Microbial Ecology Microbes in their Environment

Microbial Ecology

• Microbes in their Environment

• Microbe-Microbe Interactions

• Biogeochemistry (Cycling of Elements)

• Microbe-Higher Organism Interactions

• Environmental Pollution Control

Positive Population Interactions

Protocooperation

Negative Population Interactions

Ant-Fungi Mutualism

Carbon Biogeochemistry

Aerobic Carbon Use

Anaerobic Carbon Use (No Oxygen)

Carbon Biogeochemistry

SOIL

Soil Close-Up

Mycorrhizae Fungi

Bovine Rumen

Control Point Sources Wastewater Treatment

• Raw Sewage (99.9% water to 0.1% waste)

• Pollutants in sewage are:

• Debris and grit
• Particulate organic material
• Colloidal and dissolved organic material
• Dissolved inorganic material
• Human Pathogens
• Toxic Chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals

Wastewater Treatment

• Preliminary (physical screening)

• Primary (physically settle solids)

• Secondary (biological)

• Remove organics aerobicaly (lower BOD)
• Solids production (separate water and “sludge”)
• Sludge Treatment (solids reduced)

• Tertiary (biological or chemical “polishing”)

• Biological nutrient removal systems
• Pathogen removal by chlorine or ozone
• Chemical nutrient removal (costly)

Wastewater Treatment

Trickle Filter Biofilms

What da Floc?