Characterization of the bacterial community in a biotrickling filter treating high loads of H2S by molecular biology tools

• Published in: Water science and technology 2009-01, Vol.59 (7), p.1331-1337
• Main Authors: Maestre, Juan P, Rovira, Roger, Gamisans, Xavier, Kinney, Kerry A, Kirisits, Mary Jo, Lafuente, Javier, Gabriel, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Anaerobes; Bacteria; Biodiversity; Biofiltration; Biology; Clones; Cloning; Communities; Community structure; Distribution; Gene polymorphism; Gene sequencing; Hydrogen sulfide; Hydrogen sulphide; Inlets (waterways); Length; Loads (forces); Molecular biology; Polymorphism; Proteobacteria; Rarefaction; Reactors; Relative abundance; Restriction fragment length polymorphism; rRNA 16S; Spatial distribution; Stress concentration; Sulfur; Sulfur cycle; Sulphides; Sulphur; Thiothrix; Trickling filters
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2009.111

The diversity and spatial distribution of bacteria in a lab-scale biotrickling filter treating high loads of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) were investigated. Diversity and community structure were studied by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). A 16S rRNA gene clone library was established. Near Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained, and clones were clustered into 24 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Nearly 74% and 26% of the clones were affiliated with the phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, respectively. Beta-, epsilon- and gamma-proteobacteria accounted for 15, 9 and 48%, respectively. Around 45% of the sequences retrieved were affiliated to bacteria of the sulfur cycle including Thiothrix spp., Thiobacillus spp. and Sulfurimonas denitrificans. Sequences related to Thiothrix lacustris accounted for a 38%. Rarefaction curve demonstrated that clone library constructed can be sufficient to describe the vast majority of the bacterial diversity of this reactor operating under strict conditions (2,000 ppmv of H2S). A spatial distribution of bacteria was found along the length of the reactor by means of the T-RFLP technique. Although aerobic species were predominant along the reactor, facultative anaerobes had a major relative abundance in the inlet part of the reactor, where the sulfide to oxygen ratio is higher.