Beggiatoa

Identification

• Sulfur granules glow under phase contrast
• Moves in slow, gliding motion
• Gram and Neisser negative

Why Do I have It?

• Low D.O. conditions
• High sulfur levels

Treatment

If Beggiatoa is observed in your wastewater plant, we recommend increasing aeration to raise the oxidation/reduction potential in your wastewater plant. If this is not possible, Aquafix recommends the use of OxyFresh which helps combat low dissolved oxygen conditions. De-Sulph-A-Nator or ferric chloride can be used for the treatment of high sulfur. To determine the underlying cause of high sulfur or low D.O. contact a technical representative.

Under the Microscope and in Your Plant

Beggiatoa is one of the few motile filaments found in wastewater plants. This sulfide reducing filamentous bacteria uptakes sulfur and stores it as granules. When observing Beggiatoa under phase contrast, the sulfur granules are clearly visible. This filament moves in a slow, gliding motion. It is easiest to see under 400x magnification with phase contrast, however its motion can make it identifiable under 100x (m). Beggiatoa does not cause issues within a system but does indicate the presence of sulfides and sulfites (reduced sulfur compounds). This is usually associated with low D.O. conditions. While this filament does not need to be treated, the low D.O. conditions may be causing other issues that need to be addressed. This filament is usually less than 200 µm in length, 2-4 µm in diameter, and stains Gram and Neisser negative.

Unique Experience in the Field

A creamery in western Wisconsin experienced a sudden and severe increase in effluent turbidity, poor BOD removal, and poor ammonia removal because their plant was unable to maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen. Aquafix performed microscopic observations on the system’s aeration basins and noticed the relatively high presence of Beggiatoa. This filament thrives in the presence of reduced sulfur compounds which are known oxygen scavengers that can deplete oxygen in aeration basins. After talking to the operators the cause was discovered: a spill of sulfuric acid cleaner. The sulfuric acid cleaner led to elevated reduced sulfur compounds which depleted the oxygen in the creamery system. The plant operators used OxyFresh, Accelerator 7, QwikZyme-L, and QwikZyme-P to solve the unique combination of issues in the plant.