Defense Date
6-29-2023
Graduation Date
Summer 8-5-2023
Availability
One-year Embargo
Submission Type
thesis
Degree Name
MS
Department
Environmental Science and Management (ESM)
Committee Chair
Nancy Trun
Committee Member
John Stolz
Committee Member
Phillip Reeder
Keywords
Microbiology, Bioremediation, Abandoned Mine Drainage, Sulfate, Metals, Culturing, Molecular, Mining
Abstract
Pollution resulting from abandoned mine drainage (AMD) is widespread across the nation and impacts thousands of miles of watersheds in Pennsylvania alone. AMD contaminants pose hazards to ecosystems and to human health by lowering the pH and by suspending toxic heavy metals in water. Sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) are known to remove metals and sulfur species from mine drainage through the formation of metal sulfide precipitates and have been documented to raise the alkalinity of water. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the environmental conditions in which these microorganisms survive. Environmental samples were collected from a circumneutral and an acidic passive remediation system. High numbers of facultative SRB were observed in samples from the circumneutral PRS, while little to no growth was found in the acidic samples. Three facultative SRB, Shewanella, Citrobacter, and Aeromonas were repeatedly identified by DNA sequence.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Lamagna, N. (2023). ASSESSMENT OF FACULTATIVE SULFUR REDUCING BACTERIA IN ACIDIC AND CIRCUMNEUTRAL PASSIVE REMEDIATION SYSTEMS USING A NOVEL CULTURING TECHNIQUE (Master's thesis, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/2259