Veolia Water Technologies by GineersNow Engineering Magazine GineersNow Engineering Magazine September 2016 | Page 26

Photo by ModernFarmer
BACTERIAL
RESEARCH
COULD
LESSEN
PHOSPHORUS
POLLUTED
WATERS
The agricultural industry
uses different chemicals
to help their crops grow
efficiently, this includes
phosphorus. Phosphorus
is an important nutrient
that is frequently added to
crops. However, too much
phosphorus can be carried
by rainwater into bodies
of water which can cause
problems for aquatic
environments.
Phosphorus in small
amounts, around less
than 0.02 parts per
million, phosphorus is
good for water systems.
It aids in the growth and
development of algae
and other aquatic plants
which provides a good
habitat for fish and other
organisms. But if too
much phosphorus goes
into waterways, there will
26
be overgrowth of algae,
and therefore leading to
depletion of dissolved
oxygen which can kill
aquatic life.
To stop this problem,
researchers at Penn
State collaborated with
Cornell, Central Michigan
University and the USD.
They are trying to learn
more about the different
kinds of interactions that
affect phosphorus mobility
in agricultural soils and
streams. Their findings
are going to be used to
develop better methods to
control phosphorus losses
in agriculture.
According
to
John
Reagan, a progessor
of
environmental
engineering at Penn
State and lead project
director, "We are trying
SEPTEMBER 2016
Clean Water Technologies
to understand two groups
of bacteria that could
affect whether phosphate
is retained in the soil or
becomes mobile and gets
into the water,"
Once the researchers will
be able to find out how and
to what extent bacteria
influences the release of
phosphorus, they will be
able to include microbial
processes in their models.