Household sand filters are used in rural areas of Vietnam to remove As, Fe, and Mn from groundwater for
drinking water purposes. Currently, it is unknown what role microbial processes play in mineral oxide
formation and As removal during water filtration. We performed most probable number counts to quantify
the abundance of physiological groups of microorganisms capable of catalyzing Fe- and Mn-redox
transformation processes in a household sand filter. We found up to 104 cells g1 dry sand of
nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, and no microaerophilic
Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria, but up to 106 cells g1 dry sand Mn-oxidizing bacteria. 16S rRNA gene amplicon
sequencing confirmed MPN counts insofar as only low abundances of known taxa capable of performing
Fe- and Mn-redox transformations were detected. Instead the microbial community on the sand filter
was dominated by nitrifying microorganisms, e.g. Nitrospira, Nitrosomonadales, and an archaeal OTU affiliated
to Candidatus Nitrososphaera. Quantitative PCR for Nitrospira and ammonia monooxygenase genes
agreed with DNA sequencing results underlining the numerical importance of nitrifiers in the sand filter.
Based on our analysis of the microbial community composition and previous studies on the solid phase
chemistry of sand filters we conclude that abiotic Fe(II) oxidation processes prevail over biotic Fe(II) oxidation
on the filter. Yet, Mn-oxidizing bacteria play an important role for Mn(II) oxidation and Mn(III/IV)
oxide precipitation in a distinct layer of the sand filter. The formation of Mn(III/IV) oxides contributes to
abiotic As(III) oxidation and immobilization of As(V) by sorption to Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides.