Biodegradation of phenols in aquatic culture by soil-derived microorganisms, with reference to their fate in the subsurface

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5673923

Pardieck, D L

Enrichment cultures of microorganisms separated from soil contaminated with pentachlorophenol and creosote were able to grow on and degrade phenol (300 mg/l), 2-chlorophenol (100 mg/l), or 4-chlorophenol (100 mg/l) when added as the sole carbon source, but were unable to degrade 3-chlorophenol (100 mg/l) even after more than 127 days of incubation. Phenol biodegradation by enrichment cultures was completely inhibited by temperatures at or above 37 C or phenol concentrations greater than 1200 mg/l Phenol degradation rates were reduced in the absence of an inorganic nitrogen source. No isolates were found that degraded any of the chlorinated compounds. Phenol biodegradation by the yeast was completely inhibited by substrate concentrations greater than 1000 mg/l; it was partly inhibited by low dissolved-oxygen concentrations, substrate concentrations greater than 500 mg/l, and the presence of alternative carbon sources such as acetate or glucose. Acetate also inhibited yeast growth in the presence of phenol, while glucose stimulated it. The addition of yeast extract or thiamine stimulated yeast growth and phenol degradation by the yeast. In enrichment cultures, growth factors were provided to yeast by other microorganisms. The rapid rates of growth and phenol degradation by isolates and enrichments suggest that biodegradation of phenol in the subsurface should not be substrate limited. Rather the transport of dissolved oxygen by advection/dispersion or vertical diffusion should limit phenol degradation by aerobic metabolic pathways in groundwater.

• Research Organization: Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5673923
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520500 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACETATES
ALDEHYDES
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIODEGRADATION
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTAMINATION
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
EUMYCOTA
FUNGI
GLUCOSE
GROUND WATER
GROWTH
HEXOSES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INHIBITION
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOSACCHARIDES
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHENOLS
PLANTS
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTION KINETICS
SACCHARIDES
SOILS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
WATER
WATER RECLAMATION
YEASTS