Analysis of Nitrifying Microbial Populations in a Second-Generation Environmentally Superior Swine Wastewater Treatment System.

Liquid manure generated from livestock production is a major contributor to ammonia emissions in rural areas. These emissions may produce acidification and eutrophication of coastal waters, lakes, streams, and terrestrial ecosystems, resulting in habitat degradation and a reduction in biodiversity. In municipal and industrial systems, ammonia from wastewater can be removed by a variety of physicochemical and biological processes, but biological processes are preferred because they are usually more cost effective. One such biological process is autotrophic nitrification, a reaction undertaken by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB).