The ecology and function of Protozoa in sewage purification

Seasonal recording of the Protozoa in various sewage disposal units has shown that, together with changes correlated with the degree of purification of the sewage, fluctuations occur as a result of the interplay of seasonal non-specific factors and local specific factors. The incidence and abundance of Protozoa in each disposal plant would seem to be controlled by sewage ‘strength’ and characteristic local drainage. Fluctuations of the population, however, are limited by different factors in different seasons.

In the bacteria bed investigations a ‘weak’ sewage shows a decrease of a generally rich fauna during the periods of sloughing, a ‘strong’ acid sewage during sloughing shows an increase in an otherwise restricted fauna and where the sewage is medium in ‘strength’ and supports an abundant insect population the fluctuations of the Protozoa are dominated by the more active insect populations of summer and by temperature in winter. In this last-named environment a significant inverse correlation between ciliate and insect frequency throughout the summer indicates the thoroughness with which the insect larvae devour the film; this may explain the summer reductions in certain groups of Protozoa.

In activated sludge channels conditions favour a uniform population which may vary in composition according to the purity of the sewage. Flocculation is most pronounced when protozoan populations comprise a restricted variety of ciliates and would seem to depend on a protozoan fauna since cultures of bacteria obtained from sewage did not flocculate unless Protozoa, free from or contaminated with bacteria, were added.

The protozoan populations of the two systems of disposal are compared in discussion.