Metal Eating Bacteria Can Decontaminate Ecosystems and Provide Electricity

Maya Mohanty

Overview

Around the world, the problem of contaminated water is jeopardizing the health of many and harming ecosystems thus making it a matter of high concern. Common metal contaminants, such as iron, chromium, and lead, leak into water sources due to improper disposal, thus contaminating the water. Many studies have been conducted to provide a solution to this detrimental problem, however, the proposed solutions require prodigious amounts of energy, chemical additives, and are very expensive. In the study conducted, data was collected based on the amount of electricity and hydrogen sulfide produced by Geobacter metallireducens, a metal-reducing bacteria, in various contaminated environments in order to understand how these organisms can play a major role in the decontamination of water. The study tested the Geobacter metallireducens in an iron (III) oxide contaminated environment as well as an environment contaminated with chromium (IV) oxide. The fact that more electricity and hydrogen sulfide was produced by the bacteria, confirmed that the microorganisms were decontaminating the environment efficiently and effectively. The data analyzed demonstrated that the Geobacter metallireducens produced more electricity and hydrogen sulfide in the iron (III) oxide contaminated environment. The hypothesis proposed was strongly supported by the data collected and analyzed. The results concluded from this study will be beneficial in gaining a better understanding of the organisms’ behavior, will serve as a tool for modeling many novel aspects of extracellular electron exchange, anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds, and advancing technology dedicated to the decontamination of water. The results from this study will also help restore habitats and ecosystems and provide clean, decontaminated water to millions of people, while providing a sufficient source of electricity. All of this serves as a means to improve the health and preserve the way of life of many communities around the globe.

My Story

Hi! I'm Maya Mohanty, a 10th grade student in Florida. I've been doing research for three years and after placing at the Florida Junior Academy of Sciences, I was introduced to the American Junior Academy of Science through my science mentor and instructor. I was super excited to find out that I was invited to be a AJAS Fellow.

I am extremely passionate about science, math, and studying and solving environmental issues. Around the entire world, especially in the Florida Everglades, water contamination is a pressing issue. A few years ago, my family and I drove to the Florida Everglades National Park and we went on an airboat tour. While on the air boat tour, we spotted numerous alligators and other wildlife native, and invasive, to the Florida Everglades. While on the tour, the guide mentioned that there are numerous water contaminants, like iron and mercury, that are damaging the intricate ecosystem of the Florida Everglades and even the people that work and live in the local regions. I was shocked and saddened by this and decided that there must be a way to preserve this amazing ecosystem. I conducted lots of research and came to the conclusion that I was going to solve this detrimental problem that, I found out, impacts the world as a whole. In the lab at my high school, I conducted research on an incredible type of bacteria I learned about, and came up with a solution to the water contamination issue that's been plaguing the world for far too many years.