Grantee Research Project Results
Microbial Community Diversity, Structural and Functional Responses to Multi-Component Metal Contamination of River Benthic Systems
EPA Grant Number: R829400E03Title: Microbial Community Diversity, Structural and Functional Responses to Multi-Component Metal Contamination of River Benthic Systems
Investigators: Holben, William E. , Gannon, James , Moore, Johnnie , Rillig, Matthias
Institution: University of Montana
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 24, 2001 through September 22, 2004
Project Amount: $375,000
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to develop detailed information about the composition, physiological activities, and chemical environment of microbial communities in river sediments contaminated with mine wastes. These experiments test five hypotheses: (1) initial exposure to metals inhibits or kills sensitive organisms, leaves tolerant populations as dominant, and produces an initial net decrease in diversity; (2) gradual changes in microbial community structure and function occur as the resident community becomes more tolerant of metal contamination; (3) decreased apparent toxicity from metal contamination occurs with prolonged exposure as a result of increased tolerance; (4) bacterial community changes can be indicative of the ecological health of watersheds because of the primary role bacteria play in biogeochemical processes and their basal position in ecosystem trophic structure; and (5) microbial communities respond to perturbation through changes in abundance of specific populations, or through altered patterns of physiological/metabolic activity.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 6 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 4 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
microbial community, heavy metal, DNA, mining, restoration, indicators, Montana, MT, PCR, microbial community structure, perturbation, hyporheic sediments, heavy metal contamination, sediment metal loads, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Geographic Area, Waste, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Environmental Chemistry, Arsenic, Chemicals, State, Fate & Transport, Microbiology, Monitoring/Modeling, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Monitoring, Ecology and Ecosystems, Water Pollutants, Hazardous, EPA Region, fate and transport, monitoring, aquatic ecosystem, contaminant dynamics, fate and transport , contaminant transport, mine tailings, Region 8, analytical chemistry, chemical kinetics, mining, chemical releases, groundwater contamination, Montana , chemical transport models, groundwater, heavy metals, mining wastes, mining impacted watershed, stream ecosystemProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.