Biodegradation of nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds in deep subsurface sediments

Conference · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6870342

Fredrickson, J K; Brockman, F J ^[1]; Hicks, R J ^[2]; Denovan, B A ^[3]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
2. Groundwater Technology, Inc., Concord, CA (USA)
3. Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering

The aerobic biodegradation of {sup 14}C-labeled aniline, quinoline, and pyridine in deep (176 463 m) subsurface sediments obtained from four different boreholes underlying the southeast coastal plain in South Carolina was investigated. Aniline mineralization generally occurred more frequently in the various samples and was more extensively mineralized then quinoline, which in turn was more readily degraded than pyridine. Biodegradation did not correlate with pH, clay content, or populations of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. Observations of significant mineralization (>10% released as {sup 14}CO{sub 2}) were not consistent between formations, between sediments from the same formation but sampled from different boreholes, or between sediments from the same formation sampled at different depths in the same borehole. These findings indicate considerable vertical and horizontal spatial variability of microbial populations able to metabolize these compounds in deep-subsurface sediments. Relatively deep geological formations of the southeast coastal plain are habitat to diverse microbial populations with the potential to degrade a variety of energy-derived aromatic compounds. 38 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6870342
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-17695; CONF-900171--3; ON: DE90017189
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500 -- Metabolism
550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
AMINES
ANILINE
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
AZINES
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BOREHOLES
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CAVITIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COASTAL REGIONS
DECOMPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION IV
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LABELLING
MICROORGANISMS
MINERALIZATION
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PYRIDINE
PYRIDINES
QUINOLINES
SEDIMENTS
SOUTH CAROLINA
SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENTS
USA