Quorum sensing is recently considered to play important roles in biological wastewater treatment processes. This study aimed to investigate diversity of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) among biological wastewater treatment processes and their locations. We analyzed and quantified 10 AHL in activated sludge at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) and by bioassay on thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Sludge samples were taken at seven WWTPs in Japan and in Thailand, which were chosen to compare different process types including a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor process. Various AHL were detected in activated sludge, suggesting the presence of quorum sensing activity in many practical WWTPs. Detection of AHL by LC-FTMS was much more sensitive than by TLC bioassay, because TLC bioassay was implied to be affected by the presence of quorum quenching molecules in activated sludge. With LC-FTMS analysis, AHL, which has short straight chain in the acyl group, were more abundant. Especially, C₄-HSL, C₇-HSL, and C₈-HSL were detected widely independent of locations and process types. AO processes had higher AHL productivity than other processes.

最近人们认为，群体感应在生物废水处理过程中起着重要的作用。这项研究旨在调查氮的多样性-酰基高丝氨酸内酯（AHL）在生物废水处理过程中及其位置。我们通过傅里叶变换质谱（FTMS）和薄层色谱法（TLC）进行生物分析，对废水处理厂（WWTP）中活性污泥中的10种AHL进行了分析和定量。在日本和泰国的七个污水处理厂采集了污泥样品，选择它们来比较不同的工艺类型，包括中试规模的膜生物反应器工艺。在活性污泥中检测到各种AHL，表明许多实际的污水处理厂都存在群体感应活动。通过LC-FTMS检测AHL比通过TLC生物测定灵敏得多，因为暗示TLC生物测定受活性污泥中群体猝灭分子的影响。通过LC-FTMS分析，酰基中具有短直链的AHL 更加丰富。特别是C广泛检测到₄ -HSL，C ₇ -HSL和C ₈ -HSL，而与位置和过程类型无关。AO过程比其他过程具有更高的AHL生产率。