Composition of Microbial Community Involved in the Degradation of Waste Activated Sludge and Its Temperature Response in Hot Springs

Abstract

Thermophilic microbial communities in hot springs represent a promising yet underexplored resource for high-temperature sludge degradation. This study investigated the structural dynamics and temperature-adaptive mechanisms of microbial communities in Tengchong hot springs using waste activated sludge (WAS) as the carbon/nitrogen source. Through anaerobic/aerobic enrichments at 50–75 °C, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed distinct thermophilic assemblages: Methanothermobacter, Fervidobacterium, Pseudothermotoga, Caloramator and Thermodesulfovibrio dominated anaerobic communities, while Thermus, Pseudothermotoga, Brevibacillus, Enhydrobacter and Thermogutta thrived aerobically. Temperature served as a dominant determinant of community composition: alpha diversity peaked at 55 °C under aerobic conditions before declining, whereas it continuously decreased with increasing temperature under anaerobic conditions. Network analysis highlighted simplified yet functionally resilient interactions at elevated temperatures. This work identifies novel thermophilic resources for industrial sludge remediation and establishes a framework for elucidating temperature-dependent microbial sludge-degradation pathways in extreme environments.

Keywords

hot springs / thermophilic consortia / waste activated sludge biodegradation / microbial interaction / temperature response / high-temperature bioremediation / environmental protection

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