Tetrads
Identification
- Four-cell cluster
- Neisser postive
- Gram negative
Why Do I Have It?
- Nitrogen deficiency
- Abundance of soluble carbon
Associated Plant Conditions
Tetrads do not usually cause problems directly and are an indicator of nitrogen-deficient conditions in a system. Occasionally they can lead to high TSS in wastewater effluent.
Treatment
Tetrads are an indicator organism of nitrogen-deficient conditions. Low nitrogen conditions can be combatted with supplements like urea or Accelerator 7. If you are concerned about your plant conditions contact a technical rep for information and recommendations.
Under the Microscope and in Your Plant
Tetrads are a cluster of four cells that are caused by an abundance of soluble carbon. It is common to see low levels of tetrads within a plant; however, high levels of tetrads are an indication of nitrogen-deficient conditions. They can be identified under 1000x magnification by their Neisser positive staining properties.
As tetrads rarely cause issues in wastewater plants, there is less information available about them in wastewater settings.