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Exam II - Coggle Diagram
Exam II
Soila and Groundwater Pollution in the USA
Threats to Florida Water and Soil
Threats to Surface/Groundwater
inorganic:
nitrate/phosphate
Inland Algal Blooms
heavy metals
Phosphate Mines cover 1.3 million acres in Central Florida
salts
Organic
BOD--wastwater
Petroleum hydrocarbons--groundwater
LUST--Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (mostly gasoline)
Petroleum hydrocarbon storage tanks develop leaks and spill contaminants into the vadose zone, through which it migrates downwards into the aquifer and disperses and dilutes for miles
contaminated soil often cleaned with bioremediation
Toxic synthetic chemicals/solvents
chlorinated solvents
Addressed primarily by CERCLA Superfund
Pensacola superfund sites:
Escambia Wood Treating
Agrico 1889-1975
American Creosote 1902-1981
Addressed partially by DoD Cleanup Program
25,250 sites and total expected spending $42,000,000,000
Contaminants addressed:
petroleum hydrocarbons
rocket fuel
chlorinated solvents
explosives
PFAs
Pesticides--soil/agriculture
USA Pollution Eliminated?
most releases eliminated
many large contaminated sites cleaned up
Emerging Environmental Contaminants
PFAS
human-made, in use since 1940s, voluntarily phased out in 2000s
persistent in environment--found in animals around the world and long half life
not biodegradable
uses:
firefighting foam
non-stick cookware
stain, water, and grease resistant coatings in clothing, carpeting, and furniture
food packaging
paints, varnishes, sealants
ski wax
PFAS and Human Health
elevated cholesterol
increased risk of thyroid disease
decreased immune system response
decreased birth weight
decreased fertility
increased hypertension during pregnancy
EX: Dupont Washington Works Plant, WV
PFOA contamination in tap water found in 90s
class action lawsuit against DuPont intitiated in 98
ongoing litigation regarding exposed population
Found in Santa Rosa Wells
Summary:
most of the urgent and obvious pollution removed in the US and Europe
The first environmental cleanup strategy was elimination of discharges and development of wastewater treatment
later cleaned up soil and groundwater, often using bioremediation
Enormous amounts of money involved
developing countries and emerging contaminants are currently main focus of issue
Use of Microbes in Environmental Reclamation
Why remove/destroy environmental contaminants?
Reduce toxicity/hazard/risk
Risks to consider:
Human health effects
Ecological Effects
Ecosystem: community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system, with biotic and abiotic components linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows
Why we care:
products such as food, fodder, freshwater, wood, fiber, biochemicals, genetic resources
regulating services such as climate regulation, disease regulation, water regulation, water purification, pollination, carbon sequestration
Cultural services such as spiritual and religious, recreational and tourism, aesthetic, inspirational, educational, sense of place, cultural heritage
supporting services necessary for production of all other ecosystem services such as soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production, oxygen, and nitrogen
Subsurface Ecosystem consists of:
solids, water, gases
viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, invertabrates
How to Clean the Environment Surface Contamination
Mechanical Removal
Chemical and Physical Remediation common for heavily contaminated soil
Bioremediation is slower, cheaper, and less disruptive, making it the preferred removal process when possible
occurs through redox reactions conducted by bacteria
Definitions:
biodegradation: mineralization, use as growth substance-selective advantage
Biotransformation/Cometabolism: incomplete metabolism, no growth
Natural attenuation: non engineered
Bioremediation: engineered cleanup of contaminants by microorganisms
Biostimulation: addition of nutrients or changing conditions
Bioaugmentation: addition of non-indigenous microbes
Phytoremediation: use of plants in bioremediation
Forms of Bioremediation:
in-situ
natural attenuation
bioventing
biosparging
biostimulation
bioaugmentation
Ex-situ
landfarming
biopiles
Composting
bioreactors
Bioremediation Algorithm
Evaluate Contaminants and Environmental Conditions, inc. concentration, geochemistry, fate and transport, plume stability, treatment goals
Biodegradable?
YES: Appropriate microbes present?
YES: Limiting factors/inappropriate geochemistry?
2 more items...
NO: Bioaugmentation
NO: Discover/Create Microbes
THEN: Bioaugmentation
THEN: Biostimulation
Papers:
Palatucci et al (2019)
Purpose: Discover bacteria that carry out aerobic biodegradation of DCNB isomers
General Methodology: Biological processing of DCNB-contaminated samples
Findings: A mixture of DCNB isomers was fully biodegraded even with high flow rate and the responsible bacteria could be isolated
Conclusions: DCNB isomers are biodegradable under aerobic conditions and thus are candidates for bioremediation
Kurt et al (2014)
Purpose: Test if a certain bacteria can biodegrade cis-DCE and to understand distribution of cis-DCE and VC degradation
General Methodology: Lab columns representing
Findings: Surprisingly active degradation in capillary fringe
Conclusions: Given the presence of cis-DCE and VC degrading bacteria, natural attenuation can eliminate these chemicals at the capillary fringe.
Microplastics in Pensacola Bay Watershed
Microplastics in Pensacola Bay Watershed
Project
Microplastics in Snails in FL
Papers
Witaker et al (2019)
Purpose: Establish a baseline of microplastic presence in Lakes Superior and Huron and to show the value of more sensitive sampling methods
General Methodology: Samples taken of surface water using Niskin bottles and immediately filtered.
Findings: Total microplastic concentration of 0.119 microplastics/mL, with 99% being microfibers
Conclusions: This study had a higher microplastic count most likely because it used more sensitive sampling methods, which could likely create more accurate results on a large scale
Kleinschmidt and Janosik (2021)
Purpose: quantify, characterize, and compare microplastic contamination in two predatory marine snails in FL
General Methodology: Randomized collection of wild snails from each species, collection of water samples, tissue digestion, filtration, and anaylsis of microplastic content
Findings: Significant difference of microplastics between snail species but not location
Conclusions: Differences in contamination may arise from differences in prey items and subsequent contamination of prey items of each snail
Beckwith and Fuentes
Purpose: to determine exposure of important Mexican Loggerhead nesting sites to microplastics
General Methodology: Sand samples were obtained from Loggerhead turtle nesting sites and analyzed for microplastics
Findings: Microplastics found at all sites, mostly in dunes, and decreasing from west to east.
Conclusions: Microplastic accumulation on nesting sites for the Northern Gulf of Mexico may be of great concern and could negatively affect the incubating environment
Human Impacts on Seagrasses: Examples from Pensacola Bay
Lewis and Devereaux (2008)
Purpose: Summarize findings of 2003 aerial seagrass surveys of Pensacola Bay and compare it to previous surveys
General Methodology: Aerial color photographs analyzed for continuous and pathcy seagrass coverage
Findings: An almost 9% reduction of Pensacola Bay seagrasses relative to 1992 survey
Conclusions: More frequent monitoring is warranted, especially given increasing urbanization of the area
McGlathery et al (2007)
Purpose: To synthesize understanding of the "coastal filter's" role
General Methodology: LIterature review of current understanding of coastal filters
Findings: Primary producers play an important role in coastal filter in shallow coastal systems and their effect on nutrient cycling via biofeedback is key to understanding eutrophication
Conclusions: Greater understanding of biotic feedback offered by primary producers in coastal filters warrants further study