Hydrocarbon mineralization in sediments and plasmid incidence in sediment bacteria from the Campeche bank
- Univ. of Maryland, College Park (USA)
Rates of degradation of radiolabeled hydrocarbons and incidence of bacterial plasmid DNA were investigated in sediment samples collected from the Campeche Bank, Gulf of Mexico, site of an offshore oil field containing several petroleum platforms. Overall rates of mineralization of ({sup 14}C) hexadecane and ({sup 14}C)phenanthrene measured for sediments were negligible; <1% of the substrate was converted to CO{sub 2} in all cases. Low mineralization rates are ascribed to nutrient limitations and to lack of adaptation by microbial communities to hydrocarbon contaminants. Plasmid frequency data for sediment bacteria similarly showed no correlation with proximity to the oil field, but, instead, showed correlation with water column depth at each sampling site. Significant differences between sites were observed for proportion of isolates carrying single or multiple plasmids and mean number of plasmids per isolate, each of which increased as a function of depth.
- OSTI ID:
- 6900051
- Journal Information:
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Vol. 56:6; ISSN 0099-2240
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
HEXADECANE
BIODEGRADATION
PHENANTHRENE
BACTERIA
BIOASSAY
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
DNA
GULF OF MEXICO
MINERALIZATION
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
OIL FIELDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PLASMIDS
SEDIMENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALKANES
AROMATICS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects