to public health. A novel electrode monitoring system will tell us exactly what microbes are active and in what quantities in the groundwater.” Beckmann said not all bacteria are harmful and that most bacteria can help prevent pathogenic bacteria from forming. “If the bad guys take over, we can switch the buttons at the electrodes to eliminate them and make the good ones return,” Beckmann said. “We are developing guidance tools for the characterization and monitoring of these EAR structures with the overall goal of presenting a cohesive, comprehensive and accessible framework to assist water planners in determining the feasibility of costeffective EAR structures for their scenarios elsewhere.” In the pursuit of clean water, Beckmann has also been working on sites with groundwater contaminated with hazardous halogenated compounds. Her goal is to use the good bacteria as probiotics for the groundwater to wipe out the compounds. “If these specific bacteria are absent in the groundwater, we must search for them elsewhere, such as in different contaminated soil habitats, pristine river sediments, or even deep-sea oceans where trace concentrations of these compounds naturally exist,” Beckmann said. “Once we find promising bacterial candidates, we must understand their physiological needs and determine how to isolate and grow them in the lab, mimicking their future home — the contaminated aquifer.” Once the perfect probiotic is found, harvested and grown in the lab, Beckmann and her team use the bioaugmentation process to pump the bacteria into the aquifer, where they will take over and eliminate hazardous compounds. “Our lab specializes in growing microbes that live without oxygen, called anaerobes,” Beckmann said. “In this case, the bacteria breathe the chlorinated compounds instead of oxygen and dehalogenate them for example to ethene, which is nonhazardous for us.” USING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Dr. Thomas LaVanchy, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, is using his research to address global concerns both in the classroom, where he teaches about sustainability and water resources, and abroad, where he works to find adequate water across nations. “The road to meeting global food needs is a shared path through water and water management,” LaVanchy said. “To solve the global food problem, it takes more food, and the water footprint to fill that growing demand is a growing challenge.” LaVanchy has traveled to locations including Cape Town, South Africa, and Ghana to explore climate change’s impacts on agriculture and the sustainability of access to water as a resource. “What a farmer could typically do to sustain their industry is changing,” LaVanchy said. “Now, they are needing to irrigate, and as priorities from competing industries are shifting, we’re looking at supply issues and then the social aspect of who is sharing the burden of getting that water.” LaVanchy said in 2018, Cape Town almost ran out of water. He was interested in helping residents be proactive to avoid future crises. “Something cities sometimes struggle with is the waste from unhoused populations making its way to the water source,” LaVanchy said. “We’re working with populations to use nature-based solutions to clean the water and keep it clean enough to support drinking water and watering crops.” As an instructor, LaVanchy said he aspires to help his students see the bigger picture in the world. “Solving water problems is inherently inter- and transdisciplinary,” LaVanchy said. “CAS offers a variety of perspectives that can be partnered to solve these wicked problems.” Groundwater research at OSU spans several disciplines. Faculty and staff from CAS Outreach, geology, microbiology and molecular genetics and geography are involved in expanding our knowledge of and access to groundwater. Dr. Thomas LaVanchy conducts geophysical surveying in Malawi. 14 CONNECT 2024
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAxMjk=