Geobacter Metallireducens: Decontaminating Diverse Environments

Isolation of Geobacter Metallireducens in Diverse Environments

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Around the world, the problem of contaminated water is jeopardizing the health of many, harming ecosystems, and this matter remains of high concern. Common metal contaminants, such as iron, chromium, and lead, leak into water sources, due to improper disposal, thus contaminating the water. Many studies have been conducted to provide a solution to this detrimental problem, however, the proposed solutions require prodigious amounts of energy, chemical additives, and are very expensive. In this study, data was collected based on the amount of electricity and hydrogen sulfide produced by Geobacter metallireducens in various contaminated environments, in order to understand how these organisms can play a major role in the decontamination of water. The study tested the Geobacter metallireducens in iron (III) oxide contaminated environment as well as an environment contaminated with chromium (IV) oxide. The more electricity and hydrogen sulfide that was produced by the microorganisms, confirmed that the organisms were decontaminating the environment efficiently. The study was conducted at the American Heritage School. The data analyzed demonstrated that the Geobacter metallireducens produced more electricity and hydrogen sulfide in the iron (III) oxide. The hypothesis proposed by the student researcher was strongly supported by the data collected and analyzed by the student researcher. The results concluded from this study will be beneficial in gaining a better understanding of the organisms’ behavior, modeling for many novel aspects of extracellular electron exchange, anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds, improving the health of many, and advancing technology dedicated to the decontamination of water.