Microbial activities in deep subsurface environments

Technical Report · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/666219· OSTI ID:666219

Phelps, T J; Raione, E G; White, D C ^[1]; Fliermans, C B ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Inst. for Applied Microbiology
2. E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Plant

Activities of microorganisms residing in terrestrial deep subsurface sediments were examined in forty-six sediment samples from three aseptically sampled boreholes. Radiolabeled time course experiments assessing in situ microbial activities were initiated within 30 minutes of core recovery. [{sup 14}C-1-] Acetate incorporation into lipids. [methyl-{sup 3}H-]thymidine incorporation into DNA, [{sup 14}C-2-]acetate and [{sup 14}C-U-]glucose mineralization in addition to microbial enrichment and enumeration studies were examined in surface and subsurface sediments. Surface soils contained the greatest biomass and activities followed by the shallow aquifer zones. Water saturated subsurface sediments exhibited three to four orders of magnitude greater activity and culturable microorganisms than the dense clay zones. Regardless of depth, sediments which contained more than 20% clays exhibited the lowest activities and culturable microorganisms.

• Research Organization: E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035; AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 666219
• Report Number(s): DP-MS--88-100; ON: DE98007475
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIODEGRADATION
GROUND WATER
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MICROORGANISMS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEDIMENTS
SOILS