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Occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants linked to wastewater characteristics

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Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)16873-16881
Number of pages9
JournalEnvironmental Science and Pollution Research
Volume23
Issue number16
Early online date4 Jul 2016
Publication statusPublished - 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

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Occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants linked to wastewater characteristics. / Caicedo, C.; Beutel, S.; Scheper, T. et al.
In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 23, No. 16, 08.2016, p. 16873-16881.

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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{\textquoteright}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.",
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note = "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.",
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AU - Rosenwinkel, K. H.

AU - Nogueira, R.

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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.

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