Use of Microbial Assays to Distinguish Between Heavy Metal and Organic Chemical Toxicity

这是一个为NSF资助号88-13714下的研究提供更新支持的奖项，其目的是确定在何种条件下，在所选微生物的代谢过程中抑制酶的生产，可以用来预测有毒物质对微生物的影响，微生物用于深层培养，生物废水处理过程。结果包括将研究结果应用于环境介质中重金属毒性测定的短期生物测定程序的开发。该项目的目标包括通过改变被试生物细胞壁的渗透性来提高生物传感过程的灵敏度。工作将包括努力简化程序的操作，以提高其在改进生物废水处理过程操作方面的常规使用潜力，调查其在区分重金属和有机毒物的生物分析中使用的潜力；以及评估与固体物质（如沉积物、土壤、污泥和焚烧过程产生的灰）相关的污染物有关的重金属毒性。预期这项研究的结果将用于受有毒物质影响的生物处理过程的工程设计、评估废物排放对环境的影响、确定有毒物质对可能用于农业和工业目的的水的再利用的影响。并在评估生物、化学和物理程序的结果，这些程序适用于危险废物场地的补救。

This is a an award to provide renewal support for research that was initiated under NSF Grant No. 88-13714, objectives of which were to determine the conditions under which the inhibition of metabolic processes in selected microorganisms for production of enzymes could be used to predict the effect of toxic substances on microorganisms organisms used in submerged culture, biological wastewater treatment processes. Results included the application of findings to development of a short-term, bioassay procedure for determination of heavy metal toxicity in environmental media. Objectives of this project include efforts to increase the sensitivity of the biosensing procedure by altering the permeability of the test-organism's cell wall. Work will include efforts to simplify the conduct of the procedure that would enhance its potential for routine use in improving operation of biowastewater treatment processes, investigate its potential for use in bioassays to distinguish between heavy metal and organic toxicants, and in evaluation of heavy-metal toxicity associated with contaminants associated with solid substances such as sediments, soils, sludges and ash from incineration processes. Results of this research are expected to be utilized in the engineering design of biological treatment processes that are subjected to being impacted by toxicants, in assessing the impacts of waste discharges to the environment, in determining the impacts of toxicants on potential water reuse for agricultural and industrial purposes, and in evaluating results of bio-, chemical-, and physical- procedures that are applied to remediation of hazardous waste sites.