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TECHNICAL REPORT
WASTE MANAGEMENT

Nutrient Conversions by Photosynthetic Bacteria in a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Lagoon System

^a School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, College of Engineering, Univ. of Oklahoma, 202 W. Boyd Rm. 334, Norman, OK 73019
^b Dep. of Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St, Troy, NY 12180

Corresponding author (strevett{at}ou.edu)

Received for publication May 4, 2000. A diurnal examination was conducted to determine the effect of photosynthetic bacteria on nutrient conversions in a two-stage concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) lagoon system in west-central Oklahoma. Changes in nutrients, microbial populations, and physical parameters were examined at three depths (0, 1.5, and 3.0 m) every 3 h over a 36-h period. The south lagoon (SL) was anaerobic (dissolved oxygen [DO] = 0.09 ± 0.12 mg/L) while the north lagoon (NL) was facultative (DO ranged from 4.0–0.1 mg/L over 36-h period). Negative sulfide–sulfate (-0.85) and bacteriochlorophyll a (bchl a)–sulfate (-0.83) correlations, as well as positive bchl a–sulfide (0.87) and light intensity (I)–bchl a (0.89) correlations revealed that the SL was dominated by sulfur conversions driven by the photosynthetic purple sulfur bacteria (PSB). The correlation data was supported by diurnal trends for sulfate, sulfide, and bchl a. Both nitrogen and sulfur conversions played a role in the NL; however, nitrogen conversions appeared to dominate this system because of the activity of cyanobacteria. This was shown by positive chlorophyll a (chl a)–I (0.91) and chl a–nitrate (0.98) correlations and the negative correlation between ammonium and nitrite (-0.88). Correlation data was further supported by diurnal trends observed for chl a, DO, and ammonium. For both lagoons, the dominant photosynthetic microbial species determined which nutrient conversion processes were most important.

Abbreviations: bchl a, bacteriochlorophyll a • CAFO, concentrated animal feeding operation • chl a, chlorophyll a • DO, dissolved oxygen • I, light intensity • PSB, purple sulfur bacteria • SRB, sulfate-reducing bacteria