Life Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Prairie Restoration On Geochemistry And Microbial Communities In Groundwater, Kayla Koenig

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prairie restoration is important for reversing the loss of biodiversity and repairing ecosystem functions humanity is dependent on diverse ecosystems. This study looks at the impact of the beginning phases of prairie restoration on groundwater geochemistry and microbial communities the relationship between them. This research project studied the geochemistry and microbial communities in five wells before, during, and after the beginning phases of the first year of a prairie restoration on the Northern Illinois University campus. Water samples were collected bimonthly for a year and analyzed on an Ion Chromatograph. Microbial samples were collected monthly and underwent DNA extraction, amplification, …

Assessment Of Endogenous Biomass Decay As A Source Of Precursors For Microbially-Mediated Toluene And P-Cresol Production, Samuel J. Reynolds

LSU Master's Theses

The research reported in this thesis was conducted to investigate whether protein hydrolysis associated with endogenous decay of biomass produced following the addition of a readily fermentable substrate is a potential source of precursors that can ultimately be transformed to toluene and p-cresol in environments undergoing enhanced bioremediation.

A packed column intended to represent a laboratory-scale section of an aquifer was seeded with groundwater and then supplied with molasses-amended groundwater for a two-day interval. The injected molasses concentration and surface loading rate were selected to be representative of conditions in the vicinity of injection wells at a Superfund Site …

Factors Influencing Diarrheal Pathogen Presence In Tubewells Of Bangladesh, Kati Anne Ayers

Masters Theses

Diarrheal disease pathogens remain a major concern in developing countries as rotavirus is the leading cause of hospitalization of young children worldwide. A recent study has shown shallow groundwater in rural Bangladesh to be contaminated with bacterial and viral pathogens, but found no correlation between rotavirus and any fecal indicator or environmental parameter during the monsoon season of July, 2009. The objectives of this thesis were to examine the non-relationship between pathogens and fecal indicators, as well as to improve the understanding of the seasonal transport of viral pathogens, especially rotavirus, in shallow, sandy aquifers of Bangladesh. This was achieved …