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. 1982 Apr;43(4):964–966. doi: 10.1128/aem.43.4.964-966.1982

Tetrazolium Reduction-Malachite Green Method for Assessing the Viability of Filamentous Bacteria in Activated Sludge

Gabriel Bitton 1, Ben Koopman 1
PMCID: PMC241950  PMID: 16345999

Abstract

A method was developed to assess the activity of filamentous bacteria in activated sludge. It involves the incubation of activated sludge with 2(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride followed by staining with malachite green. Both cells and 2(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride-formazan crystals can be observed in prepared specimens by using bright-field microscopy. This procedure allowed us to distinguish between inactive and actively metabolizing filaments after chlorine application to control the bulking of activated sludge.

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Selected References

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