Environmental Microbiology

Water microbiology

Water microbiology
Cyanobacteria compose a large part , form the basis of the oceanic food chain Plankton microscopic aquatic organisms
Phytoplankton support of ocean life is dependent on photosynthetic microscopic ocean life
Red tides of toxin-producing phytoplankton are caused by excessive nutrients from oceanic upwellings or terrestrial wastes

Zooplankton- animal life of the plankton family

Are eventually prey for fish

Water microbiology
Thermal vent bacteria are the primary producers of the deep ocean floor Lake health usually involves bacteria
Oligotrophic lakes have deep, clean water, low biological oxygen demand (B.O.D.), high dissolved oxygen (D.O.), high amounts of game fish

Lake health
Eutrophic lakes have shallow, murky water, high B.O.D., low D.O., few or no game fish
Caused by an overabundance of nutrients in lakes and streams

Water quality
Tests for water purity are aimed at detecting indicator organisms
Microbe (indicator) must be consistently present in human feces in substantial numbers Detectable by simple tests Coliform bacteria are the usual indicator organisms used in the U.S. for testing water Defined as aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, gram - , non-endospore-forming, rod-shaped, lactose fermenters that form gas < 48 hours E coli is the predominant fecal coliform (human intestinal inhabitants) :o)

Water quality
Test for E coli with ONPG (forms a yellow color) and MUG (fluoresces blue when exposed to long wave U.V. light) Useful indicator organisms for water sanitation Due to E coli presence, water may contain Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium cysts which are resistant to chemical disinfection both are 100X more resistant to treatment than viruses)

Water quality
There are acceptable coliform limits Water treatment is designed to produce water which is free of pathogens, not sterile water Drinking water is obtained either from surface reservoirs or aquifers (underground) Potable water is safe to drink Clear water doesnt mean that it is potable

Water treatment
What happens to that water that is used to do laundry, shower, flush, etc??
Primary sewage treatment
Large, floating material form incoming waste water are screened out Sewage then flows to settling chambers where skimmers remove floating debris (such as oil and grease) Goes to sedimentation tanks so that solid material settles (sludge) This removes ~ 50% of the suspended solids Flocculent is added to increase sedimentation The effluent (liquid) then undergoes secondary treatment Primary treatment removes ~ 30% of the B.O.D. or the biodegradable matter

Secondary treatment
Us designed to remove organic matter thereby reducing the B.O.D. Undergoes strong aeration which causes bacteria to grow in order to oxidize the organic matter to CO2 and H2O Use activated sludge system where oxygen is pumped into effluent and some sludge is added (sewage metabolizing microbes) Transferred to settling tank, clear effluent is disinfected and discharged (removes 75-95% of B.O.D.) OR

Secondary treatment
Trickling filters are used
Sewage is sprayed over a bed of rocks (or plastic) which has a biofilm of aerobic microbes growing Most of the organic matter is oxidized (8085% B.O.D.) Disinfection using chlorination before discharging into ocean, streams or spray irrigation

After secondary treatment

Sewage can be used as drinking water if filtered and passed through a reverse osmosis system to remove microbes Then exposed to U.V. light or other disinfectant

Tertiary treatment
The effluent from secondary treatment contains some B.O.D. and 50%N2 and 70% P which can affect ecosystems Tertiary treatment is designed to remove all of it Depends mostly on physical and chemical treatment Precipitate out the phosphorus Charcoal and/or sand filters use to remove chemical and small particulate matter Nitrogen is converted to ammonia and discharged into the air

Tertiary treatment
Purified water is chlorinated Provides water which is suitable for drinking Very costly process Secondary treatment is less costly when water is used for irrigation only, soil acts as a trickling filter before water reaches the ground water or surface water

Water borne diseases

Salmonella typhii causes typhoid fever Multiplies in phagocytic cells of mainly the spleen and liver Symptoms: fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain Invades gall bladder resulting in chronic carriers such as Typhoid Mary who was a cook

Salmonella typhii
Humans are the exclusive hosts, spread only in human feces Cycle of infection broken with proper sewage disposal, water treatment and food sanitation Vaccine not normally administered in developed countries. With this, immunity only exists for a few years Life long immunity is conferred after infection and recovery from the illness

Vibrio cholera
Causes cholera Grows in the small intestine, produces exotoxin Symptoms: sever muscle cramping, violent vomiting, up to 3-5 gallons of diarrhea/day Excess water and mineral electrolytes lost can cause shock, death Fever is usually not present

Vibrio cholera
Endemic in Asia, particularly India It is a worldwide problem where control of elimination of wastes is not practiced Oral electrolyte therapy (replacement of lost fluids and electrolytes is more effective than tetracycline administration Untreated has a 50% mortality rate

Shigella flexneri
Causes shigellosis, bacillary dysentery Symptoms: abdominal cramps, diarrhea with mucus and blood Primary site of the disease is the large intestine Some immunity results from recovery No vaccine exists Choice of antibiotic therapy is fluoroquinolones

Entamoeba histolytica
Protozoan which causes amoebic dysentery Usually from unsanitary food or water Is usually killed by water chlorination

Giardia lamblia
Causes giardiasis Flagellated protozoan Prolonged diarrheal disease Characterized by nausea, flatulence, distinctive odor of H2S gas can be detected in breath and stools May interfere with food absorption Common in the wilderness water sources Pathogen is shed by wild animals and consumed from fresh water Boil all water from wilderness sources

Hepatitis A
Typical entrance via oral route Multiplies in the lining of the intestinal tract Virus is shed in feces and can be detected in blood and urine Virus can survive several days on surfaces such as cutting boards Can be infected from water, foods cleaned in water, sometimes shellfish Survives in chlorine at he concentration used in water treatment

Escherichia coli
Causes travelers diarrhea Enterotoxigenic E coli is not part of our normal flora Produces a watery diarrhea resembling mild cholera accompanied by nausea and a low grade fever When traveling, carry anti-diarrheal medications, Peptobismol Dont use water for teeth brushing, washing fruits and veggies if not purified boil it, peel it or dont eat it

Poliomyelitis
A virus which has three serotypes Vaccine provides immunity to all three Salk vaccine series uses viruses which have been inactivated using formalin Sabin vaccine, the oral one, uses three living attenuated strands. Immunity achieved resembles having been naturally infected
Occasionally, the first dose administered type # 3 may revert to virulence and cause disease in children

Soil microbiology
Made up of minerals, living organisms (including fungi, microscopic bacteria) and humus which is the dead or decaying part of dirt One gram of soil can contain millions billions of bacteria, most of which are beneficial

 Barren rock soil formation begins with pioneer organisms, lichens (which are symbiotic organisms made up of algae and fungi) and cyanobacteria Saprophytes or decomposers recycle nutrients returning C, N, P,S and Fe to the soil Biodegradable products can be broken down by organisms

 Nitrogen recycling has long been practiced in farming (even if they didnt understand the mechanism of bacterial action) Crop rotation/ us of manure both involve bacteria re-supplying nitrogen to the soil by nitrogen fixation Nitrogen cycle involves fixation, nitrification and denitrification

 Nitrogen fixation
78% of the air is in the form that plants and animals cannot use directly Bacteria residing on the root nodules of legumes as well as some free living soil bacteria can use the nitrogen gas and fix it into a form that can be used NO3-

Other environmental microbes

Bioremediation uses microbes to detoxify or degrade pollutants
Natural bioremediation is enhanced with fertilizer (N+P)

Bioaugmentation makes luse of certain microbes selected for growth (or genetically modified) on petroleum products

 Acid rain which is created by burning fossil fuels (gives off sulfur which is converted to sulfuric acid in the atmosphere) can be reduced or assimilated into bacteria Biological pest control
Bacillus thuringiensis creates a diamond shaped crystal toxic to insects that ingest it
Kills catepillars in farming

 Bioluminescent fish emit light

Bacteria are luminescent and establish a symbiotic relationship with deep sea dwelling fish
Glow helps to attract and capture prey Organisms have the enzyme luciferase which picks up electrons from the flavoproteins of the ETS and emits electrons as photons of light

Global warming
What do bacteria have to do with global warming??
Global warming is an increase in heat retention of the atmosphere due to carbon dioxide and methane Referred to as the greenhouse effect Cyanobacteria fix carbon dioxide into organic matter Chemoautotrophs such as Thiobacillus fix carbon dioxide into organic matter using hydrogen sulfide gas for energy

Global warming
Methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide is used by prolific sea dwelling bacteria that use the escaping methane gas as an energy source (ten trillion tons of methane is contained here) :o)