Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to:

• Examine wastewater for biological characteristics, identify various organisms, perform particle size and
• number counts, and advise the operators of a wastewater treatment plant on the implications of the
• microbiological information developed
• Understand how the changes in microbiological populations in a wastewater treatment plant can affect the
• plant performance and what to do to bring it back into the proper operation
• Participants will also be able to use JNOPTIC Capture 2.2 software

DAY 1

• Introduction to Microscopy
• Basic Microscopy
• Introduction to Microscopy
• Different types of Microscopy
• Bright Field Microscopy
• Cross-Polarized Light Microscopy
• Dark Field vs. Bright Field
• Variants on Dark Field Microscopy
• Examples of Rheinberg Darkfield Microscopy
• Kohler Illumination Microscopy
• EPI Illumination
• Phase Contrast Microscopy Theory and Practice

DAY 2

• Basics Taxonomy
• Order of Biology
• Kingdom-Phylum- Class –Order –Family –Genus –Species
• Types of Microorganisms
• Bacteria
• Protozoa
• (including Guardia and Cryptosporidium)
• Metazoa
• (Multicellular organisms)
• Viruses
• Important Terms
• Parasites and Pathogens
• worms and fungi
• Soil Microbes and Heterotrophs:
• Bacteria
• protozoans
• nematodes
• Obligate aerobes
• Anaerobes
• facultative organisms
• Bacteria Characteristics and Identification of types
• Size & Shapes
• Sheathed
• Stalked
• Budding
• Filamentous
• Cyanobateria
• Parts of the Cell and Identification
• Introduction to Dye Staining
• Gram Positive vs Gram Negative
• Dye staining techniques
• Gram Negative Bacteria Flowchart
• Components of a bacterial cell
• Extracellular proteins
• Flagella and Pili Motile bacteria
• Inclusions and vacuoles
• Endospores
• Autotrophs Heterotrophs
• Photoautotrophs
• Chemolithrophs
• Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria;
• Psychrophilic
• Mesophilic and Thermophilic Bacteria Typical Growth Patterns
• Time and concentration for growth
• Protozoa
• Identification stramennopiles
• protozoa, fungi and plants
• Amoebae
• Ciliates
• Common Wastewater Ciliates
• Rotifers
• Wastewater Rotifers
• Rotifer Identification
• Nematodes & Roundworms
• Using a Counting Chamber Hemocyometer
• Other Metezoa Water bears and Water Fleas
• Helminth Ova
• Some associated diseases

DAY 3

• Wastewater Microbiology Applications
• The Activated Sludge Process
• Detailed Walk through on local Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Organotrophs
• aerobic or anaerobic
• includes all animals and fungi
• and many bacteria and protists
• Organotrophs' energy extraction
• Wastewater Microbiology Applications Nitrifying bacteria
• chemoautotrophs
• chemolithotrophs:
• Nitrosomonas
• Nitrosococcus
• Nitrobacter
• Nitrococcus and their significance
• Wastewater Microbiology Applications
• Nitrification and denitrification
• Population Dynamics

DAY 4

• Detailed Practices
• FLAVOBACTERIUM
• MICROBIOLOGICAL FLOC FORMATION
• Types of problems:
• Pinfloc
• Filamentous Floc & Bulking
• Rising Floc
• Foaming
• Factor affecting floc formation:
• Clarifier Underflow/Sludge Wasting
• Filamentous Organism and Wastewater Treatment
• Tests and Procedures on Mixed Liquor in an AS System
• Measuring Total Floc Length
• Identification of filaments & Jenkins guide
• Nocardia spp.Type 1701
• Type 021N
• Type 0041
• Thiothrix spp.
• Sphaerotilus natans
• Type 0092
• Haliscomenobacter hydrossis
• Type 0675
• Factors affecting growth of Filamentous Organisms:
• MCRT
• DO Concentration
• Toxics (including chlorine)
• pH
• Sulfide
• Filament Control methods
• Selective Toxicity
• Chlorination control
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Ozone
• nutrient additions vs. deficiencies
• compounds to add
• Foam and Scum Controls
• Identification of Filamentous Bacteria
• A Simple Approach
• What’s Needed A listing of supplies
• Separation by Staining
• Graham and Neisser
• Typical Observations Filament Shape
• Filament Size
• Cell shape
• Cell size
• Cell Septa
• Indentations
• Sheath
• Branching and other properties
• Beggiatoa
• More on bulking and foaming and how to identify various organisms
• Nocardia
• Good Practice
• Keep a process chart of treatment system parameters
• Measure the parameters consistently and routinely
• Measure the parameters when the system is running properly
• Exercises and Class Problems

Day 5

• Software & Applications:
• Helminth Ova,
• significance, & control:
• The art of microscopic photography,
• Counting Chamber use;
• Software use
• Lab Work

This course is designed for Laboratory staff, Chemist, Laboratory technicians, Environmental Specialist, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators, Treatment plant engineers and anyone involved in microbiological analysis.