Conclusions and future perspectives
Characterization of RAS biofilter communities has provided
the foundation for understanding microbial processes involved in managing and maintaining efficient
and stable wastewater treatment and water quality control.
Culture-independent methods, which have, for the
most part, relied on 16S rRNA gene analyses, and enrichment
studies have revealed the presence of phylogenetically
diverse microorganisms and identified important
participants in functionally distinct regions of RAS biofilters.
Identifications have also established the presence
of important physiologies, for example, anammox and
methanogenesis, which are being applied to RAS technology
to achieve efficient, environmentally friendly, and
economically viable systems.