Microbial response to remediation and other perturbations of subsurface environments
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
- New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)
Microbial biomass and activity in subsurface environments is determined by the concentration and flux of a variety of electron acceptors, electron donors, and other nutrients. Perturbations associated with sampling and laboratory handling, and intentional perturbations such as those induced during bioremediation, result in changes in the structure and physiological status of the microbial community. The objective of the research is to characterize these changes for the purpose of (1) ensuring that microbial measurements approximate the in-situ condition as closely as possible, and (2) documenting the progress of in-situ bioremediation. Manipulative experiments were performed in the laboratory to assess the impact of disturbance, increased moisture, and increased O{sub 2} on vadose-zone sediments. DNA probes and enrichments for microbial functional groups were used to assess microbial response in sediments during bioremediation of a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated zone 30 to 43 m below the surface at the Savannah River Site. Microbial populations able to degrade trichloroethylene (TCE) under methane-, propane-, and ammonia-oxidizing enrichment conditions commonly increased a minimum of 10- to >1,000-fold in sediments sampled following injection of air, methane, nitrous oxide, and triethyl phosphate, compared to sediments sampled following injection of air only. Results obtained with the soluble methane monooxygenase gene probe showed that cultural enrichment methods commonly underestimate methane-oxidizing populations by several orders of magnitude.
- OSTI ID:
- 400693
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941124-; ISBN 0-935470-85-9; TRN: 96:030221
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 33. Hanford symposium on health and the environment: symposium on in-situ remediation--scientific basis for current and future technologies, Richland, WA (United States), 7-11 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of In-situ remediation: Scientific basis for current and future technologies. Part 1; Gee, G.W. [ed.] [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)]; Wing, N.R. [ed.] [Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)]; PB: 704 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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