by Erik Rumbaugh | Sep 16, 2025 | Uncategorized
Wastewater treatment is a complex process that relies on a delicate balance of physical, chemical, and biological factors. At the heart of most conventional wastewater treatment plants are microorganisms that break down organic waste. However, when this balance is...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Sep 3, 2025 | Uncategorized
When it comes to nitrogen monitoring in wastewater, ammonia often steals the spotlight. But if you’re only tracking ammonia, you’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle: Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN). TKN includes both ammonia and organic nitrogen—and...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Aug 29, 2025 | Uncategorized
Ever wondered what we’re missing in the microbial world? Just like astronomical dark matter makes up most of our universe but remains largely mysterious, microbial dark matter represents the hidden majority of life on Earth – over 99% of microbial species...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Jul 27, 2025 | Uncategorized, Wastewater Microbiome, Wastewater Monitoring, Wastewater Testing
The Shannon Diversity Index (H’) is a widely used metric in ecology to quantify the biodiversity of a community. In the context of wastewater treatment, it measures the diversity and evenness of microbial species within the activated sludge biomass. This...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Jul 10, 2025 | Uncategorized
In the bustling microcosm of a wastewater treatment plant, bacteria don’t just float around aimlessly—they evolve, interact, and build structured communities that play critical roles in purification processes. Two major forms of bacterial aggregation dominate: flocs...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Apr 22, 2025 | Uncategorized
When running Microbial Community Analysis tests wastewater treatment systems some organisms are seen at very high frequencies. Among them most interesting genera is Paracoccus. We see this organism in municipal, pulp & paper, food processing, and even...
