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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1970 April; 19(4): 663-670
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations of Sewage and Activated Sludge

IV. Adaptation of Activated Sludge to Utilization of Aromatic Compounds ¹

Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903

ABSTRACT

An activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant and a laboratory activated sludge developed on an artificial waste were compared for their ability to utilize 11 aromatic compounds. There were several significant differences between them. The laboratory sludge contained higher numbers of organisms and metabolized the aromatics to a greater extent. Laboratory activated sludges acclimated to utilization of the aromatics differed from each other in population structure and the pattern of oxygen consumption with aromatic substrates. The oxidative patterns of uncontrolled mixed populations were unreliable for investigating metabolic pathways. Extracts of the various sludges elevated the plate counts of the sludges.

² Present address: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.

¹ Paper of Journal series, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J.