Effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on plant litter microbiota in an artic lake

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5737352

McKinley, V L; Federle, T W; Vestal, J R

The effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the microbial community associated with decomposing Carex leaf litter colonized in Toolik Lake, Alaska, were examined. Microbial metabolic activity, measured as the rate of acetate incorporation into lipid, did not vary significantly from controls over a 12-h period after exposure of colonized Carex litter to 3.0 ml of Prudhoe Bay crude oil, diesel fuel, or toluene per liter. ATP levels of the mirobiota became elevated within 2 h after the exposure of the litter to diesel fuel or toluene, but returned to control levels within 4 to 8 h. ATP levels of samples exposed to Prudhoe Baye crude oil did not vary from control levels. Mineralization of specificially labeled /sup 14/C-(lignin)-lignocellulose and /sup 14/C-(cellulose)-lignocellulose by Toolike Lake sediments, after the addition of 2% (vol/vol) Prudhoe Bay crude oil, motor oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, n-hexane, or toluene, was examined after 21 days of incubation at 10/sup 0/C. Diesel fuel, motor oil, gasoline and toluene inhibited /sup 14/C-(lignin)-lignocellulose mineralization by 58, 67, 67, and 86%, respectively. Hexane-treated samples displayed an increase in the rate of /sup 14/C-(lignin)-lignocellulose mineralization of 33%. /sup 14/C-(cellulose)-lignocellulose mineralization was inhibited by the addition of motor oil or toluene by 27 and 64%, respectively, whereas diesel fuel-treaated samples showed a 17% increase in mineralization rate. Mineralization of the labeled lignin component of lignocellulose appeared to be more sensitive to hydrocarbon perturbations than was the labeled cellulose component.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati, OH
• OSTI ID: 5737352
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 43:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
02 PETROLEUM
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ARCTIC REGIONS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
LAKES
MICROORGANISMS
PETROLEUM
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ACETATES
ALASKA
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
DIESEL FUELS
GASOLINE
LIGNIN
METABOLISM
OILS
PRUDHOE BAY
TOLUENE
ARCTIC OCEAN
AROMATICS
BAYS
BEAUFORT SEA
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIQUID FUELS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLAR REGIONS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
020900 - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
560302 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)