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Project Description

SDSeeker: Bioremediation of Lago de Guadalupe

Lago de Guadalupe is the most extensive water body in the State of Mexico. It is surrounded by industrial, agricultural and residential areas, the last one being responsible for 25% of the total contaminants, among these is SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), which is the principal component of detergents used in households. The residues of detergents change the water's pH, turning it into a toxic and dangerous environment for more than 150 species that depend on this lake. Although this lake has been studied for its treatment and to obtain better levels of water quality, nothing has been achieved. Our project will consist in developing a bioremediation system using synthetic biology, to lower SDS levels in the water. The early stages of this project include capturing SDS molecules with a protein called ferritin and the catalysis of the first step in the SDS degradation pathway, mediated by an alkyl sulfatase.

Lago de Guadalupe contamination

Lago de Guadalupe is an artificial lake of 400 hectares located in State of Mexico and is also the largest water body in this area. It is located in the northwest part of the city and it is the habitat of more than 150 species of animals.
The lake is located in three different zones and each one contributes to the contamination of the lake due to many factors, including home residues and industrial wastes. Some studies confirm that only 26% of the residues are treated and the rest are disposed in many lakes and water bodies causing not only their contamination, but also eutrophication (enrichment of an ecosystem because of the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus). Even though mexican organizations and government associations try to keep the water quality in certain levels and try to protect this lake, different studies show high levels of water contamination due to urban residues release (up to 15 million m3 per year), specially in Bosques del Lago, which is the residential zone next to Lago de Guadalupe. (2013 plan de rescate). Nowadays it is estimated that more than 25% of the total volume of the lake are residues that contribute to its contamination.
The contamination issues that can be found in this lake are the following:
1. High eutrophication.
2. Trophic values of 87.4 +/- 7.4
3. Low water quality. Value corresponding to “highly contaminated”: 26.0 +/- 12.3
4. Absence of dissolved oxygen below 3 meters
5. Pollutants’ concentrations above the standards of mexican official norms
6. High levels of fecal coliforms presence in water

All of the previously mentioned issues don’t let the lake maintain a stable fish population, altering the whole cycle that involves the organisms that live in this lake and directly or indirectly affect other animals in the surroundings. This situation is terribly altered by the growth in the human populations that surrounds Lago de Guadalupe.
It is important that even with the help of synthetic biology and technology, the population that surrounds this lake understands what is happening and how they can be directly affected by the high levels of contamination.
Lago de Guadalupe have a highest concentration of pollutants and the reason that we wanted to make our project on this lake is because we all live in nearby areas and it affects us directly, even so, water pollution is a problem that concerns every one of us!

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