Streambed bugs eat
gasoline pollutants
Microbes in stream sediment act
as a natural filter for two gasoline additives that pollute drinking
water supplies.
References:
Bradley, P.M., J.E. Landmeyer, and F.H. Chapelle. 1999. Aerobic mineralization
of MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol by stream-bed sediment microorganisms.
Environmental Science and Technology 33(June 1):1877.
Further Readings:
1996. Molasses recruits bacteria for cleanup. Science News
150(Nov. 9):301.
1996. . . . and safeguarding drinking water. Science News
150(Sept. 7):159.
1994. Groundwater cleanup—the bad news. Science News
146(July 16):47.
Adler, T. 1995. Temperature not key to biodegradation. Science
News 148(Nov. 25):359.
Lipkin, R. 1994. Using bacteria to get sulfur out of oil. Science
News 146(Aug. 27):134.
Raloff, J. 1998. Fine-tuning federal water policies. Science News
153(March 7):159.
______. 1995. Outdoor carbon monoxide: Risk to millions. Science
News 148(Oct. 14):247.
______. 1993. New probes of gas additive's toxicity. Science News
143(March 20):182.
______. 1989. Bush proposes strong air-cleaning measures. Science
News 135(June 17):375.
Raloff, J., and R. Lipkin. 1995. Cleansing water with natural slimes
. . . Science News 147(March 4):138.
Sources:
Robert C. Borden
North Carolina State University
Department of Civil Engineering
Campus Box 7908
Raleigh, NC 27695-7908
Web site: http://www.ce.ncsu.edu/faculty/rcborden/
Robert M. Cowan
Rutgers University
Department of Environmental Science
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8551
Web site: http://www.envsci.rutgers.edu/~cowan
James E. Landmeyer
U.S. Geological Survey
720 Gracern Road, Suite 129
Columbia, SC 29210-7651
Web site: http://water.wr.usgs.gov/mtbe/
From Science
News, Vol. 155, No. 24, June 12, 1999, p. 374.
Copyright © 1999, Science Service.
