Alteration of a salt marsh bacterial community by fertilization with sewage sludge

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5002526

Hamlett, N V

The effects of long-term fertilization with sewage sludge on the aerobic, chemoheterotrophic portion of a salt marsh bacterial community were examined. The study site in the Great Sippewissett Marsh, Cap Cod, Mass., consisted of experimental plots that were treated with different amounts of commercial sewage sludge fertilizer or with urea and phosphate. The number of CFUs, percentage of mercury- and cadmium-resistant bacteria, and percentage of antibiotic-resistant bacteria were all increased in the sludge-fertilized plots. Preliminary taxonomic characterization showed fertilization markedly altered the taxonomic distribution and reduced diversity within both the total heterotrophic and the mercury-resistant communities. In control plots, the total heterotrophic community was fairly evenly distributed among taxa and the mercury-resistant community was dominated by Pseudomonas spp. In sludge-fertilized plots, both the total and mercury-resistant communities were dominated by a single Cytophaga sp.

• Research Organization: Swarthmore College, PA
• OSTI ID: 5002526
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 52:4; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS
ANTIBIOTICS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGY
CADMIUM
CFU
DRUGS
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FERTILIZERS
MERCURY
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SPECIES DIVERSITY
TAXONOMY
TOLERANCE
WASTES
WETLANDS