Environmental factors affecting distribution and abundance of bacteria, fungi and protozoa in subsurface sediments of the Upper Atlantic Coastal Plain, USA

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:7066488

Levine, S N; Ghiorse, W C

Exploratory statistical analyses of microbiological, hydrological and geochemical data for samples from four boreholes drilled into Upper Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments near the Savannah River Site, SC, showed highly significant correlations between bacterial abundance (AODC and CFU) and hydraulic conductivity (K). Sediment texture variables (% sand (S), % silt, % clay (C), and S/C) were strongly interrelated with K and, therefore, also correlated with bacterial abundance. AODC did not correlate with the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) or dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in pore water. CFU also did not correlate with DIN, but a negative relationship was found between the CFU and DOC for sandy sediments, suggesting that microbial activity may control pore water DOC concentration. In some, but not all boreholes, AODC and CFU correlated negatively with pore water concentrations of metals and positively with pH. Protozoan abundance correlated strongly with AODC and CFU in the two boreholes closest to the recharge areas for their major aquifers. It also correlated with sediment texture variables, but not with K. Fungal abundance did not correlate with the abundance of other microbial types when data from individual boreholes were considered; however it did correlate with both bacterial and protozoan abundance when data from all four boreholes were combined. There was no relationship between fungal abundance and either K or sediment texture.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Microbiology
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-86ER60477
• OSTI ID: 7066488
• Report Number(s): CONF-900171-4; ON: DE92015973
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
540250 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CORRELATIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT
FUNGI
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
INVERTEBRATES
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PH VALUE
PLANTS
POPULATION DENSITY
PROTOZOA
SAMPLING
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SEDIMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS