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Well, many times this can be either polysaccharide bulking or Zoogleal bulking. This weeks newsletter will cover Zooglea and next weeks will cover polysaccharide coating- what is it, how to identify it, the causes and controls. A plant with Non-Filamentous Bulking caused by nutrient deficiency Ok, so what is Zooglea? Zooglea ramigera Identification: This type of bacteria can be extremely large, non-motile bacteria. The bacteria staining is usually Gram negative and Neisser negative. There are usually no sulfur granules present. Zooglea can be "fingered or amorphous". Zoogleal bacteria also have the ability to denitrify. Similar types of Organisms:
The polysaccharide coating of zoogleal bacteria is always high or excessive. Environment: This bacteria is usually found in environments where there is a high F/M ratio where the soluble organic compounds are readily bio-degradable. The pH is usually lower. Zooglea can often be present in selector systems in activated sludge. Zooglea can also be an indication of nutrient deficiency (Nitrogen or Phosphorus).
Control: pH can be increased on the MLSS to above pH 6. Nutrient addition is usually recommended. Control of nutrient addition is critical. The type of nutrient used is also critical. It if takes the bacteria too long to access the nutrients in a high BOD loading environment or the nutrients are slug fed but not at a rate consistent with slug loadings and is not sufficient when needed by the bacteria, then zoogleal bulking can  occur. Many times,
a plant uses excessive levels of polymer in the clarifier to try to settle the
slimy, bulking sludge. Dewatering of this type of sludge is very difficult also.
Large amounts of polymer are required and poor water drainage results. The
easiest fix is to adjust the "critical 5" in the plant. Addition of
micronutrients or bacterial supplements can be added if high BOD
loading is the cause.
Rank: Zooglea is a cause of bulking and poor dewatering of biosolids.
Amorphous zoolgea Zooglea at 1000x Gram Stain
Fingered and amorphous zooglea next to floc structures
Photomicrograph of Fingered Zooglea 100x Phase contrast in a wastewater sample
These gram stains show fingered zooglea on the left and high polysaccharide coating on a zoogleal type colony on the right. See hoe far apart the cells are and how much space is taken up by the polysaccharide coating. Imaging trying to dewater this jelly like mess.
Bright field at 1000x it is easy to see the fingers on the zooglea Here a streaming amoeba almost resembles the fingers on the zooglea
Lactophenol Cotton Blue stain is added to a wetmount and brings out more of the fine details Zooglea Bug of the Month- more photos For more information on a Microscopic Analyses
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What is going on in my system? There is all this slime in my clarifier and in
my sludge dewatering system!
Zooglea
typically have the presence of excessive amounts of polysaccharide coating. They
can grow usually as "amorphous" clumps or "fingered" like a tree. Normal floc
forming bacteria can appear to look like zoogleal bulking and cause excessive
polysaccharide coating if they have been stressed or are nutrient deficient.
Check the polysaccharide coating with India Ink stain under the microscope.
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