Peptidoglycan Degradation Fluorescence: Applications to Karst Groundwater Mapping & Poster

Peptidoglycan Degradation Fluorescence: Applications to Karst Groundwater Mapping & Poster

2008

Natural fluorescence groundwater tracing is extremely useful in karst groundwater flow investigations, as there is no artificial dye being introduced to the system and therefore there is no limit on the geographical or chronological spacing of dye traces. However, the fluorescence properties of individual microbiological materials that would impact this tracing method have not been investigated in a pH-controlled lab setting. Through this investigation, we have found that the pH of groundwater will have an enormous impact on the fluorescence of the microbial cell wall materials found in it, and therefore an impact on the analysis of those samples. We have also found cursory evidence that the path that a groundwater flow takes through a karst system (conduit flow, flow through porous media or fractured flow, or a combination) has an impact on that water's fluorescence peak's location and intensity. Further work in this area will have to take pH into account. Introduction

Peterson, Kelsey
Alexander, Scott C.
Alexander, Jr., E. Calvin
Flynn, Shannon

Brown University, Dept. of Geological Sciences
Minnesota Groundwater Association
Dept. of Geology and Geophysics
Michigan Technological University

Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources

13

Groundwater

groundwater flow
ground water flow
groundwater flows
ground water flows
ground-water flow
ground-water flows
karst
karsts
karstic
map
maps
mapping
mapped
degrade
degradation
degrades
degrading
dye trace
dye traces

2000-2009

No

Public Domain

Minnesota Water Research Digital Library