'The Mystery of Goczałkowickie Lake'
'Construction and tests of the Automatic Biodetector of Water General Toxicity (ABWGT) - a system applied to monitoring water'

ANDRZEJ WOŹNICA1 (project manager)
ANDRZEJ SIUDY2 (author of photograph)

1 University of Silesia, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection,
Department of Biochemistry; Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice
e-mail: woznica@us.edu.pl
2 Upper Silesia Water Supply Company in Katowice, Goczałkowice, Kozłowa Góra; Jeziorna 86,
43-230 Goczałkowice Zdrój

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Description popularizing the research project

Turning on taps people who live in Upper Silesia reach to an underground circulation system with its heart beating in depths of Goczałkowickie Lake. The vast reservoir is teeming with life following the rhythm of seasons and at the same time provides the Silesians with fresh water. Just like a primal element it is agitated by winds and floods after heavy rains. Here both a man and a bird will find their sanctuary...
The delicate equilibrium of the system may be ruined by toxic substances. It can be saved only if the poison is detected immediately. Natives like bacteria which transform nitrogen compounds know how to recognize the danger. Gathered in large quantities, immobilized in apparatuses measuring the rate of nitrogen transformation, placed near water intakes they raise an alarm when toxins are detected. Perhaps soon waiting for water to boil we will think gratefully about billions of microscopic allies hidden in the automatic biosensors. The research is in progress...

Abstract

As there is a possibility of drinking water contamination it is required to monitor water using a sensitive, cheap in exploitation device. When the toxins appear, only fast reaction may prevent a dangerous situation from happening. The problem may be solved by construction of a biosensor which would be able to monitor water quality of drinking water permanently. The aim of the studies is:

The ABWGT gives fast reaction in the presence of a low concentration of toxins in the water. Costs of operating this installation are low. The installation is simple to use. For its construction natural bacterial consortia are used what makes it environmentally friendly.
The initiative was realised as research and development partnership between Upper Silesia Water Supply Company and the University of Silesia in Katowice.