Physiological and gene transcriptional responses of AOB and NOB are first time simultaneously investigated in activated sludge systems.
The transcription of amoA and nxrB genes shows that AOB is more susceptible to toxic Cu than NOB.
The transcriptions of amoA and nxrB genes positively correlate with sOURNH4 and sOURNO2.
The inhibition of Cu on nitrifying bacteria could be mainly attributed to intracellular Cu.