Microbial transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in pristine and petroleum-contaminated sediments
To determine rates of microbial transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in freshwater sediments, /sup 14/C-labeled PAH were incubated with samples from both pristine and petroleum-contaminated streams. Evolved /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ was trapped in KOH, unaltered PAH and polar metabolic intermediate fractions were quantitated after sediment extraction and column chromatography, and bound cellular /sup 14/C was measured in sediment residues. Large fractions of /sup 14/C were incorporated into microbial cellular material; therefore, measurement of rates of /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ evolution alone would seriously underestimate transformation rates of (/sup 14/C) naphthalene and (/sup 14/C)anthracene. PAH compound turnover times in petroleum-contaminated sediment increased from 7.1 h for naphthalene to 400 h for anthracene, 10,000 h for benz(a)anthracene, and more than 30,000 h for benz(a)pyrene. Turnover times in uncontaminated stream sediment were 10 to 400 times greater than in contaminated samples, while absolute rates of PAH transformation (micrograms of PAH per gram of sediment per hour) were 3,000 to 125,000 times greater in contaminated sediment. The data indicate that four- and five-ring PAH compounds, several of which are carcinogenic, may persist even in sediments that have received chronic PAH inputs and that support microbial populations capable of transforming two- and three-ring PAH compounds.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
- OSTI ID:
- 6711016
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 35:2; ISSN AEMID
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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020800* -- Petroleum-- Waste Management
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANTHRACENE
AROMATICS
BENZANTHRACENE
BENZOPYRENE
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARCINOGENS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
NAPHTHALENE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
POPULATIONS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WATER POLLUTION