MODELING FECAL COLIFORM CONTAMINATION IN THE RIO GRANDE1

This study examines sources of fecal coliform in Segment 2302 of the Rio Grande, located south of the International Falcon Reservoir in southern Texas. The watershed is unique because the contributing drainage areas lie in Texas and Mexico. Additionally, the watershed is mostly rural, with populated communities known as “colonias.” The colonias lack sewered systems and discharge sanitary water directly to the ground surface, thus posing an increased health hazard from coliform bacteria. Monitoring data confirm that Segment 2302 is not safe for contact recreation due to elevated fecal coliform levels. The goal of the study was to simulate the observed exceedences in Segment 2302 and evaluate potential strategies for their elimination. Fecal coliform contributions from ranching and colonia discharges were modeled using the Hydrologic Simulation Program‐Fortran (HSPF). Model results indicated that the regulatory 30‐day geometric mean fecal coliform concentration of 200 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters is exceeded approximately three times per year for a total of 30 days. Ongoing initiatives to improve wastewater facilities will reduce this to approximately once per year for 14 days. Best management practices will be necessary to reduce cattle access to streams and eliminate all exceedences. The developed model was limited by the relatively sparse flow and fecal coliform data.     

Bioremediation of Chromate by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria, Cytochromes c3 and hydrogenases

The treatment of soils and ground waters polluted by heavy metals is of economical and environmental interest. Reduction of Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) associated to its precipitation is a potentially useful process for bioremediation. In order to develop ecological processes using micro-organisms, we have compared various sulfate-reducing bacteria for enzymatic reduction of chromate. The best Cr(VI) reductase activity was obtained with Desulfomicrobium norvegicum. Despite morphological changes induced by the presence of chromate, this strain can grow in the presence of up to 500 M Cr(VI) and can decontaminate waters polluted by Cr(VI) when seeded in bioreactors. We have demonstrated the ability of several metalloenzymes (cytochromes c ₃ and hydrogenases) to reduce chromate. Biophysical investigations of the chromate/protein interaction in order to get further informations on the mechanism of metal reduction by cytochromes c ₃ are under the way.     

METABOLIC RESPONSES OF AQUATIC BACTERIAL POPULATIONS TO SELECTED INSECTICIDES1

ABSTRACT: Indigenous bacterial populations from a fresh water reservoir were treated by adding five mg/1 Sevin or Malathion to the water at 23, 28, and 33 C. The degradation of Sevin was evidenced by the increased uptake of O₂ as measured by Warburg manometry. The principal degradation product of Sevin, 1-naphthol, appeared to stimulate metabolic activity of these populations to the same extent as the parent compound. The addition of Malathion to this system appeared, on the other hand, to suppress metabolic activity to some degree. Warburg manometry was shown to be a useful, rapid method for detecting effects of insecticides on aquatic microbial populations.     

Dynamic of functional microbial groups during mesophilic composting of agro-industrial wastes and free-living (N2)-fixing bacteria application

Although several reports are available concerning the composition and dynamics of the microflora during the composting of municipal solid wastes, little is known about the microbial diversity during the composting of agro-industrial refuse. For this reason, the first parts of this study included the quantification of microbial generic groups and of the main functional groups of C and N cycle during composting of agro-industrial refuse. After a generalized decrease observed during the initial phases, a new bacterial growth was observed in the final phase of the process. Ammonifiers and (N₂)-fixing aerobic groups predominated outside of the piles whereas, nitrate-reducing group increased inside the piles during the first 23 days of composting. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), showed an opposite trend of growth since ammonia oxidation decreased with the increase of the nitrite oxidation activity. Pectinolytics, amylolytics and aerobic cellulolytic were present in greater quantities and showed an upward trend in both the internal and external part of the heaps.Several free-living (N₂)-fixing bacteria were molecularly identify as belonging especially to uncommon genera of nitrogen-fixing bacteria as Stenotrophomonas, Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter and Caulobacter. They were investigated for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen to employ as improvers of quality of compost. Some strains of Azotobacter chrococcum and Azotobacter salinestris were also tested. When different diazotrophic bacterial species were added in compost, the increase of total N ranged from 16% to 27% depending on the selected microbial strain being used. Such microorganisms may be used alone or in mixtures to provide an allocation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in soil.     

聚乙二醇和海藻酸钠混合固定化硝化细菌研究

采用聚乙二醇(PEG)和海藻酸钠(SA)作为混合固定化载体材料对硝化细菌进行包埋固定化.结果表明,PEG和SA质量分数分别为6％和4％时,其溶液黏稠度、成球效果及机械强度、传质性能等方面都均为最佳.另外,固定化小球扫描电镜显示球体为外密内疏的结构,这满足体内细胞泄漏少、外面细胞难以进入的条件.将所得最佳性能的固定化小球与游离菌体进行模拟废水降解对比试验,经过7d处理后废水中氨氮和亚硝态氮质量浓度都明显下降,且固定化颗粒的降解率要明显高于游离菌株,此时氨氮的去除率为90％,亚硝态氮去除率为80％.     

一株高效降解废水有机质耐冷菌的筛选、鉴定及特性研究

利用生物法进行污水处理已被国内外广泛使用,但由于温度影响微生物的生长和繁殖,使其成为生物污水处理效率的限制因子.本研究从污水处理厂活性污泥中分离出5株在低温4℃条件下生长良好的菌株,其中菌株DW1在4℃条件下,96 h时可将初始COD为800 mg·L-1的生活污水有机物去除率高达67.7%.结合菌落形态特征、生理生化特性以及16S r DNA序列分析,将菌株DW1初步鉴定为假单胞菌(Pseudomonas sp.).菌株DW1对COD负荷较高的污水处理效果较好;接种量为3%(体积分数)、p H为7.0时,菌株对污水COD去除率和DHA活性较高.在4℃和25℃条件下,菌株DW1均在96 h对污水COD去除率和DHA活性最高,分别为71.2%、11.35μg·m L·h-1(以TF计)和78.8%、15.11μg·m L-1·h-1(以TF计).     

稻田土壤反硝化厌氧甲烷氧化菌的时空分布与群落结构分析

由"Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera"主导发生的以甲烷和亚硝酸盐为底物的反硝化厌氧甲烷氧化反应(nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing,n-damo)的发现,将生物地球化学碳循环和氮循环以新的方式结合起来.本研究以夏季和冬季江阴稻田土壤柱状样品为研究对象,对稻田土壤M.oxyfera-like菌的时空分布和群落结构进行了考察.M.oxyfera-like菌16S rRNA基因的定量PCR结果显示M.oxyfera-like菌的丰度随着土壤深度的增加而增加,且无明显季节性差异,60~200 cm深度的稻田土壤是M.oxyfera-like菌的高丰度区域.M.oxyfera-like菌pmo A基因的系统发育分析和生物多样性分析显示M.oxyfera-like菌的群落结构具有一定的时空异质性,且生物多样性随着土壤深度的增加而增加.这些结果都说明江阴稻田深层土壤(60~200 cm)是适宜M.oxyfera-like菌生存的生态环境.     

耐冷高效亚硝酸盐型反硝化细菌的分离、筛选与鉴定

在10℃条件下,以亚硝酸钠为唯一氮源从长期淹水的冬水田中分离得到了12株亚硝酸盐型反硝化细菌.采用乙酸钠为唯一碳源,以高效去除亚硝酸盐氮和总氮且产生较低生物量氮为主要指标筛选出了一株反硝化能力最强的亚硝酸盐型反硝化细菌,命名为Y-12.研究发现,该菌在20℃条件下,对亚硝酸盐氮和总氮的去除率分别为99.87%和57.74%,产生了3.25 mg·L-1的生物量氮;在15℃条件下,对亚硝酸盐氮和总氮去除率分别为99.48%和51.53%,产生了3.00 mg·L-1的生物量氮.对其16S rRNA基因序列进行分析,发现该菌与恶臭假单胞菌(Pseudomonas putida)的同源性达到99%;对其特异性磷脂脂肪酸进行分析,发现与恶臭假单胞菌(Pseudomonas-putida-biotype A)的相似指数为0.469,初步鉴定为恶臭假单胞菌.     

铁还原菌shewanella oneidensis MR-1对根表铁膜中砷运移的影响

水稻根表铁膜是控制砷在根际-植物体系转运的重要区域,但是其中铁还原微生物对砷运移的作用并不清楚.实验以吸附砷磷的水铁矿以及野外采集水稻根系为研究对象,分析铁还原菌Shewanella oneidensis MR-1还原铁膜内铁氧化物过程中,铁还原、砷释放和固定速率.研究表明铁还原菌Shewanella oneidensis MR-1可以将水稻根表铁膜中的Fe(Ⅲ)快速还原为Fe(Ⅱ)并释放到溶液中.溶液中的砷在48 h内达到最大值18μmol·L-1,之后逐渐下降,120 h之后,与最大值相比减少了约60%.利用吸附砷的水铁矿模拟铁膜砷释放过程发现,微生物的固定作用是造成溶液中砷含量下降的主要原因之一.本研究表明,促进根际微生物的大量生长,可能是降低土壤环境中砷风险的途径之一.     

甲烷氧化菌在填埋场覆盖层中的工程应用(Ⅱ):基质选择性及长效性

针对已筛选获得的甲烷氧化混合菌,选取填埋场覆盖土(LCS)、矿化垃圾(AR)和塘渣(TZ)3种填埋场周边易得的材料为供试生存基质,从基质选择性及长效性角度进行了甲烷减排应用条件的探究及使用效能评估.结果表明,在TZ、LCS、AR、TZ-AR和LCS-AR这5种生存基质中,TZ-AR最适合甲烷氧化混合菌的生长,且TZ与AR的复配比例以5∶5为最佳.甲烷氧化混合菌在TZ-AR的粒径≤4 mm和含水率为20%时具有最高甲烷氧化能力.一次性接种甲烷氧化混合菌在静态体系中的最佳使用有效期为31 d.其在接种量为0.08、0.16、0.20 m L·g-1和0.25m L·g-1时甲烷氧化速率无明显差异,从工程应用角度而言,8%的接种量为最佳.