Memphis Microbes: Beyond What the Eye Can See
Memphis is the largest city in the United States to rely 100% on groundwater. However, the Aquifer's health is drastically declining, putting Memphis citizens in danger. With a dire need for change, how can we assess the condition of the cherished, heavily-relied on Memphis Aquifer and mitigate this problem?
Introduction
There are various forms of microbes that play an essential role in mantainting the health of the Memphis Aquifer. Some are focused on bioremediation, where natural or purposely introuced microganisms degrade environmental pollutants, but others help faciliate biological processes, such as recylcing organic carbon.
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Overtime, the Memphis Aquifer has alarmingly become polluted due to human activity, so this has caused portions of a vital component of the Aquifer, the protective upper clay layer, to be extremely thin or missing, exposing the stored filtered water to pollutants.
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This environmental issue continues to be exacerbated instead of improved, and soon, Memphis will lose one of the most cherished facets of this city: the incredible drinking water quality.
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While small and easily overlooked, the presence of specific microbes can dictate the health of the Memphis Aquifer Specifically, the presence of two microbes, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Cryptosporidium parvum, give an insight into the soil quality of two water sources that feed into the Aquifer: the Nonconnah Creek and Wolf River. Through this experiment, we get a glimpse into the condition of the Aquifer by seeing the quality of what's feeding the System.
