Achievement

Gloria Johnston biogeochemically characterized the microbial communities in river sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. For 150 years, the Mahoning River, the subject of this study, received high volumes of waste from Youngstown Ohio’s coke and steel industries. The high concentrations of contaminants in the sediments impede the health of the ecosystem. Total PAHs ranged from 34207 to 63598 μg/kg. High concentrations of iron (298,000 ppm) were consistent with previous studies. Other metals with high concentrations included Cr, Cu, Al, Mn, and Zn. Bacteria, including sulfate reducers, were abundant in contaminated sediments and microbial community composition varied among seasons. Results were presented at the Ecological Society of America General Meeting in Austin, Texas, August 8-11, 2011 in a presentation entitled: Biogeochemical characterization of PAH contaminated river sediments: Harnessing microbes for remediation.