parameters yielded positive correlations of Legionella spp. concentration with particulate chemical oxygen demand, Kjeldahl nitrogen and protein concentration. Amino acids were quantified in wastewater and activated sludge samples at concentrations that may not support the growth of Legionella, suggesting that in activated sludge tanks this bacterium multiplied in protozoan hosts.
KW - Activated sludge tanks
KW - Amino acids
KW - Industrial effluents
KW - Legionella spp
KW - Proteins
KW - Wastewater treatment plants
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84976870754&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11356-016-7090-6
DO - 10.1007/s11356-016-7090-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 27376367
AN - SCOPUS:84976870754
VL - 23
SP - 16873
EP - 16881
JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
SN - 0944-1344
IS - 16
ER -