Figure 3.

Kīlauea‐derived nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) bind to Kīlauea ash and remains viable. Scanning electron microscopy imaging of (a) M. abscessus and (b) M. chelonae isolates (yellow arrows) recovered from Kīlauea soil cultured with 1 mg of Kīlauea fine ash, 48 hr post inoculation. (c) Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) viability assay indicates that NTM (M. abscessus shown) remain viable after culture with Kīlauea ash for 48 hr (tube labeled “NTM + Ash”) as indicated by the red color change (“CNT” control tube is control for no ash or NTM, “NTM” tube is NTM only, “Ash” tube is ash only).