Heavy Metal Toxicity in Bioremediation

<p>This research employed a variety of microscopy and spread plating techniques to observe the effects of heavy metal treatments on a toluene-selected bacterial population. Microbial colonies were cultured on spread plates and the resulting numbers were compared to respiration data. The mechanisms of reproduction were demonstrated to be more sensitive to metal treatments than were the mechanisms of respiration. Phase contrast Gram stain fluorescent microscopy were used to compare and document a wide variety of bacteria resulting from different metal treatments as well as from environmental changes within the source bioreactor. The removal of sensitive bacteria and the selection of metal tolerant species resulting from metal treatments was observed. Species that were initially unobserved within the bioreactor appeared to dominate when competing types of bacteria were removed and more agreeable environmental conditions were present. The use of fluorescent stains to differentiate between live and dead bacteria when treated with heavy metals proved to be impractical as the bacteria exhibited auto-fluorescence. Such new findings however did aid in the characterization of different types of bacteria and offered new techniques for potential heavy metal toxicity measurements as well as differentiation methods.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>