Contribution of Subsoil and Aquifer Microorganisms to Groundwater Quality

摘要

Little information about the microbiology of the subsurface environment is available. The study was conducted to better understand the microbiology and microbial processes that occur in the subsurface under a typical midwestern agricultural soil. A 26 meter bore was installed in November of 1988. Sterile collections of soils were made at 17 different depths. A physical as well as biological investigation of the subsurface materials was conducted. Among the measured parameters were particle size analysis, carbon, carbonates, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water holding capacity. The level of three pesticides, atrazine, metolachlor, and alachlor, was determined. Microbial biomass was assessed using direct counts, phospholipid content, and plate counts. The ability of microbial populations resident in the strata to use glucose, phenol, aniline, (14)C-ring labeled 2-methyl-6-ethyl-aniline, (14)C-ring labeled metolachlor, (14)C-carbonyl labeled metolachlor, and atrazine was assessed. Physical analysis indicated that the site contained up to 17 different strata. The site materials were primarily glacial tills with high carbonate content. Microbial numbers and activity in the tills was much lower than either in the surface materials or the aquifer located at 25 m.