Chemotactic selection of pollutant degrading soil bacteria

Patent · Mon Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:10185870

Hazen, T C

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.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): PATENTS-US-A7663517
• Application Number: ON: DE93002007
• OSTI ID: 10185870
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 4 Mar 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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