Bacterial community response to increased carbon dioxide levels as a consequence of an underground coal mine fire

CHED 1068

Cristiana Baloescu, cbaloescu@wesleyancollege.edu1, Maria G. Georgieva1, Stacey-Ann Y. Benjamin, sbenjami@ufl.edu2, and David C. Edwards, dedwards@wesleyancollege.edu3. (1) Department of Chemistry and Physics, Wesleyan College, 4760 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA 31210, (2) Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, PO BOX 117200, Gainesville, FL 32611-7200, (3) Chemistry and Physics, Wesleyan College, 4760 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA 31210
This project investigates the effects of prolonged elevated temperature and CO2 exposure on the bacterial make-up of soil from Centralia, Pennsylvania. Centralia soil is exposed to high CO2 concentrations due to an underground coal fire. This site provides an example of a leaking underground CO2 deposit, with implications for assessing the feasibility of geologic carbon sequestration. Initial studies indicate exposure of soil to elevated levels of combustion gases increases metal availability, having detrimental effects on the ecosystem. To further characterize the soil conditions (increased heat and CO2 concentrations), this study also identifies the bacterial composition. Ideally, the concentration of nitrifying bacteria should increase with available ammonia as a result of the fire, while other bacterial types would disappear. The pure cultures of bacteria obtained from Centralia soil are undergoing microbiological testing and Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology will be used to identify the genus and species of the soil bacteria.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008