Microbial ecology of high-rate versus conventional activated sludge: environmental and operational parameters shape microbial structure, co-occurrence and functionality Dries Seuntjens, Francis A. Meerburg, Siegfried E. Vlaeminck, Hugo Roume, Dietmar H. Pieper , Ruy Jauregui, Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, and Nico Boon

Microbial ecology of high-rate versus conventional activated sludge: WWTP Breda, NL Capacity 54,400 kg TCOD/d 362,600 I.E. Loading rate 44,567 kg TCOD/d (2014) 294,864 I.E. B-stage: N-removal A-stage: C-removal Stress novelty in introduction: High-rate activated sludge systems are poorly studied, and are the key towards energy positive WWTP.

microbial structure, co-occurrence and functionality Sludge samples Microbial community Cont. abundant Cont. rare Transitional Environmental & operational data Explain determinitic versus neutral, Las vegas example, strategy: deterministic vs. chance: neutral Community dynamics Richness Evenness Co-occurence networks Community interactions Functionality Deterministic vs. neutral

“Are high-rate and low-rate systems distinctly different in terms of community structure?” A-stage: C-removal B-stage: N-removal

X-as: meeste variate, y-as 2de meeste varuatie, hoe dichter punten bij elkaar, hoe meer ze co-occurence. Andere datapunten geven de stalen weer, en de communitie (zwart punt is geassocieerd metdata punt (des te dichter, des te meer). 1.Ste as trekt 2 systemen uit elkaar, 2de as trekt variatie binnen 1 systeem uit elkaar. Zo zie je ook dat de env. Parameters de 2 systemen definieren, en de yield en tijd enkel binnen het systeem een rol speelt Richness and eveness of low rate system is different : Richness 289 vs. 668 phylotyphes, Eveness 0.62 vs. 0.82

“Are community shifts in abundant and transitional sub-communities more deterministic than shifts in rare sub-communities?”

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Thanks Contact: Dries.seuntjens@ugent.be Acknowledgements CMET F. Meerburg H. Roume Prof. dr. ir. S. E. Vlaeminck Prof. dr. ir. N. Boon F.M. Kerkhof J. Devrieze S. Decubber R. Props Waterboard Brabantse Delta H. Mollen H. Vrins A. Buijnsters L. Hartog E. Wypkema Colsen bv. B. Bundervoet Helmholz Center for Env. Research D.H. Pieper R. Jauregui R. Vilchez-Vargas I. Plumeier S. Kahl Paint Prof. dr. ir A. Verliefde Q. Denon More info: Meerburg et. al, Water research (2016)