Winogradsky Column Update #3

DAY THIRTY-NINE
About two weeks ago I had to set the columns outside. The control column wasn't giving off much odor but the amended column with the oatmeal had a very strong odor emanating from it. It wasn't strictly a sulfur smell, but it smelled foul and somewhat like decomposing organic matter.

The temperature outside has been variable - the nights get close to freezing but lately it has been very sunny and the temperatures have been around 60 degrees F.

Some of the water from the amended column has evaporated and the thin layer of orange bubbles/scum clinging to the bottle has become has become more pronounced. The water at the top has become cloudier and there appears to be a lower, more orange layer within the water layer. The soil in the amended column is very dark, almost black in some spots, but there aren't any other color changes.

In the control column there is still a large amount of plant growth in the water layer and the water is still quite clear, but with a green tint. The middle 1/3 of the soil has taken on a rust-colored tint with the rest of the soil appearance unchanged.

Winogradsky Column Update #2

DAY NINETEEN:
I'm noticing a variety of changes in both columns but not any significant color changes yet. There is definitely an obvious difference between the control column and the amended column and I haven't observed much evidence of microbial activity in the control column. The gas production of the amended column seems to be under control now, at least it's not overflowing anymore, and both columns have kept their water at approximately the same level as when I pulled water off on day five. The columns are still receiving indirect sunlight although we've had sunnier days lately and the sun's ray may be more intense than they were at the beginning of the experiment.

Observations of the control column (just lake mud and water):
-there is a lot of plant growth, the plants have grown tall quite quickly
-the water went from being really clear to having a green tint
-very rarely does a bubble rise to the surface
-there doesn't seem to be any odors emanating from the column
-there aren't any major changes in the soil's appearance and the surface of the soil is still quite flat
-there isn't an oily substance on the surface

Observations of the amended column (lake mud, oatmeal, and water):
- the water at the top of the column is very cloudy, like skim milk with a little dirty water in it
- there is a very strong odor coming from the bottle, not a sulfur smell, just really foul smelling
-the soil has large holes in it and the boundary between the soil and the water has become very uneven, there are big valleys in the soil level
-there is a lot of gas production; large bubbles float to the surface frequently
-there is an oily substance floating on the surface of the water
-the plastic film on top looks like a petri plate; lots of little light spots
-there are a couple of white floaters on the surface of the water, half the size of a pencil eraser but it's difficult to see what they are through the film
-just above the water line there is a line of orangish-brown growth and a black line has started just below it
-the soil just below the water line is darker than the rest and has a thin section of nearly black soil going through it
-this column also appears to be attracting small animals: I found a tiny red and black insect walking laps around the circumference of the plastic film and it kept doing it for nearly an hour and there was also a tiny spider that got inside and died in the water (my guess would be that the pungent odor attracted them)



I'm anxious to see what it will look like in another week or two!