Effect of intra-population variability on the long-distance transport of bacteria

Recent experimental work has suggested that within a single bacterial strai n there may exist two distinct subpopulations, each with its own sticking e fficiency. We pel formed a sensitivity analysis using an advection-dispersi on model to elucidate the effects of an influent suspension of bacteria com posed of two subpopulations, each with distinct sticking efficiencies (dual -alpha population), on the removal and transport of bacteria over distances of tens of meters. In the simulations, me assumed idealized conditions (i. e., one-dimensional transport through physically and geochemically: homogen eous porous media). Results demonstrate that in cases where a small fractio n of the influent bacteria have surface characteristics favorable for trans port, the prediction of held-scale transport based on labaratory-derived pa rameters from short column experiments will tend to overestimate substantia lly the amount of bacterial removal, Results demonstrate the importance of a prior knowledge of the presence of intra-population variability when pred icting the field-scale transport of bacteria.