Effects of adaptation on biodegradation rates in sediment/water cores from estuarine and freshwater environments
Experiments were devised to determine whether exposure to xenobiotics would cause microbial populations to degrade the compounds more rapidly during subsequent exposures. Studies were done with water/sediment systems (ecocores) taken from a salt marsh and a river. Systems were tested for adaptation to the model compounds methyl parathion and p-nitrophenol. /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ released from radioactive parent compounds was used as a measure of mineralization. River populations preexposed to p-nitrophenol at concentrations as low as 60 ..mu..g/liter degraded the nitrophenol much faster than did control populations. River populations preexposed to methyl parathion also adapted to degrade the pesticide more rapidly, but higher concentrations were required. Salt marsh populations did not adapt to degrade methyl parathion. p-nitrophenol-degrading bacteria were isolated from river samples but not from salt marsh samples. Numbers of nitrophenol-degrading bacteria increased 4 to 5 orders of magnitude during adaptation. Results indicate that the ability of populations to adapt depends on the presence of specific microorganisms. Biodegradation rates in laboratory systems can be affected by concentration and prior exposure; therefore, adaptation must be considered when such systems are used to predict the fate of xenobiotics in the environment.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Lab., Gulf Breeze, FL
- OSTI ID:
- 6852089
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 40:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
NITROPHENOL
BIODEGRADATION
PARATHION
WATER POLLUTION
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CELL CULTURES
COLONY FORMATION
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ECOSYSTEMS
ESTUARIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FRESH WATER
PESTICIDES
PSEUDOMONAS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
AROMATICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ESTERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INSECTICIDES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NITRO COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
POLLUTION
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
THIOPHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
WATER
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
550701 - Microbiology- Tracer Techniques