"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Biology
Effective Half-Life
04/03/26
“How long does it take for a radeonucleotide to diminish to half of its mass in a biological organism?”
Organisms may consume radionucleotides. The radionucleotide will lose mass to both radioactive decay and biological absorption. We can find the Effective Half-Life of the radionucleotide through the equation 1/(half-life_effective) = 1/(half-life_radiation) + 1/(half-life_biological).
In-Situ Groundwater Remediation
04/01/26
“How can we clean groundwater without removing it?”
Groundwater can become contaminated through a variety of means. Although it’s common to remove groundwater to clean it, wouldn’t it be great if we could separate toxins from groundwater while it sits in place? Well, what if we were to inject a cleaning agent or mechanisms directly into the groundwater? This process is known as In-Situ Groundwater Remediation, and it’s a growing field of study.
BOD Deoxygenization Rate
03/31/26
“How can we measure the rate at which microorganisms consume oxygen to remove organic matter?”
Microorganisms use oxygen to remove organic matter. The BOD Deoxygenization Rate, or the rate at which microorganisms use oxygen to remove organic matter, is proportional to the amount of BOD remaining. This is important for understanding if a wastewater body is going to become oxygen-deprived.
Glycolysis
03/10/26
“How do cells break down glucose into energy?”
Glucose (C6H12O6) is the main energy source for cells. Cells will break down glucose into energy and pyruvic acid in a process known as Glycolysis. This is the backbone behind microbial treatment in wastewater engineering.
Suspended Growth Wastewater Treatment
02/27/26
“How can we treat wastewater with free-floating microorganisms?”
There are many ways to go about wastewater treatment. One of the most common categories is for microorganisms to float freely in wastewater and consume pollutants. This Suspended Growth Wastewater Treatment is an effective way to treat wastewater through mixing the right microorganisms. Activated sludge treatment and aeration lagoons are examples of suspended growth wastewater treatment.
Image credit: https://www.waterandwastewater.com/
Biofilm
02/25/26
“How can microorganisms coalesce into a sticky object?”
Microorganisms are a wonder to behold. They have so many features that their larger-scale cousins cannot even dream of. One of these is that they’re able to coalesce together to create a sticky object called a Biofilm. Biofilms have a three-dimensional structure and are often conceptualized as “cities for microbes”. Biofilms are commonly used in wastewater treatment to extract and digest organic compounds.
Image credit: https://www.biologicalwasteexpert.com/
Slow Sand Filters
02/23/26
“How can we slowly filter water through sand?”
Sand Filters come in all different shapes and sizes. The earliest sand filters were slow-operating mechanisms. Water would slowly trickle over a large, contained sand bed. Over the course of a few weeks, the sand bed will develop a Schmutzdecke, or thin biofilm derived from the accumulation of suspended organic particles and microorganisms from the water. The schmutzdecke will break down organic contaminants as water passes through it. The sand will then adsorb and retain particles from the water as it passes through. The slow process allows for the creation and operation of the schmutzdecke. These Slow Sand Filters are an electricity and chemical-free way to biologically and physically treat water. Slow sand filters usually have a loading rate of 200 – 400 liters of water per square meter per hour, forcing them to take up large amounts of space for municipal usage.
Image credit: http://www.waterandwastewater.com
Hazard Quotient
01/27/26
“How can we quantify the lethality of exposure to a substance?”
People are exposed to potentially hazardous substances all the time, whether it’s traces of air pollution or bacterial growth on food. We also know that if exposure breaches a certain level, it becomes dangerous. So how can we quantify the lethality of exposure to a substance? Well, what if we divide the exposure level by the reference dose? This is how the Hazard Quotient works, and it is a very useful tool in toxicology.
Noise Dose
01/24/26
“How can we quantify the level of noise someone is exposed to over time?”
Listening to too much loud noise is a well-known safety risk. The constant vibration in your ears can lead to long-term damage if not managed properly. The Noise Dose quantifies how much noise a person has been exposed to for the day, regarding safety levels. We can quantify noise dose by taking the hours someone listened to a certain decibel of noise and dividing it by the maximum number of hours it’s safe to listen to that noise level per day. We can sum this ratio for every noise decibel level heard throughout the day, multiplied by 100% to arrive at the total noise dose. If a noise dose exceeds 100 percent, then the person has breached the healthy recommended daily noise levels.
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