To improve the efficiency of low-strength domestic wastewater treatment, an immobilised-microorganism biological aerated filter (I-BAF) was established for simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The I-BAF performance was systematically evaluated under continuous and intermittent aeration modes. At the optimal condition with an intermittent aeration control schedule of 2 h on/1 h off, the maximum removal rates of COD, NH(4)(+)-N, TN and P were 82.54%, 94.83%, 51.85% and 61.49%, respectively, and the corresponding averaged effluents could meet the first class standards of China. Further analysis of PCR-DGGE profile revealed that members of the gamma and alpha proteobacterium bacterial groups were probably responsible for the nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The I-BAF system showed excellent performance in carbon and nutrients removal, which provided a cost-effective solution for the treatment of low-strength domestic wastewater.

Aims This study attempted to demonstrate the vertical shift in bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities along the vadose zone–aquifer sediments and their respective responses to environmental factors. Methods and Results We collected samples from the vadose zone and three aquifer sediments along a 42·5 m bore of a typical agricultural land. The results showed that the bacterial community shifted greatly with depth. The classes of Actinobacteria (19·5%) and NC10 (11·0%) were abundant in the vadose zone while Alphaproteobacteria (22·3%) and Gammaproteobacteria (20·1%) were enriched in the aquifer. Archaeal and fungal communities were relatively more homogeneous with no significant trend as a function of depth. Process analyses further indicated that selection dominated in the bacterial community, whereas stochastic processes governed archaeal and fungal communities. Moreover environment–bacteria interaction analysis showed that metal(loid)s, especially alkali metal, had a closer correlation with the bacterial community than physicochemical variables. Conclusions Depth strongly affected bacterial rather than archaeal and fungal communities. Metal(loid)s prevailed over physicochemical variables in shaping the bacterial community in the vadose zone–aquifer continuum. Significance and Impact of the Study Our study provides a new perspective on the structure of microbial communities from the vadose zone to the deep aquifers.