Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Research Projects
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Application of Molecular Methods in Microbial Ecology to Understand the Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents
Degradation of chlorinated solvents and other contaminants in the subsurface requires that the proper kinds of bacteria are present. Traditional methods used to evaluate the kinds of bacteria in environmental samples were based on growing these bacteria in the laboratory. This is time-consuming and many bacteria cannot be readily grown. New methods in microbiology, based on analyses of DNA, allow microbiologists to study and interpret the kinds of bacteria present in the environment without growing them. These "molecular methods" can provide new information to those involved in understanding, modeling, and remediating contaminated sites. The USGS has applied these new DNA-based methods in order to understand how the variation with location and time in bacterial community structure affects the natural biodegradation of fuels and chlorinated solvents. Bacterial DNA extracted from subsurface samples provides information on the identities of the bacteria present and their ability to degrade contaminants. At the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, analyses based on DNA sequences have shown that the kinds of bacteria vary with depth in contaminated ground water. The variation in the kinds of bacteria can help to explain the variation in contaminants with depth and also over time. The variation in bacteria can explain why certain degradation processes occur while others do not.
A different approach uses DNA banding patterns or "fingerprints" to compare samples from different locations, without identifying the bacteria present. This can be useful in site characterization. How can this information be used?
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Chlorinated Solvent Remediation Related Activates from Other Projects
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