Extremophiles in Gowanus Canal: Microbes Remediate Brooklyn's Toxic Waterway

Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal, a long-standing toxic waterway and EPA Superfund site, serves as the backdrop for a story of microbial life enduring extreme pollution. The episode follows local paddlers and scientists as they sample the canal bottom, uncover hundreds of microbial species, and reveal microbes capable of degrading coal tar and stabilizing heavy metals. Beyond survival, these extremophiles may offer avenues for remediation and even recovery of valuable materials from waste, while raising questions about engineering solutions and ecological risks. The narrative also highlights art-science collaboration and community involvement in understanding polluted waterways and their hidden ecosystems.

Introduction: The toxic legacy of the Gowanus Canal

Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal is a long-standing recipient of industrial waste, with coal-tar byproducts and sewage contributing to a heavily polluted waterway. As a designated EPA Superfund site, cleanup plans have included dredging and capping upper sections, while the local Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club documents changes along the canal and advocates for restoration

"These Gowanus extremophiles are the type that can survive on toxic waste" - Elizabeth Hennef, artist and biologist

Discovery of extremophiles in the toxic sludge

Researchers and local volunteers probe the canal's bottom sediments using protective gear, uncovering microbial life that has adapted to extreme conditions. Elizabeth Hennef explains that the canal hosts extremophiles capable of enduring the muck and chemical exposure, highlighting a surprising sense of life in a place long treated as a waste dump

"These Gowanus extremophiles are the type that can survive on toxic waste" - Elizabeth Hennef, artist and biologist

Bioremediation and potential applications

Beyond surviving, some microbes degrade coal tar and industrial solvents, inactivate heavy metals, and raise concerns about environmental antibiotic resistance. Elizabeth suggests turning pollution into opportunity by separating rare earth elements from waste with metal-specific proteins, illustrating a possible path toward resource recovery from contaminated sites

"They’re able to degrade um industrial solvents like toluene" - Elizabeth Hennef, artist and biologist

Biofilms and cooperative metabolism

Scientists are exploring how microbial communities cooperate in three dimensions, forming biofilms that coordinate steps to break down complex contaminants. The analogy to a digestive system conveys how different organisms contribute distinct functions in processing pollutants

"Biofilms forming" - Elizabeth

Future directions and questions

The episode considers engineering microbes or modifying environments to bolster microbial work, while weighing ecological and ethical considerations of applying engineered organisms in real ecosystems

"Microbes might be able to help us separate out different rare earth elements from our waste" - Elizabeth