Interaction of Bacteria with Environmental Contaminants and Solid Surfaces in the Aquatic Environment

Although efforts have been made to explain the behavior of heavy metals and refractory organic contaminants in aquatic habitats in the framework of known geophysical and geochemical processes, much remains to be learned about the role of bacteria in such behavior. Of particular interest are bacteria-contaminant interactions in ground water. Because of the persistence of some contaminants in the subsurface environment and because of increasing demands for both high-quality ground water and on-land disposal of toxic chemicals and radioisotopes, these interactions should remain important environmental problems for the next few decades. Because significant biotransformation/biodegradation of many environmental contaminants in aquifers and particle-laden surface water can occur at particle surfaces, explanation for bacteria-contaminant interaction in such environments should take the presence of particles into account. Objectives of this project are to provide some of the microbiological information necessary for realistic prediction of contaminant behavior in aquatic environments; obtain information on specific mechanisms of interactions between environmental contaminants and aquatic bacteria, taking into account adsorption, active uptake, competition, biotransformation reactions, interaction with extracellular polymers, effects of nutrient and physicochemical gradients, and effects of particle surfaces; investigate the effect of nutrient and physicochemical gradients, and effects of particle surfaces; and investigate the effect of nutrient and physicochemical conditions on subsurface transport of bacteria (because the role of bacterial transport on the fate of environmental contaminants in ground water is unknown). For current work being done by this project, see project's home page

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999-2008

Ford, R.M. and Harvey, R.W., 2007, Transport properties for motile and chemotactic bacteria in saturated porous media: Advances in Water Resources, v. 30, p.1608-1617. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Harvey, R.W., Harms, H., and Landkamer, L., 2007, Transport of microorganisms in the terrestrial subsurface: In situ and laboratory methods, in Hurst, C.J., Crawford, R.L., Garland, J.L., Lipson, D.A., Mills, A.L., and Stetzenback, L.D., eds., Manual of Environmental Microbiology, 3nd Edition: Washington, ASM Press, pp. 872-897

Harvey, R.W., Suflita, J.M., and McInerney, M.J., 2007, Overview of issues in subsurface and landfill microbiology. In situ and laboratory methods, in Hurst, C.J., Crawford, R.L., Garland, J.L., Lipson, D.A., Mills, A.L., and Stetzenback, L.D., eds., Manual of Environmental Microbiology, 3nd Edition: Washington, ASM Press, pp. 675-678.

Maxwell, R.M., Welty, C., and Harvey, R.W., 2007, Revisiting the Cape Cod bacteria injection experiment using a stochastic modeling approach: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 41, no. 15, p. 5548-5558. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Metge, D.W., Harvey, R.W., Anders, R., Rosenberry, D.O., Seymour, D., and Jasperse, J., 2007, Use of carboxylated microspheres to assess transport potential of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts at the Russian River Water Supply Facility, Sonoma County, California: Geomicrobiology Journal, v. 24, p. 231-245. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Abudalo R.A., Bogatsu Y.G., Ryan J.N., Harvey R.W., Metge D.W., and Elimelech M., 2005, The effect of ferric oxyhydroxide grain coatings on the transport of bacteriophage PRD1 and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in saturated porous media: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 39, no. 17, p. 6412-6419. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Blanford, W.J., Brusseau, M.L., Yeh, J.T.C., Gerba, C.P., and Harvey, R., 2005, Influence of water chemistry and travel distance on bacteriophage PRD-1 transport in a sandy aquifer: Water Research, v. 29, no. 11, p. 2345-2357. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Harvey, R.W., 2005, Predicting bacterial transport: What column- and field-scale tracer tests can tell us and what they cannot: Proceedings of the Technical Workshop, Microorganisms- Water and Aquifers, Sede Boqer, Israel, Sept. 20-21, 2005, p. 39-43.

Renken, R.A., Cunningham, K.J., Zygnerski, M.R., Wacker, M.A., Shapiro, A.M., Harvey, R.W., Metge, D.W., Osborn, C.L., and Ryan, J.N., 2005, Assessing the vulnerability of a municipal well field to contamination in a karst aquifer: Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, v.11, no.4, p.319-331. (on-line abstract of journal article or on-line article in pdf format)

Becker, M.W., Collins, S.A., Metge, D.W., Harvey, R.W., and Shapiro, A.M., 2004, Effect of cell physicochemical characteristics and motility on bacterial transport in groundwater: Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, v. 69, nos. 3-4, p. 195-213. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Harvey, R.W., and Ryan, J.N., 2004, Use of PRD1 bacteriophage in groundwater viral transport, inactivation, and attachment studies: FEMS Microbiology Ecology, v. 49, no. 1, p. 3-16 (on-line abstract of journal article)

Landkamer, L.L., Harvey, R.W., Metge, D.W., and Fyan, J.N., 2004, Modeling microbial enhancement of Zn(II) and Pb(II) in columns packed with geologic media, in Wanty, R.G., and Seal, R.R., eds., Water Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., June 27-July 2, 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, p. 1139-1140.

Osborn, C.L., Ryan, J.N., Harvey, R.W., Metge, D.W., Landkamer, L.L., Renken, R.A., Cunningham, K..J., and Shapiro, A.M., 2004, Transport and attachment of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and microsphere analogues in karstic limestone of the Biscayne aquifer, Miami-Dade County, Florida, in Wanty, R.G., and Seal, R.R., eds., Water Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., June 27-July 2, 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, p. 1141-1143.

Tufenkji, N., Miller, G.F., Ryan, J.N., Harvey, R.W., and Elimelech, M., 2004, Transport of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Porous Media: Role of Straining and Physicochemical Filtration: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 38, no. 22, p. 5932-5938. (on-line abstract)

van Cuyk, S., Siegrist, R.L., Lowe, K., and Harvey, R.W., 2004, Evaluation of microbial purification during soil treatment of wastewater with multicomponent tracer and surrogate tests: Journal of Water Quality, v. 33, p. 316-329. (on-line abstract)

Becker, M.W. Metge, D.W., Collins, S.A., Shapiro, A.M., and Harvey, R.W., 2003, Bacterial transport experiments in fractured crystalline bedrock: Ground Water, v. 41, p. 682 - 689. (on-line abstract)

Byl, T.D., Hileman, G.E., Williams, S.D., Metge, D.W., and Harvey, R.W., 2002, in Aiken, G.R., and Kuniansky, E.L., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Artificial Recharge Workshop Proceedings, Sacramento, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-89, p. 58-59.

Harvey, R.W., and Harms, H., 2002, Tracers in groundwater - use of microorganisms and microspheres, in Britton, G., ed., Encylopedia of Environmental Microbiology: New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 3194-3202. (on-line report in pdf format)

Harvey, R.W., Mayberry, N.A., Kinner, N.E., Metge, D.W., and Novarino, F., 2002, Effect of growth conditions and staining procedure upon the subsurface transport behavior of a groundwater protist: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v. 68, p. 1872-1881. (on-line abstract)

Kinner, N.E., Harvey, R.W., Shay, D.M., Metge, D.W., and Warren, A., 2002, Field Evidence for a protistan role in an organically-contaminated aquifer: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 36, no. 20, p. 4312-4318. (on-line abstract)

Metge, D.W., 2002, Fate and transport of bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens during ASR operations- what microorganisms do we need to worry about and why?, in Aiken, G.R., and Kuniansky, E.L., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Artificial Recharge Workshop Proceedings, Sacramento, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-89, p. 58-59. (on-line report)

Ryan, J.N., Harvey, R.W., Metge, D.W., Pieper, A.P., Navigato, T., and Elimelech, M., 2002, Field and laboratory investigations of inactivation of viruses (PRD1 and MS2) attached to iron oxyhydroxide-coated quartz sand: Enviromental Science and Technology, vo. 36, p. 2403-2413. (on-line abstract)

Campbell-Rehmann, L.L., Welty, C., and Harvey, R.W., 2000, Reply to comment on "Stochastic analysis of virus transport in aquifers": Water Resources Research, v. 36, p. 1983-1984. (on-line abstract)

Ginn, T.R, Rehmann, L.L.C, Welty, C., Harvey, R.W., 2000, Stochastic analysis of virus transport in aquifers; discussion and reply [modified]: Water Resources Research, v. 36, no. 7, p.1981-1984.

Bekins, B.A., Baehr, A.L., Cozzarelli, I.M., Essaid, H.I., Haack, S.K., Harvey, R.W., Shaprio, A.M., Smith, J.A., Smith, R.L., 1999, Capabilities and challenges of natural attenuation in the subsurface: Lessons from the U.S. Geological Survey Toxics Substances Hydrology Program, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program - A Proceeding of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3--Subsurface Contamination from Point Sources: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 37-56. (on-line abstract)

Campbell-Rehmann, L.L., Welty, C., and Harvey, R.W., 1999, Stochastic analysis of virus transport in aquifers: Water Resources Research, v. 35, p. 1987-2006. (on-line abstract)

Harvey, R.W., Mayberry, N.A., Kinner, N.E., and Metge, D.W., 1999, Effect of growth conditions upon the subsurface transport behavior of a ground-water protist, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3--Contamination of Hydrologic Systems and Related Ecosystems: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 405-410. (on-line abstract)

Metge, D.W., Navigato, T., Larson, J.E., Ryan, J.N., and Harvey, R.W., 1999, Dual radioisotope labeling to monitor virus transport and identify factors affecting viral inactivation in contaminated aquifer sediments from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3--Contamination of Hydrologic Systems and Related Ecosystems: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 423-430. (on-line abstract)

Ryan, J.N., Elimelech, M., Ard, R.A., Harvey, R.W., and Johnson, P.R., 1999, Bacteriophage PRDI and silica colloid transport and recovery in an iron oxide-coated sand aquifer: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 33, p. 63-73. (on-line abstract)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PROJECT, CONTACT:
Ronald W. Harvey
U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine St., Boulder, CO 80303
Email: rwharvey@usgs.gov
Telephone: 303-541-3034

David W. Metge
U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine St., Boulder, CO 80303
Email: dwmetge@usgs.gov
Telephone: 303-541-3033

 For information on additional projects in the National Research Program, see Indexes to NRP projects and bibliographies