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Carnivorous Plants in Activated Sludge WESLEY O. PIPES, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois INTRODUCTION There is a widely held belief that the activated-sludge environment is not suitable for the growth of fungi (1). According to this concept the fungi which may be isolated from activated sludge are present only as spores and have no part in the breakdown of organic matter or the ecological interaction of the microbial population in the activated sludge process. It is my contention that this concept is erroneous; i.e., that various fungi do participate in the degradation of organic matter by activated sludge and/or play significant roles in determining the active population of activated sludge. This report is concerned with a particular type of fungus, predatory fungi, which has been found growing in activated sludge. These fungi have the unusual and interesting property of deriving their sustenance by capturing, killing and and consuming small animals, rotifers, and nematodes. They obviously can have a significant influence upon the rotifer and nematode population of activated sludge. Some of them are able to grow saprophytically and may have a part in the breakdown of waste organic matter. Also there are indications that these organisms may have a role in the formation of activated sludge floes and that they may occasionally be responsible for bulking. METHODS The discovery of predatory fungi in activated sludge was made accidentally. After discovery, techniques by which predatory fungi could be isolated from the activated sludge were developed. These techniques were evolved by trial and error from ideas obtained from the literature and from discussions with mycologists. They are not original, but tracing their sources to give proper credit to the originators would be virtually impossible. All of the samples of activated sludge which have been examined for predatory fungi using these techniques were obtained from the experimental pilot plant at the Sanitary Engineering Research Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. The aeration tank of this unit has a capacity of 600 gals and treats settled domestic sewage at an aeration time of about six his. Microscopic Observation The carnivorous fungi found in activated sludge during this study prey either on nematodes or rotifers; thus, the way to find these fungi is to look fordead nematodes and rotifers. If activated sludge contains large numbers of predatory fungi they can be found in a few minutes by microscopic observation; however, enrichment culture techniques are better for bringing out predatory fungi if they are present in small numbers. The easiest way to examine activated sludge for the presence of nematodes and/or rotifers is to spread a drop of mixed liquor thinly on a clean glass slide and observe it under the low power (100X magnification) of a compound microscope. Once a dead nematode or rotifer is found, it is examined more closely to - 647 -
Object Description
Purdue Identification Number | ETRIWC196549 |
Title | Carnivorous plants in activated sludge |
Author |
Pipes, Wesley O. |
Date of Original | 1965 |
Conference Title | Proceedings of the twentieth Industrial Waste Conference |
Conference Front Matter (copy and paste) | http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/engext,12162 |
Extent of Original | p. 647-656 |
Series |
Engineering extension series no. 118 Engineering bulletin v. 49, no. 4 |
Collection Title | Engineering Technical Reports Collection, Purdue University |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Rights Statement | Digital object copyright Purdue University. All rights reserved. |
Language | eng |
Type (DCMI) | text |
Format | JP2 |
Date Digitized | 2009-05-19 |
Capture Device | Fujitsu fi-5650C |
Capture Details | ScandAll 21 |
Resolution | 300 ppi |
Color Depth | 8 bit |
Description
Title | page 647 |
Collection Title | Engineering Technical Reports Collection, Purdue University |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Rights Statement | Digital object copyright Purdue University. All rights reserved. |
Language | eng |
Type (DCMI) | text |
Format | JP2 |
Capture Device | Fujitsu fi-5650C |
Capture Details | ScandAll 21 |
Transcript | Carnivorous Plants in Activated Sludge WESLEY O. PIPES, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois INTRODUCTION There is a widely held belief that the activated-sludge environment is not suitable for the growth of fungi (1). According to this concept the fungi which may be isolated from activated sludge are present only as spores and have no part in the breakdown of organic matter or the ecological interaction of the microbial population in the activated sludge process. It is my contention that this concept is erroneous; i.e., that various fungi do participate in the degradation of organic matter by activated sludge and/or play significant roles in determining the active population of activated sludge. This report is concerned with a particular type of fungus, predatory fungi, which has been found growing in activated sludge. These fungi have the unusual and interesting property of deriving their sustenance by capturing, killing and and consuming small animals, rotifers, and nematodes. They obviously can have a significant influence upon the rotifer and nematode population of activated sludge. Some of them are able to grow saprophytically and may have a part in the breakdown of waste organic matter. Also there are indications that these organisms may have a role in the formation of activated sludge floes and that they may occasionally be responsible for bulking. METHODS The discovery of predatory fungi in activated sludge was made accidentally. After discovery, techniques by which predatory fungi could be isolated from the activated sludge were developed. These techniques were evolved by trial and error from ideas obtained from the literature and from discussions with mycologists. They are not original, but tracing their sources to give proper credit to the originators would be virtually impossible. All of the samples of activated sludge which have been examined for predatory fungi using these techniques were obtained from the experimental pilot plant at the Sanitary Engineering Research Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. The aeration tank of this unit has a capacity of 600 gals and treats settled domestic sewage at an aeration time of about six his. Microscopic Observation The carnivorous fungi found in activated sludge during this study prey either on nematodes or rotifers; thus, the way to find these fungi is to look fordead nematodes and rotifers. If activated sludge contains large numbers of predatory fungi they can be found in a few minutes by microscopic observation; however, enrichment culture techniques are better for bringing out predatory fungi if they are present in small numbers. The easiest way to examine activated sludge for the presence of nematodes and/or rotifers is to spread a drop of mixed liquor thinly on a clean glass slide and observe it under the low power (100X magnification) of a compound microscope. Once a dead nematode or rotifer is found, it is examined more closely to - 647 - |
Resolution | 300 ppi |
Color Depth | 8 bit |
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