Growth characteristics of selected fungi on polyvinyl film

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5858606

Roberts, W T; Davidson, P M

The objective of this study was to determine if plasticized polyvinyl chloride film would support the growth of any of nine species of fungi. The film was suspended in distilled water with no nutrients or with glucose or ammonium sulfate. Spores of each of the test species were inoculated into the suspension medium, and the mixture was incubated at 30/sup 0/C for up to 18 weeks. Most species were found to be capable of utilizing the film for carbon or nitrogen when the other nutrient was supplied. Only two species, Aspergillus fischeri and Paecilomyces sp., were found to be capable of utilizing components of the film without added nutrients. Components of the polyvinyl chloride film were then incorporated into mineral salts medium to determine if these components could serve as carbon sources in the presence of ammonium nitrate. The only component found to be utilized by all the fungi as a carbon source was epoxidized oil, a plasticizer-stabilizer. Calcium-zinc stearate was an available carbon source for all except the Penicillium and Verticillium strains. The only other component utilized was a stearamide, which was metabolized solely by the Aspergillus sp. Only the stearamide contained enough nitrogen to serve as a primary source in the film. The compound, however, did not support growth of fungi in the presence of glucose. It was theorized that either the nitrogen of the stearamide was more readily available to the fungi in the whole film due to the presence of trace nutrients or the nitrogen was supplied by exogenous sources.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
• OSTI ID: 5858606
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 51:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
FUNGI
GROWTH
PVC
METABOLISM
ASPERGILLUS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
NITROGEN
NUTRIENTS
PENICILLIUM
SPORES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
ELEMENTS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PLANTS
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)