Pcr-dgge as a Useful Method for Bacterial Diversity Monitoring in Coke Wastewater Treatment

Increasing environmental pollution caused by inappropriate treatment of coke wastewater is a serious problem in wastewater treatment plants. Coke wastewater, containing phenols, cyanides and thiocyanates, are harmful for activated sludge biocenosis and causes serious technological problems. As a effective method for this kind of wastewater treatment Annamox (Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation) process seems to be useful. Wastewater treatment can be carried out in membrane bioreactors (MBRs), regarded nowadays as convenient in the lab experiments, due to their small size, and in most cases an effluent of much better quality than conventional systems in terms of organic matter, suspended solids, and nutrients. In order to monitor the bacteria biocenosis, its development and changeability, two-MBR system of partial nitrification-Anammox was design. The aim of the study was to perform bacterial biodiversity monitoring using polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method, known to be one of the most effective molecular method in microorganisms’ biodiversity research. The 16S rRNA coding gene was used as a molecular marker. On the basics of fingerprint obtained in molecular method Shannon biodiversity index estimations for total bacterial community were performed. The research revealed that two MBRs inoculated with the same activated sludge differ in biocenosis structure, but not at the level of biodiversity.