Impact Assessment of Pumping Parameters on Groundwater Bacterial Communities

Shani, Noam; Aravinthan, Vasantha; Rossi, Pierre; Laulan, Guillaume; Ducommun, Pascale; Holliger, Christof

doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2012.01420.x

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Previous research has determined that the percentage of microbial cells attached in aquifers is highly variable and poorly constrained, but that the majority of cells are often attached [ 15 ]. There is evidence that the abundance of unattached microbes may increase after aquifer disturbance [ 81 ] and that higher rates of well pumping can cause shearing of biofilms and increases in suspended cell counts [ 82 – 83 ]. Shearing of biofilms has also been speculated to account for some apparent shifts in microbial diversity or composition during groundwater experiments [ 84 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Stimulation and Succession following a Test Well Injection Simulating CO₂ Leakage into a Shallow Newark Basin Aquifer

et al. 2015

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In addition to efforts aimed at reducing anthropogenic production of greenhouse gases, geological storage of CO2 is being explored as a strategy to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emission and mitigate climate change. Previous studies of the deep subsurface in North America have not fully considered the potential negative effects of CO2 leakage into shallow drinking water aquifers, especially from a microbiological perspective. A test well in the Newark Rift Basin was utilized in two field experiments to investigate patterns of microbial succession following injection of CO2-saturated water into an isolated aquifer interval, simulating a CO2 leakage scenario. A decrease in pH following injection of CO2 saturated aquifer water was accompanied by mobilization of trace elements (e.g. Fe and Mn), and increased bacterial cell concentrations in the recovered water. 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence libraries from samples collected before and after the test well injection were compared to link variability in geochemistry to changes in aquifer microbiology. Significant changes in microbial composition, compared to background conditions, were found following the test well injections, including a decrease in Proteobacteria, and an increased presence of Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia and microbial taxa often noted to be associated with iron and sulfate reduction. The concurrence of increased microbial cell concentrations and rapid microbial community succession indicate significant changes in aquifer microbial communities immediately following the experimental CO2 leakage event. Samples collected one year post-injection were similar in cell number to the original background condition and community composition, although not identical, began to revert toward the pre-injection condition, indicating microbial resilience following a leakage disturbance. This study provides a first glimpse into the in situ successional response of microbial communities to CO2 leakage after subsurface injection in the Newark Basin and the potential microbiological impact of CO2 leakage on drinking water resources.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Stimulation and Succession following a Test Well Injection Simulating CO₂ Leakage into a Shallow Newark Basin Aquifer

et al. 2015

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“…extraction may for example increase the share of local river water infiltrate and thus lower the quality of the extracted water. In an extreme case, new aquifer compartments might start to contribute groundwater due to the extraction56 and thus potentially influence the (microbial) water quality (through related agricultural sources, landfills, deeper aquifers, etc. )57.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online flow cytometry reveals microbial dynamics influenced by concurrent natural and operational events in groundwater used for drinking water treatment

Besmer

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et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Detailed measurements of physical, chemical and biological dynamics in groundwater are key to understanding the important processes in place and their influence on water quality – particularly when used for drinking water. Measuring temporal bacterial dynamics at high frequency is challenging due to the limitations in automation of sampling and detection of the conventional, cultivation-based microbial methods. In this study, fully automated online flow cytometry was applied in a groundwater system for the first time in order to monitor microbial dynamics in a groundwater extraction well. Measurements of bacterial concentrations every 15 minutes during 14 days revealed both aperiodic and periodic dynamics that could not be detected previously, resulting in total cell concentration (TCC) fluctuations between 120 and 280 cells μL−1. The aperiodic dynamic was linked to river water contamination following precipitation events, while the (diurnal) periodic dynamic was attributed to changes in hydrological conditions as a consequence of intermittent groundwater extraction. Based on the high number of measurements, the two patterns could be disentangled and quantified separately. This study i) increases the understanding of system performance, ii) helps to optimize monitoring strategies, and iii) opens the possibility for more sophisticated (quantitative) microbial risk assessment of drinking water treatment systems.

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“…However the origin of free and particle-associated bacteria entrained through the disturbance of sediments and shearing of cells from biofilms, within or attached to the borehole walls and fractures, is more uncertain. This will depend on the duration and rate of pumping, with higher pumping rates demonstrated to increase bacterial counts [50], [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Boreholes as Windows into Groundwater Ecosystems

et al. 2013

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Groundwater ecosystems remain poorly understood yet may provide ecosystem services, make a unique contribution to biodiversity and contain useful bio-indicators of water quality. Little is known about ecosystem variability, the distribution of invertebrates within aquifers, or how representative boreholes are of aquifers. We addressed these issues using borehole imaging and single borehole dilution tests to identify three potential aquifer habitats (fractures, fissures or conduits) intercepted by two Chalk boreholes at different depths beneath the surface (34 to 98 m). These habitats were characterised by sampling the invertebrates, microbiology and hydrochemistry using a packer system to isolate them. Samples were taken with progressively increasing pumped volume to assess differences between borehole and aquifer communities. The study provides a new conceptual framework to infer the origin of water, invertebrates and microbes sampled from boreholes. It demonstrates that pumping 5 m3 at 0.4–1.8 l/sec was sufficient to entrain invertebrates from five to tens of metres into the aquifer during these packer tests. Invertebrates and bacteria were more abundant in the boreholes than in the aquifer, with associated water chemistry variations indicating that boreholes act as sites of enhanced biogeochemical cycling. There was some variability in invertebrate abundance and bacterial community structure between habitats, indicating ecological heterogeneity within the aquifer. However, invertebrates were captured in all aquifer samples, and bacterial abundance, major ion chemistry and dissolved oxygen remained similar. Therefore the study demonstrates that in the Chalk, ecosystems comprising bacteria and invertebrates extend from around the water table to 70 m below it. Hydrogeological techniques provide excellent scope for tackling outstanding questions in groundwater ecology, provided an appropriate conceptual hydrogeological understanding is applied.

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Impact Assessment of Pumping Parameters on Groundwater Bacterial Communities

Cited by 7 publications

References 32 publications

Microbial Stimulation and Succession following a Test Well Injection Simulating CO₂ Leakage into a Shallow Newark Basin Aquifer

Microbial Stimulation and Succession following a Test Well Injection Simulating CO₂ Leakage into a Shallow Newark Basin Aquifer

Online flow cytometry reveals microbial dynamics influenced by concurrent natural and operational events in groundwater used for drinking water treatment

Using Boreholes as Windows into Groundwater Ecosystems

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