Ecology of mercury-resistant bacteria in Chesapeake Bay
Total ambient mercury concentrations and numbers of mercury resistant, aerobic heterotrophic bacteria at six locations in Chesapeake Bay were monitored over a 17 month period. Mercury resistance expressed as the proportion of the total, viable, aerobic, heterotrophic bacterial population reached a reproducible maximum in spring and was positively correlated with dissolved oxygen concentration and sediment mercury concentration and negatively correlated with water turbidity. A relationship between mercury resistance and metabolic capability for reduction of mercuric ion to the metallic state was established by surveying a number of HgCl/sub 2/-resistant cultures. The reaction was also observed in microorganisms isolated by differential centrifugation of water and sediment samples. Mercuric ion exhibited an average half-life of 12.5 days in the presence of approximately 10/sup 5/ organisms/ml. Cultures resistant to 6 ppm of mercuric chloride and 3 ppm of phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) were classified into eight generic categories. Pseudomonas spp. were the most numerous of those bacteria capable of metabolizing both compounds; however, PMA was more toxic and was more selective for Pseudomonas. The mercury-resistant generic distribution was distinct from that of the total bacterial generic distribution and differed significantly between water and sediment, positionally and seasonally. The proporation of nonglucose-utilizing mercury-resistant Psuedomonas spp. was found to be positively correlated with total bacterial mercury resistance.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Maryland, College Park
- OSTI ID:
- 5301634
- Journal Information:
- Microb. Ecol.; (United States), Journal Name: Microb. Ecol.; (United States) Vol. 1:4; ISSN MCBEB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Aquatic-- 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.
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BACTERIA
BAYS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CHESAPEAKE BAY
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
MERCURY
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MONITORING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PSEUDOMONAS
SEAS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SEDIMENTS
SENSITIVITY
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
VARIATIONS
WATER POLLUTION