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Low chemical concentration and pH as factors limiting the success of inoculation to enhance biodegradation

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7041060

A strain of Pseudomonas that mineralized 1 microgram of p-nitrophenol (PNP) per milliliter in culture failed to mineralize the compound in nonsterile or sterile lake water. The bacterium did not act on PNP at the pH of the lake water (pH 8.0) or in culture medium at the same pH, although it did mineralize PNP when added to sterile lake-water samples adjusted to pH 7.0. A second strain of Pseudomonas that grew and mineralized 1 micro PNP/ml in culture at pH 8.0 and in sterile lake water at pH 7.0 neither mineralized nor grew on PNP in sterile lake water at pH 8.0 but failed to enhance mineralization when added to nonsterile lake water at that pH. Corynebacterium sp. grew on and mineralized 1 micro PNP/ml in culture medium and in sterile lake water, and its inoculation into nonsterile lake water greatly reduced the time for the mineralization of 1.0 and 0.1 micro PNP/ml.

Research Organization:
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA). Dept. of Agronomy
OSTI ID:
7041060
Report Number(s):
AD-A-194788/6/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English