Enumeration of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria by an overlayer technique and its use in evaluation of petroleum-contaminated sites

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6964760

Bogardt, A H; Hemmingsen, B B ^[1]

---

1. San Diego State Univ., CA (United States)

Bacteria that are capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were enumerated by incorporating soil and water dilutions together with fine particles of phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, into an agarose overlayer and pouring the mixture over a mineral salts underlayer. The phenanthrene-degrading bacteria embedded in the overlayer were recognized by a halo of clearing in the opaque phenanthrene layer. Diesel fuel- or creosote-contaminated soil and water that were undergoing bioremediation contained 6 [times] 10[sup 6] to 100 [times] 10[sup 6] phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per g and ca. 5 [times] 10[sup 5] phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per ml, respectively, whereas samples from untreated polluted sites contained substantially lower numbers. Unpolluted soil and water contained no detectable phenanthrene degraders or only very modest numbers of these organisms.

• OSTI ID: 6964760
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Vol. 58:8; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
GROWTH
PHENANTHRENE
BIODEGRADATION
LAND POLLUTION
OIL SPILLS
PETROLEUM
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
WATER POLLUTION
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology