N1.05 (formerly N1.3) Ismail 2014 ReNUWIt Annual Meeting Poster

While bivalves are known to filter large volumes of water and remove particulate matter and pathogens, these organisms have not been applied in natural water infrastructure systems for contaminant removal. To optimize the use of bivalves within natural systems, research is needed to understand organism survival and filtration rates as well as the fate of contaminants and pathogens ingested by bivalves. Previous field-based research on the use of bivalves in wastewater treatment plants and fish aquaculture has focused solely on bivalve’s ability to remove particulate matter. This project will build upon this promising earlier research by explicitly addressing the fate of chemical contaminants and pathogens.

Filter feeding organisms can also be managed to improve water quality in impaired lakes and rivers. The goals of this research are to:
• Quantify the ability of bivalves to remove pathogens and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), whether particulate-sorbed or organic cations, within managed natural systems.
• Assess the potential benefits from the the re-introduction of native bivalves in natural systems undergoing ecosystem restoration.