Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sensitivity Of Geoelectrical Measurements To The Presence Of Bacteria In Porous Media, Gamal Z. Abdel Aal, Estella A. Atekwana, Silvia Rossbach, D. Dale Werkema

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigated the sensitivity of low-frequency electrical measurements (0.1-1000 Hz) to (1) microbial cell density, (2) live and dead cells, and (3) microbial attachment onto mineral surfaces of clean quartz sands and iron oxide-coated sands. Three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (wild type and rhlA and pilA mutant) with different motility and attachment properties were used. Varying concentrations of both live and dead cells of P. aeruginosa wild type in sand columns showed no effect on the real conductivity component (σ′). However, the imaginary conductivity component (σ″) increased linearly with increasing concentrations of live cells in sand columns, whereas minimal …