The Role of Biological Wastewater Treatment in Removing Pharmaceutical Compounds
Pharmaceuticals consist of many recalcitrant compounds that are not readily biodegradable and, in some cases, inhibitory to wastewater treatment systems. While we often hear about forever chemicals such as PFAS, many common pharmaceuticals also can have a negative...
Reading an MCA Report
Reading an MCA report is simple with a little guidance. Aster Bio’s Microbial Community Analysis (MCA) test involves extracting genetic material from the MLSS and then using the 16S rRNA regions for microbial identification. Sequencing the 16S region gives us the...
Bioaugmentation: Tools to Improve Biomass Management
While less known than polymers, antifoams, or odor masking agents, bioaugmentation proves useful for correcting biomass insufficiency. Unlike pure chemical options, bioaugmentation works by enhancing the microbial community and restoring steady-state or mature biomass...
qPCR vs MCA Tests
While quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and Microbial Community Analysis (MCA) tests both fall under the molecular testing umbrella, they are very different in what they are measuring and how the data can be used in wastewater applications. This whitepaper...