Canary in the coliform mine: Exploring the industrial application limits of a microbial respiration alarm system.

ABSTRACT: Fundamental ecological principles of ecosystem-level respiration are extensively applied in greenhouse gas and elemental cycle studies. A laboratory system termed CEMS (Carbon Dioxide Evolution Measurement System), developed to explore microbial biofilm growth and metabolic responses, was evaluated as an early-warning system for microbial disturbances in industrial settings: in (a) potable water system contamination, and (b) bioreactor inhibition. Respiration was detected as CO2 production, rather than O2 consumption, including aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Design, thresholds, and benefits of the remote CO2 monitoring technology were described. Headspace CO2 correlated with contamination levels, as well as chemical (R2 > 0.83-0.96) and microbiological water quality indicators (R2 > 0.7

SUBMITTER: Stone W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7932117 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature