Microbes for COD removal

Changing wastewater impacts COD degradation

High chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels are a challenge in many wastewater plants. Wastewater streams are complex and organic loads constantly change. This fluctuating wastewater quality can impact a plant's microbial community. A specific organic compound acts as food for a specific microbe. If the compound's concentration is too low, or if it's periodically absent from the stream, the microbe won't thrive. That means it may be absent when concentrations rise. Toxicity in the wastewater stream can also eliminate certain microbes within a community. These changes in a microbial community's population dynamics all impact COD degradation. 

Acclimation and microbial communities

Acclimation is the adaptation of an organism to its natural environment. If your plant's microbial community can't acclimate to changes in the wastewater stream, biological activity can be inhibited. That leads to a drop in COD degradation, which could put your plant out of compliance. Genetics play a key role in acclimation. To target the organic compounds found in your waste stream, your plant's microbial communities need certain genes. These genes produce proteins that allow microbes to adapt to the compounds. They also produce the enzymes that target and degrade the compounds.