An Investigation of the Role of Protozoa in an Organically- Contaminated Subsurface Environment

9312235 Kinner这是一个支持研究的奖项，其目的是获得比现在更全面的了解影响原生动物在地下水中运输行为的因素。 该项目涉及确定含水层原生动物所使用的有机碳来源、营养原生动物和包囊原生动物的数量和多样性随地球化学和生物参数的时间变化而发生的变化，以及原生动物在非饱和区的活动程度和多样性随地下水位深度的变化。 这是以前在NSF资助号90- 12183下进行的研究的更新。该项目包括与美国地质调查局（罗纳德W。哈维）位于马萨诸塞州科德角奥蒂斯空军基地的地下水污染现场，还包括与英国自然历史博物馆（艾伦·沃伦和詹弗兰科·诺瓦里诺）合作进行地下水微生物学研究的项目。 预计这项研究将提供资料，说明原生动物通过受有机化学品污染的含水层和沉积物迁移对含水层中微生物种群所起的作用。 这对公众健康和对受污染含水层和沉积物的生物修复的潜在用途都有重大影响。 研究结果可应用于工程设计的系统净化含水层单独使用生物修复过程或作为一个系统，包括物理和化学过程的一部分。

9312235 Kinner This is an award to support research the objective of which is to obtain a more complete understanding than now exists of the factors affecting protozoan transport behavior in groundwater. The project involves determination of the sources of organic carbon used by the aquifer protozoa, the variation in numbers and diversity of trophic and encysted protozoa in response to temporal variations in geochemical and biological parameters, and the extent of protozoan activity and diversity in the unsaturated zone as a function of depth to the water table. It is a renewal of research conducted previously under NSF Grant No. 90- 12183. The project involves field studies in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (Ronald W. Harvey) at its groundwater contamination site located at the Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and also includes a subcontract for collaboration on groundwater microbiology with the British Museum of Natural History (Alan Warren and Gianfranco Novarino). This research is expected to provide information on the role that protozoan transport through aquifers and sediments contaminated by organic chemicals plays on microbial populations in aquifers. This has significant implications for both public health and for potential use in bioremediation of contaminated aquifers and sediments. Results may be applied in engineering design of systems for decontamination of aquifers using a bioremediation process alone or as part of a system that includes physical and chemical processes.