Activated sludge sleuthing

摘要

Identifying organisms as nitrifers, phosphorus accumulating organisms, filaments, and foamers can help facility operators troubleshoot biological nutrient-removal processes, poor digester gas production, fecal pollution, and bulking and foaming. But traditional microscope and staining identification techniques rely on an observer's ability to identify unique shapes and staining features. This can lead to problems when organisms are hidden within flocs, do not appear unique, or have identical morphologies. Although more reliable, fluorescent in situ hybridization probes are able to identify only 15% of organisms and at a limited phylum level. These techniques, as well as quantitative polymerase chain reaction, come with their own sets of limitations.