As the bacteria produced oxygen, the two compounds reacted to form iron oxide, which precipitated onto the seafloor in great layers of rust.

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Small enough to fit in the bed of a large pickup truck, the Ferrator strips electrons from iron atoms to make ferrate--an unstable molecule that bonds to and neutralizes heavy metals, phosphates and bacteria.

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"Scientists noticed that the levels of iron and manganese in the lake changed with the seasons and were co-ordinated with the growth patterns of the bacteria, " Dr Clarke said.

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