Petroleum biodegradation potential of northern Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca environments. Final report, August 1978-October 1979

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5488044

Westlake, D W.S.; Cook, F D

The oil-degrading activity of the microbial flora present in marine samples from three sites in the northern Puget Sound-Samish Bay, E. Fidalgo and Pt. Partridge and several sites in the Pt. Angeles area were investigated in this study. Activity was measured in terms of changes in the n-alkane and isoprenoid gas chromatographic profile of the saturate fraction and reported in terms of a Degradative Capacity Index. Oil-degrading activity was greatest in areas adjacent to oil refineries and areas of relatively high levels of commercial activity. The levels of nitrogen and phosphorus were the primary environmental factors controlling the activity of the oil-degrading microbial flora. The fact that oil-degrading bacterial populations were readily isolated under enrichment conditions similar to those existing in the natural environment whereas fungi and yeast were only obtained under selective enrichment conditions (i.e. low pH) suggests that bacteria would be the most active group in removing oil spilled from this environment. Oil-degrading populations consisted predominantly of Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas genera with occasional populations containing a predominance of members of Acinetobacter and Alcaligenes genera.

• Research Organization: Alberta Univ., Edmonton (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 5488044
• Report Number(s): PB-81-141137
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
PETROLEUM
BIODEGRADATION
PUGET SOUND
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
MICROORGANISMS
ALKANES
BACTERIA
CANADA
FUNGI
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
LABELLING
METABOLISM
NITROGEN
OIL SPILLS
PHOSPHORUS
SAMPLING
WASHINGTON
YEASTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION X
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PLANTS
SEAS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACE WATERS
USA
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
550700 - Microbiology