A characterization of microbial diversity in the Winter Wonderland Ice Cave, Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda Seixas ◽  
Erin Eggleston ◽  
Jeffrey Munroe ◽  
David Herron
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Uinta Mountains ◽  
Ice Surface ◽  
Madison Limestone ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms ◽  
Ice Water

<p>Winter Wonderland is an ice cave in the Uinta Mountains of northern Utah, USA. The cave, which has an entrance at 3140 m a.s.l., extends 245 m into a north facing cliff of Mississippi Madison Limestone. The cave was discovered by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014. Winter Wonderland Ice Cave likely originated in the Late Mississippian to Early Pennsylvanian when joints opened up in the vadose zone. The interior of the cave is perennially below freezing with ice covering sections of the floor to a thickness of at least 2 m. Seasonally, meltwater from the epikarst enters the cave, pools on the surface of the older ice and freezes, creating a layered ice mass containing organic matter dating back several centuries. As this water freezes, cryogenic cave carbonates (CCCs) precipitate and are incorporated in the ice. In this study, ice, water, and mineral precipitates in the cave were investigated for the presence of microorganisms adapted to this extreme environment. Samples were collected to investigate the microbial communities that may be present within the Winter Wonderland ice cave, identify what they are, and investigate whether the composition of the microbial community changes spatially within the cave and between sample types. An intact block of ice (18x10x10 cm), liquid water samples (n=8), and 13 CCC samples were collected in August 2019. The ice block was removed from a vertical exposure of ice at the back of the cave using a hand saw, water was collected from a pool on the ice surface, and the CCCs were sampled from the surface of the ice in multiple sections of the cave. The water samples were analyzed for stable isotope composition to better understand water source and freezing history. Crystallographic study of oriented slides cut from the ice revealed that the ice crystallized vertically with some variation in crystal size. All samples were also investigated with fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and DNA sequencing to reveal the abundance and type of microorganisms. Preliminary fluorescence microscopy and SEM imaging reveals the presence of cocci and bacilli type microorganisms within water samples and ~10um wide eukaryotic organisms within the CCCs, suggesting that the CCCs may provide much needed nutrients for the microbes or that the CCCs themselves are products of biomineralization.</p>

Reviewing the origin of subglacial Lake Vostok and its sensitivity to ice sheet changes

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Siegert
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Ice Growth ◽  
Lake Vostok ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Ice Surface ◽  
Ice Flows ◽  
Subglacial Lakes ◽  
Ice Water

The history of Lake Vostok, the huge East Antarctic subglacial lake, is critical to the unique biota expected in this extreme environment. One theory is that the lake existed prior to the mid-Miocene glaciation of the continent at around 15 million years ago, survived the subsequent period of ice growth intact, and then remained relatively stable beneath its thick ice cover to the present day. The alternative is that the lake was formed by subglacial water flow into an existing and/or glacially eroded trough after the ice sheet reached its present configuration. Here, the onset of persistent ice cover in Antarctica is reviewed and a simple model for continental ice growth discussed. This information is used to argue against the preglacial origin of subglacial lakes. Lake Vostok is large because ice flows essentially perpendicular to the trough’s long axis, permitting the slopes of the ice surface and the ice-water interface to be low. During the onset of glaciation ice flow across Lake Vostok would have been more akin to flow across an ice marginal trough such as the Astrolabe Subglacial Basin, which holds the thickest ice in Antarctica: 4776 m where the bed is over 2 km below the sea level. Hence, regardless of whether Lake Vostok was a lake prior to glaciation, its trough is likely to have been occupied by grounded ice during the period of ice growth. Although the lake is stable today, its size and extent will be affected by ice sheet changes that occur over glacial-interglacial cycles. Such changes are reviewed and the potential consequences for the lake’s volume are discussed.

Using Caenorhabditis Elegans As An Environmental Indicator for Impaired Urbanized Watersheds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carresse Gerald ◽  
Boris Deshazo ◽  
Hayden Patterson ◽  
Porché Spence
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Urban Stream ◽  
Environmental Indicator ◽  
Water Contaminants ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Historically Black University ◽  
Impaired Water ◽  
Bacterial Food

Abstract Background Third Fork Creek is a historically impaired urban stream that flows through the city of Durham, North Carolina. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) are non-parasitic, soil and aquatic dwelling nematodes that have been used frequently as a biological and ecotoxicity model. We hypothesize that exposure to Third Fork Creek surface water will inhibit the reproduction and chemotaxis of C. elegans. Using our ring assay model, nematodes were enticed to cross the impaired water samples to reach a bacterial food source which allowed observation of chemotaxis. The total number of nematodes found in the bacterial food source and the middle of the plate with the impaired water source was recorded for three days. Results Our findings suggest a reduction in chemotaxis and reproduction on day three in nematodes exposed to Third Fork Creek water samples when compared to the control (pvalue<0.05). These exploratory data provide meaningful insight to the quality of Third Fork Creek located near a Historically Black University. Conclusions Further studies are necessary to elucidate the concentrations of the water contaminants and implications for human health. The relevance of this study lies within the model C. elegans, that has been used in a plethora of human diseases and exposure research but can be utilized as an environmental indicator of water quality impairment.

scholarly journals Physico-chemical quality of drinking water in the Njoro sub-county in Kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-507
Author(s):  
Philip Ruciaka Kirianki ◽  
Edward Muchiri ◽  
Natasha Potgieter
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Water Source ◽  
World Health ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Storage Container ◽  
Standard Assessment ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Njoro sub-county in Kenya suffers from constant water shortages causing the residents to rely on both improved and unimproved water sources in the area. The households in the sub-county also use different household storage containers to store drinking water in times when water is not readily available. This study was therefore undertaken to assess selective physico-chemical parameters of water used by the population for drinking purposes using standard assessment methods. A total of 372 water source samples and 162 storage container water samples were tested over a period of three months. Turbidity (0.70–273.85 NTU), iron (0.7–2.10 mg/L), fluoride (0.15–4.01 mg/L), manganese (0.01–0.37 mg/L), and nitrate (0.09–27.90 mg/L) levels in water samples were generally higher than the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and/or the World Health Organization (WHO) water quality recommendations for safe drinkable water. The results from this study support the need for continuous monitoring and treating drinking water at the points of collection and of consumption to minimize the long-term health effects on communities consuming this water.

scholarly journals Assessment of Fluoride in Groundwater and Surface Water in Gorakhpur District, Uttar Pradesh, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (VII) ◽  
pp. 2028-2036
Author(s):  
Aseem Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Ground Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Fluoride Concentration ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Common Element ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Groundwater Source

Fluorine is the most electronegative and most reactive halogen. Fluorine is 13th most common element on earth crust found in the form of fluoride. Concentration of fluoride below 1 mg/l are believed beneficial in the prevention of dental carries or tooth decay, but above 1.5mg/l, it increases the severity of the deadly diseases fluorosis, which is incurable in India. The whole study was conducted in Gorakhpur region to know about the concentration of fluoride, mainly in rural areas of the district. We have collected 64 drinking water samples from 9 blocks of the district in which we took 6 number of ground water samples from each block so total 54 number of samples were collected from the groundwater source and 8 number of samples were taken from surface water source. Out of 54 ground water samples, 36 numbers of samples were taken from India Mark-II hand pumps and rest 18 number of samples were taken from shallow depth hand pumps and tested to determine the concentration of fluoride. From our assessment we came to know that in this region the concentration of fluoride in groundwater ranges between 0.004 to 1.42mg/l, minimum value is found in the surface water source and the maximum value is found from the ground water source.The samples collected from both ground water and as well as surface water were taken from potable sources i.e. they are used for drinking purposes in daily routine. After the testing and analyzing the samples it is come to know that surface water has quite lower levels fluoride compare to ground water. The conclusion of this work is to give information about the concentration of fluoride in groundwater and surface water of the district.

scholarly journals Clinical and Microbiologic Efficacy of a Water Filter Program in a Rural Honduran Community

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Arquiette ◽  
Michael P. Stevens ◽  
Jean M. Rabb ◽  
Kakotan Sanogo ◽  
Patrick Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Proximal Region ◽  
Bacterial Colony ◽  
Water Filter ◽  
Treatment Measures ◽  
Water Filters ◽  
Source Number

Water purification in the rural Honduras is a focus of the nonprofit organization Honduras Outreach Medical Brigade Relief Effort (HOMBRE). We assessed water filter use and tested filter microbiologic and clinical efficacy. A 22-item questionnaire assessed water sources, obtainment/storage, purification, and incidence of gastrointestinal disease. Samples from home clay-based filters in La Hicaca were obtained and paired with surveys from the same home. We counted bacterial colonies of four bacterial classifications from each sample. Sixty-five surveys were completed. Forty-five (69%) individuals used a filter. Fifteen respondents reported diarrhea in their home in the last 30 days; this incidence was higher in homes not using a filter. Thirty-three paired water samples and surveys were available. Twenty-eight samples (85%) demonstrated bacterial growth. A control sample was obtained from the local river, the principal water source; number and bacterial colony types were innumerable within 24 hours. Access to clean water, the use of filters, and other treatment methods differed within a geographically proximal region. Although the majority of the water samples failed to achieve bacterial eradication, water filters may sufficiently reduce bacterial coliform counts to levels below infectious inoculation. Clay water filters may be sustainable water treatment measures in resource poor settings.

scholarly journals Chemical Characteristics and Quality Assessment of Groundwater of Exploited Aquifers in Beijiao Water Source of Yinchuan, China: A Case Study for Drinking, Irrigation, and Industrial Purposes

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wu ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Hui Qian ◽  
Xuedi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Simple Algorithm ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Chemical Characteristics ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Confined Water ◽  
Phreatic Water

This work is aimed at reviewing the chemical characteristics and evaluation of the quality of exploited groundwater in Beijiao water source of Yinchuan. A coupled model based on osculating value method (OVM) and entropy is proposed to determine the suitability for drinking. Besides, phreatic water and confined water are evaluated for irrigation purposes and industrial purposes, respectively. Piper diagram shows different hydrochemical characteristics between aquifers, which can be explained by the control mechanisms revealed by Gibbs diagram. Chloroalkaline indices and ions relationship indicate that reverse ion exchanges occur in different aquifers. Based on the osculating values, 96% of the phreatic water samples are fit for human consumption, and the confined water can provide quality drinking water. Most of the phreatic water samples have no sodium hazard but have magnesium hazard. All the confined water samples generate mild foaming reaction, and 93% of them are mildly corrosive for boilers. An assessment by OVM without entropy is calculated. Similar results to the coupled model demonstrate that pure OVM is also objective and valid. The simple algorithm turns multicriteria decision-making problems into an integrated index which is just as useful to water quality assessment.

An easy-to-use, low-cost evaporation protection to collect more reliable stable water isotope data with Teledyne ISCO portable samplers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana von Freyberg ◽  
Julia L. A. Knapp ◽  
Andrea Rücker ◽  
Bjørn Studer ◽  
Massimiliano Zappa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Isotope Fractionation ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Storage Duration ◽  
Full Size ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Protection Method ◽  
Wide Range

&lt;p&gt;Off-the-shelf portable automatic water samplers, such as the 6712 full-size portable sampler (Teledyne ISCO, Lincoln, USA), are often used in remote locations to collect precipitation or streamwater for subsequent analysis of deuterium and oxygen-18. &amp;#160;The bottles inside these automatic samplers remain open during the full duration of sampler deployment and the collected water samples can thus be subjected to evaporation and vapor exchange. &amp;#160;Both processes are known to alter the isotope composition of the water sample, and thus the questions arise as to 1) how credible the isotope measurements from automatically collected water samples are and 2) how can these isotope effects in the automatic water sampler be reduced?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We evaluated these questions through laboratory and field experiments in which we quantified the change in isotope composition in the water samples with respect to ambient conditions (air temperature and relative humidity), storage duration, and sample volume.&amp;#160; We found that isotope fractionation in the water samples was substantial under very warm and dry condition, when sample volumes are small or when sample storage exceeded 10 days. &amp;#160;To address these problems, we have designed an evaporation protection method which modifies autosampler bottles using a syringe housing and silicone tube.&amp;#160; We performed paired experiments with open vs. evaporation-protected bottles in Teledyne ISCO 6712 full-size portable samplers to evaluate our design. &amp;#160;We could show that the evaporation protection successfully reduced isotope fractionation in the water samples for storage durations of up to 24 days and for a wide range of ambient conditions; e.g., while deuterium concentrations in the water samples in open bottles changed by ca. 3&amp;#8240; under very warm and dry conditions, no isotope effect was measured in the bottles equipped with the evaporation protection. Because our design is very cost efficient it can easily be implemented to upgrade Teledyne ISCO&amp;#8217;s 6712 full-size portable samplers or other similar devices for collecting more reliable isotope data.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals 1231. Legionella Variability From Routine Environmental Testing Across All Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S443-S443
Author(s):  
Chetan Jinadatha ◽  
John David Coppin ◽  
Shantini D Gamage ◽  
Stephen Kralovic ◽  
Gary Roselle
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Prevention Policy ◽  
Environmental Testing ◽  
Medical Facilities

Abstract Background VHA Legionella prevention policy requires quarterly testing of potable water samples, for its 170 medical facilities (“stations”) distributed across the United States. We modeled the variability in Legionella positivity rates by location structure and by time to understand Legionella prevalence and distribution across VHA nationwide. Our goal was to understand when, where and why variations in Legionella positivity happens across VHA facilities. Methods Data from quarterly water samples from sinks and showers from 2015 through 2017 and for which complete information was reported were used for the model. A multi-level Bayesian logistic regression model was run in R version 3.5.1. The hierarchical location group levels consisted of room nested within floor, within building, within station, within region. The time group-level effects included quarter nested within year. Variabilities within groups were estimated as standard deviation (SD) on the log-odds scale. Results Among 138,553 samples, there was little seasonal effect (SD: 0.32) in Legionella positivity based on the quarter in which they were sampled. The largest variability in Legionella positivity occurred at the station level (SD: 2.38), with substantial variation at the building level also (SD: 1.85). The 5% of stations most likely to be positive for Legionella represented only 7.5% of total samples but accounted for 39.7% of all positive samples. The 5% of stations least likely to be positive for Legionella represented 10.4% of total samples, but only had 2 positive samples. Conclusion Buildings with the highest probability for Legionella positivity are clustered together within stations. We saw no major seasonal variations in Legionella positivity across facilities. We were able to better predict stations with higher positivity as well as lower overall positivity for Legionella water sampling. The observed dominant station-level effects could be due to overarching influences such as a single water source and suggests approaches at this level can impact Legionella control. These results demonstrate a mechanism for understanding the distribution and probability of Legionella and can inform prevention practices and future policy. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Synthetic Pyrethroids Pesticide Residues in Soils and Drinking Water Sources from Cocoa Farms in Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedicta Y. Fosu-Mensah ◽  
Elvis D. Okoffo ◽  
Michael Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Pesticide Residues ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Synthetic Pyrethroids ◽  
Lambda Cyhalothrin ◽  
Cocoa Farm ◽  
Soil And Water

The contamination of pesticides in 32 soils and 64 drinking water samples was investigated from cocoa farms in the Dormaa West District of Ghana to assess pollution status. A total of nine synthetic pyrethroids pesticides were measured with a high resolution Varian CP-3800 Gas Chromatograph equipped with <sup>63</sup>Ni electron capture detector (ECD). Eight synthetic pyrethroid residues namely fenvalerate, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, bifenthrin, permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, allethrin and cyfluthrin were detected with lambda-cyhalothrin and allethrin occurring most frequently in soil and water respectively. The concentrations of synthetic pyrethroids residues in the soil samples were in the ranges of; 0.02-0.03 mg/kg for lambda-cyhalothrin, 0.010-0.02 mg/kg for allethrin, 0.010-0.04 mg/kg for cyfluthrin, &lt;0.01-0.04 mg/kg for cypermethrin, 0.02-0.06 mg/kg for deltamethrin, and &lt;0.01-0.03 mg/kg for bifenthrin. Similarly, the synthetic pyrethroids residues in the water samples were in the ranges of; 0.01-0.05 µg/L for allethrin, 0.01-0.04 µg/L for fenvalerate, 0.01-0.04 µg/L for cypermethrin and 0.01-0.05 µg/L for deltamethrin. The concentrations of synthetic pyrethroids pesticide residues recorded in the soil samples analysed were generally below and within their respective US MRLs for agricultural soils, except the mean concentration values recorded for pesticides such as lambda-cyhalothrin at Diabaa (S2) and Krakrom (S3), allethrin at Diabaa (S2) and deltamethrin at Kwakuanya (S4), which were above their respective US MRLs for agricultural soils. The trends of synthetic pyrethroids pesticide residues in the water samples analysed from the various distances to cocoa farms decreased with an increase of water source to cocoa farm (ranking; 0-15m&gt;16-30m&gt;above 30m). All synthetic pyrethroids pesticide residues recorded in the water samples were below and within their respective WHO MRLs for drinking water except for deltamethrin, which exceeded the WHO MRL at Kwakuanya (S4) at distance 0-15m from a cocoa farm. The presence of synthetic pyrethroids residues in the soil and water samples analysed is an indication of the use of the pesticide by cocoa farmers in the study area. The routine monitoring of pesticide residues in the study area is necessary for the control and reduction of environmental pollution.

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