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Title: Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria

Abstract

A method is described for identifying soil microbial strains which may be bacterial degraders of pollutants. This method includes: Placing a concentration of a pollutant in a substantially closed container; placing the container in a sample of soil for a period of time ranging from one minute to several hours; retrieving the container and collecting its contents; microscopically determining the identity of the bacteria present. Different concentrations of the pollutant can be used to determine which bacteria respond to each concentration. The method can be used for characterizing a polluted site or for looking for naturally occurring biological degraders of the pollutant. Then bacteria identified as degraders of the pollutant and as chemotactically attracted to the pollutant are used to innoculate contaminated soil. To enhance the effect of the bacteria on the pollutant, nutrients are cyclicly provided to the bacteria then withheld to alternately build up the size of the bacterial colony or community and then allow it to degrade the pollutant.

Inventors:
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10185870
Patent Number(s):
7663517
Application Number:
ON: DE93002007
Assignee:
Dept. of Energy
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G06 - COMPUTING G06F - ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
DOE Contract Number:  
AC09-89SR18035
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 4 Mar 1991
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES; BACTERIA; EVALUATION; POLLUTANTS; BIODEGRADATION; SOILS; NUTRIENTS; COLONY FORMATION; INVENTIONS; SOIL CHEMISTRY; MINERALIZATION; LAND POLLUTION; 540120; 053003; 070603; CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT; CHEMICAL AND THERMAL EFFLUENTS

Citation Formats

Hazen, T C. Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Hazen, T C. Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria. United States.
Hazen, T C. Mon . "Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10185870.
@article{osti_10185870,
title = {Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria},
author = {Hazen, T C},
abstractNote = {A method is described for identifying soil microbial strains which may be bacterial degraders of pollutants. This method includes: Placing a concentration of a pollutant in a substantially closed container; placing the container in a sample of soil for a period of time ranging from one minute to several hours; retrieving the container and collecting its contents; microscopically determining the identity of the bacteria present. Different concentrations of the pollutant can be used to determine which bacteria respond to each concentration. The method can be used for characterizing a polluted site or for looking for naturally occurring biological degraders of the pollutant. Then bacteria identified as degraders of the pollutant and as chemotactically attracted to the pollutant are used to innoculate contaminated soil. To enhance the effect of the bacteria on the pollutant, nutrients are cyclicly provided to the bacteria then withheld to alternately build up the size of the bacterial colony or community and then allow it to degrade the pollutant.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Mon Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}