Sewage fungus

Once sewage fungus becomes established, it is difficult to remove,[35] unless all sources of organic nutrients (pollution) are addressed, causing a further loss in biodiversity[36] and other flora and fauna[37][38] in the river.

[7][39] Sewage fungus is a type of microbial mat, the specific composition of which is affected by the available nutrients (especially organic carbon sources) and the environmental drivers of each unique occurrence.

[25][40][41] Other key taxa include the bacteria Zoogloea spp., Beggiatoa spp., Thiothrix spp., Flavobacterium spp., and Flexibacter spp..[16][17] However, fungi (e.g., Leptomitus lacteus, Geotrichum candidum, and Fusarium aquaeductuum), algae (e.g., Cladophora glomerata) along with archaea and protozoa (e.g., Carchesium polypinum) also form integral and important pasts of the biofilm.

[12] Alongside the complex nutrient utilisation requirements of sewage fungus, there are several key environmental drivers including substrate type, flow velocity, temperature, shading/sunlight, and water chemistry (e.g. pH).

Surfaces such as large cobbles, anthropogenic litter (e.g., bricks), and concrete channels facilitate excellent sewage fungus growth, whereas fine sediments and gravel provide a less stable substrate.