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Effect of Penicillin on Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in Activated Sludge

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Abstract

The effects of penicillin G on the number and activity of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were investigated in laboratory-scale reactors and batch tests. At a concentration of 100 mg L−1, addition of penicillin G for short periods did not significantly affect nitrite oxidation, while addition for more than 2 months suppressed nitrite oxidation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted probes revealed a slight decrease in the abundance of Nitrospira, while Nitrobacter was not affected by addition of penicillin G for more than 39 days. The resistance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria to penicillin appeared to be positively affected by intermittent aeration only when accompanied by denitrification; otherwise, the aeration mode (continuous or intermittent aeration) did not significantly affect the abundance of Nitrobacter and Nitrospira.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge China Scholarship Council and Wuhan University of Technology for supporting the exchange visiting (No. 2006B33034). The authors also wish to acknowledge David C Black, Mark Jason Santos So, and Xia He for their help with the experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, People’s Republic of China

    Shao-Hui Zhang

  2. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7908, USA

    Francis L. de los Reyes III

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  1. Shao-Hui Zhang
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  2. Francis L. de los Reyes III
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Correspondence to Francis L. de los Reyes III.

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Zhang, SH., de los Reyes, F.L. Effect of Penicillin on Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in Activated Sludge. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 166, 1983–1990 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9625-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9625-8

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