In our laboratory, we promote the following research to maintain a healthy and sustainable water circulation system in Kumamoto based on groundwater.

Research on water quality control of groundwater for water resource conservation

　In Kumamoto, groundwater is supplied to over one million people for their drinking-water demand, making a unique city in the world. There is no doubt that groundwater is dependent on the water circulation system composed of not only natural phenomena like a precipitation and surface-water flow but also human activities such as agriculture and infrastructure development. We are constantly monitoring water volume and quality for understanding of water circulation system based on the groundwater of Kumamoto and developing the water cycle model for conservation of water resource into the future.

Research on agricultural hydrotechnics in paddy fields

　We gauge the variously scaled hydrological phenomenon, including water balance in paddy fields and water circulation of river basins, by monitoring and analyzing numerical values. We also analyze local tradition for agricultural irrigation systems and transition of land usage along basin areas, using methods related to the humanities and social sciences. In doing so, we forecast the local water circulation and assess its sustainability and clarify specific policies to maintain basin areas.

Research on wide-ranging transportation and morphological changes of elements and organic matters which are related to the maintenance of life forms

　Research on wide-ranging transportation and morphological changes of elements and organic matters which are related to the maintenance of life forms

Research on nitrogen removal technology using Anammox: anaerobic ammonium oxidation

　Anammox is a unique nitrogen metabolic pathway which firstly discovered in the late 1990s. In the anammox reaction, ammonium ion is oxidized by nitrite ion and both ions are converted to nitrogen gas under anaerobic condition. Anammox is catalyzed by autotrophic anammox bacteria which require no organic-carbon source or oxygen for their growth. Therefore anammox is expected as a promising-basic reaction in the future to apply to cost-effective nitrogen removal technology. We established two types of anammox-bacterial culture derived from freshwater and marine environments, and are promoting the basic study and applied research of them for water-quality conservation.