Morphological Identification of Microbes in Activated Sludge: Effects of Aeration and Sludge Age

Aeration and sludge age are critical parameters in designing, operating, and controlling biological wastewater treatment plants to produce high-quality effluent. Several factors affect the types of microbes in the activated sludge process, including environmental factors and plant design. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of aeration and sludge age on the types of microorganisms present in active sludge. The microbial diversity will be analyzed morphologically by visual inspection and light microscopy. The microbes in the activated sludge process were analyzed at different aeration flows and sludge ages to determine their types. The findings from this research revealed that low aeration of 2L/min -4L/min and SRT of > 8 days favor microbes in degrading organic matter with higher removal efficiency. The common microbes found included Bacillus, coccus, coccobacillus, streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptobacillus, and Vibrio