Effects of toxic substances on natural bacterial assemblages determined by means of ( sup 3 H)thymidine incorporation

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:7011559

The effects of 3,5-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and potassium dichromate on natural bacterial assemblages were examined by means of ({sup 3}H)thymidine incorporation into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material. Results from a large number of coastal marine and freshwater samples suggest the following. (i) The effects of the three toxicants included reductions in the bacterial cell number as well as changes in rates of ({sup 3}H)thymidine incorporation and in ({sup 3}H)thymidine incorporation per cell. The concentrations that inhibited ({sup 3}H)thymidine incorporation by 50% ranged from 3 to 11 mg liter{sup {minus}1} for 3,5-dichlorophenol, 5 to 10 mg liter{sup {minus}1} for 2,4-dinitrophenol, and 21 to 123 mg liter{sup {minus}1} for potassium dichromate, with a tendency to higher values in bacterial assemblages from more eutrophic environments. (ii) The effects of 3,5-dichlorophenol and potassium dichromate determined by ({sup 3}H) leucine incorporation into bacterial protein were similar or larger than those obtained from ({sup 3}H) thymidine incorporation. (III) Two to four hours of exposure to the toxicants was necessary before stable maximum effects were found in ({sup 3}H)thymidine incorporation. (IV) Storage of natural environmental samples should be avoided, since tests with water stored for 1 to 3 days sometimes produced results different from results obtained from in situ tests. (V) The effects of 3,5-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and potassium dichromate on natural bacterial assemblages were relatively constant during periods with different growth rates in the assemblages, during various periods of the year, and between samples from freshwater and marine localities.

• OSTI ID: 7011559
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA) Vol. 56:1; ISSN 0099-2240; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201 -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMINO ACIDS
AROMATICS
AZINES
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
ERRORS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LEUCINE
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
NITRO COMPOUNDS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
SAMPLING
SENSITIVITY
STORAGE LIFE
THYMIDINE
TOXIC MATERIALS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE