Degradation and utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by indigenous soil bacteria

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:7134751

Stetzenbach, L D.A.

The persistence of industrially derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the subsurface may be significantly affected by the metabolism of soil bacteria. This study was conducted to determine the ability of indigenous soil bacteria to decrease the concentration of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, fluorene, anthracene, and pyrene) and to utilize the compounds as a substrate for growth. Soil cores from petroleum contaminated and noncontaminated sites contained 10/sup 5/-10/sup 7/ viable microorganisms per gram dryweight of soil. Gram negative rod-shaped bacteria predominated. Decreases in the concentration of the four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were observed during incubation with bacterial isolates in aqueous suspension by the use of high performance liquid chromatography. Corresponding increases in bacterial numbers indicated utilization of the compounds as a carbon source. Soil samples from the contaminated sites contained greater numbers of bacteria utilizing anthracene and pyrene than soil samples from uncontaminated sites. Degradation rates of the four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were related to the compound, its concentration, and the bacterium. Biodegradation of pyrene was positively correlated with the presence of oxygen. Pyrene was biodegraded by an Acinetobacter sp. under aerobic conditions but not under anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions. Studies with radiolabeled /sup 14/C-anthracene demonstrated utilization of the labeled carbon as a source of carbon by viable bacterial cells in aqueous suspension. Incorporation of /sup 14/C into cellular biomass however was not observed during incubation of /sup 14/C-anthracene in soil.

• Research Organization: Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7134751
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANTHRACENE
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUORENE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROWTH
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
KINETICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
NAPHTHALENE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PYRENE
REACTION KINETICS
SOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES