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Home My WebLink About01. Presentation (Handout)Mi Handout Ir 40 Encapsulated Nitrifying Bacteria to Treat Water 0 Pollution and Prevent Harmful Algal Blooms F�' r n �y _ _ • 0 '04 • • BACKGROUND • o Massive Fish Die -Offs CAUSE: severe algal blooms + bad water quality - only 60% of bodies of water have good water quality! INSPIRATION FOR EXPERIMENT: 2022 Oakland Lake Merritt fish die -off image of Oakland Lake Merritt (BondGraham 2022) How do Algal Blooms Form? NUTRIENT POLLUTION 1 EXCESS NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS IN WATERWAYS (EUTROPHICATION) CYANOBACTERIA GROWTH 1 ALGAL BLOOMS OXYGEN DEPLETION/BREVETOXINS 7 WW— Gaseous A - PrecipiWion Atmospheric Nitrogen Lightningg Store Fixation / Fossil Fuel Emissions Bacteria Gaseous Fixation Losses / N2 & N20 i Runoff Fertilizers—' ��g(anic Matter Leaching Eutrophication Denitrificauon R NH2)� Mineralization Plant Consumption Ammonium (NH4+) Leaching Nitrification Nitrates Nitrites (NO3) Nion(NO2 ) image: http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9s.html '04 • • RESEARCH • o 0 Nitrogen nitrogen enters waterways thru runoffs • N introduced into sewer system • organic urea hydrolyzed into gaseous ammonia • then to ammonium • most toxic form of N!! • nitrates also contribute to eutrophication but < ammonia image: https://www.thesprucepets.com/ammonia-poisoning-1378479 Nitrifico Nitrification: the process b� autotrophic bacteria (nitrifie convert ammonium --,- nitrite nitrate Denitrification: the process which heterotrophic bacteri (denitrifiers) use the 02 fron nitrate for respiration —> N2 byproduct • Phosphorus phosphorus is actually more often the limiting nutrient! o low N levels don't guarantee limited algae growth like low P levels do o BUT if P abundant + uncontrollable, high nitrate levels could be better � less obnoxious algae can outcompete blue-green algae Trophic Status of Lakes vs Nitrate -Nitrogen levels NO3-N (mg/1) Trophic Level < 0.3 Oligotrophic 0.3 - 0.5 Mesotrophic 0.5 - 1.5 Eutrophic image: UMass Water Watch > 1.5 Hypereutrophic Partnership Phosphorus Fact Sheet Phosphorus Adsorption: P can be effectively adsorbed with substances that have high surface area —> clay! ' /• - :� '. �:.. `] �Y}L' I � - .}-'j' r' '..r � y. �. ate,? .�: �� ? •�i �.• - � `k. s--�r„ �` ,� •'l .t"~ � � � LYE _ '�`� ,� �...,� • ■ � �� 1- ram. c. - �„�.� ,� ..lam •. � , � https://ancientpottery.how/how-to-process-clay/ '04 • • OUR SOLUTION • o Nitrifying Bacteria &Clay Beads 6. Use sodium alginate solution mixed with nitrifying bacteria/clay, then drop into calcium chloride solution using syringe. creates beads with encapsulated compounds, does NOT disturb natural environment • • „I �1VnING ONnHD SOLUTION + APPLICATIONS � 1. Make sodium alginate solution and CaCI solution sodium calcium alginate chloride CLAYSOLUTION* NITRIFYING **not real colors BACTERIA SOLUTION* \ 3. Use a syringe to drop the mixture into CaCI solution repeat for�� both mixtures 00009,69 meads formed, clay encapsulated calcium chloride Filtration Column water enters into column from entrance of waterway large metal column, fine mesh on both ends to prevent beads from flowing out excess nitrogen goes through nitrification b/c of the nitrifying bacteria beads 40 excess phosphorus is adsorbed by the clay beads excess nitrogen and phosphorus removed from water, safely enters waterways Questions to consider/further research: • rate at which clay can adsorb phosphorus • size of column (should be proportional to body of water / calculated according to efficiency) • effectiveness of sodium alginate as a material o polyethylene glycol = similar, but pricey '04 • • OUR EXPERIMENT • o 0 fertilizer Materials distilled water o.5% fertilizer solution water testing kit j , �• , P ,- Wy/� NaC6H706 solution micropipettes y..r Trials _ -Ir ja — 1111110 -11� - Experiment 1, Trial 1, 2 days distilled (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer tap (bead), L to R: nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia (unencapsulated), L to R nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, ammonia, nitrate 1 ` Experiment 1, Trial 2, 2 days distilled (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer (bead), L to R: tap (bead), Lto R: 0.5% fertilizer nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (unencapsulated), L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite I Milli_ Experiment 1, Trial 1, 1 week distilled (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer (bead), L to R: nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia p Y tap (bead), Lto R: 0.5% fertilizer ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (unencapsulated), L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (r .- - - — Experiment 1, Trial 2, 1 week i7l "wt distilled (bead), Lto R: 0.5% fertilizer (bead), Lto R: tap (bead), Lto R: 0.5% fertilizer nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (unencapsulated). L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite �>+ VIA 9 distilled (bead), L to R: nitrite, nitrate, ammonia E) ft 0.5% fertilizer (bead), L to R: nitrite, nitrate, ammonia Trials �! Experiment 1, Trial 3, 1 week �- Y- tap (bead), L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite 0.5% fertilizer (unencapsulated), Lto R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite t Experiment 2, Trial 1, 2 days distilled (bead), L to R: 0.51% fertilizer (bead). L to R: tap (bead), L to R: 0.5%fertilizer nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (unencapsulated), L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite 0.5% fedilizer tap (bead), L to R: (unencapsulated), ammonia, nitrate, nitrite L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite — ? Ex enment 2, Trial 2, 2 days b Z_ P Y OAWN- distilled (bead), L to R: 0.5°% fertilizer (bead), L to nitrite, nitrate, ammonia R: nitrite, nitrate, ammonia -w--Jr Pwr 7t T distilled (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer (bead), L to R: tap (bead), L to R: 0.5% fertilizer nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrite, nitrate, ammonia ammonia, nitrate, nitrite (unencapsulated), L to R: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite Data Initial Readings Type of water Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite distilled 0.0 0.0 0.0 tap 5.0 0.50-1.0 0.0 0.5% fertilizer 5.0 8.0 0.0 First type of bacteria, left for two days Trial 1 Trial 2 Type of Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite water distilled 5.0 0.50 0.0 5.0 0.50 0.0 tap 5.0 1.0 0.0 5.0 1.0 0.0 0.5% 5.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 fertilizer (distilled) 0.5% 5.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 unencaps ulated First type of bacteria, left for one week Trial Trial Trial 1 2 3 Water Type Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite distilled 0.0-5.0 0.50 0.0 0.0 025 0.0 0.0-5.0 0.25 0.0 (bead) tap (bead) -10.0 0.25 0.0 -10.0 0.50 0.25 -10.0 0.50 0.0 0.5% 5.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 --10.0 8.0 0.0 fertilizer (bead) 0.5% -5.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 fertilizer (free) Second type of bacteria, left for two days Trial Trial Trial 1 2 3 Water Type Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia Nitrite distilled 5.0 0.50 0.0 0.0-5.0 0.50 0.0 5.0 0.50 0 (bead) tap (bead) 10.0 0.50 0.0 5.0 1.0 0.0 5.0 0.50 0 0.5% 5.0 8.0 0.0 0.0-5. 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0 fertilizer 0 (bead) 0.5% 5.0 8.0 0.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 5.0 8.0 0 fertilizer (free) '04 • • CONCLUSION • o 0 Our Experiment results may not be conclusive: water testing kit uses COLORS - comparing against a chart • reasons for possibly inaccurate results: • colored fertilizer (blue) • colored nitrifying bacteria solution (red) water testing kit uses IONS to detect chemicals • reason for possibly inaccurate results: o calcium chloride = ions, residual calcium chloride on surface of beads weren't washed off .1 W 6 ■ could have affected reading dark precipitate at the bottom of one of our ammonia test tubes Our Solution Act soon, start change! Projected increase in frequency, spread, and severity of algal blooms in the future Our Method - needs further research, BUT: Easy to implement —*Feasible implementation in pre-existing water systems Implementation in areas with already excess nitrogen and phosphorus Low maintenance requirements Low risk to the surrounding environment 26. '04 • • Thanl(Youl, • o