Fluid Dynamics Impact on Bacterial Physiology: Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 2
Abstract
The interaction between fluid dynamics and microbiological organisms is an integral aspect of aquatic ecosystems that has received only sporadic attention over the years. The effects of fluid motion on bacterial growth kinetics and on the traditional biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test were investigated. Laboratory experiments were performed to study the physiology of E. coli in a well-defined flow system with an emphasis on BOD measurements. Several methods were applied to quantify bacterial abundance and viability including viable plate counts; membrane integrity Live/Dead BacLight; respiratory 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride; and direct bacterial count -diamidino-2-phenylindole staining methods. A turbulent fluid flow was generated using an oscillating grid reactor. Microscale fluid flow in the experimental setup was analyzed using a laser-Doppler velocimeter. Our results demonstrate that bacterial physiology and the corresponding BOD measurements depend on hydrodynamic mixing conditions. Microbial growth and BOD were facilitated by small-scale fluid motion. BOD was minimal in a stagnant fluid that is the condition that replicates the traditional BOD test.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Chicago District through the U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss. Contract numbers were “UNSPECIFIEDDACW42-00-p-0123 Analysis of Oxygen Demand in Reservoirs with Bubble Diffusers” and “UNSPECIFIEDDACW42-01-C-0014: Oxygen Demand Caused by Sediment and Biochemical Degradation in Combined Sewer Overflow.” The writers also thank M. Spaetal, M. Plante, C. Ellis, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, for the valuable support and help. Partial support for this work is also provided by the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics (NCED), a Science and Technology Center funded by the Office of Integrative Activities of the National Science Foundation (under Agreement No. NSFEAR-0120914).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 2 • February 2007
Pages: 226 - 236
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 9, 2006
Accepted: May 25, 2006
Published online: Feb 1, 2007
Published in print: Feb 2007
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