Biodegradation of nitriles in shale oil. [Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. aeruginosa]

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5082635

Aislabie, J; Atlas, R M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Louisville, KY (USA)

Enrichment cultures were obtained, after prolonged incubation on a shale oil as the sole source of nitrogen, that selectively degraded nitriles. Capillary gas chromatographic analyses showed that the mixed microbial populations in the enrichments degraded the homologous series of aliphatic nitriles but not the aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, or heterocyclic-nitrogen compounds found in this oil. Time course studies showed that lighter nitriles were removed more rapidly than higher-molecular-weight nitriles. A Pseudomonas fluorescens strain isolated from an enrichment, which was able to completely utilize the individual nitriles undecyl cyanide and undecanenitrile as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen, was unable to attack stearonitrile when provided alone as the growth substrate. A P. aeruginosa strain, also isolated from one of the enrichments, used nitriles but not aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons when the oil was used as a sole nitrogen source. However, when the shale oil was used as the sole source of carbon, aliphatic hydrocarbons in addition to nitriles were degraded but aromatic hydrocarbons were still not attacked by this P. aeruginosa strain.

• OSTI ID: 5082635
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA) Vol. 54:9; ISSN 0099-2240; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040404* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Purification
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
BIOTECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL OILS
NITRILES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PSEUDOMONAS
PURIFICATION
SHALE OIL