Adaptation of microbial communities from an uncontaminated aquifer to degrade organic pollutants

Miscellaneous · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7001026

Aelion, C M

This study examined the ability of the microbial community from an uncontaminated aquifer to degrade and adapt to a variety of organic pollutants. Adaptation was defined functionally as an increase in the rate of mineralization of {sup 14}C-radiolabeled substrates with exposure to the chemical. Several patterns of microbial response to xenobiotic compounds were exhibited. For some compounds, such as chlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and toluene, limited mineralization was detected during greater than 8 months of incubation. Intermediate rates of biodegradation, and a linear increase in the percentage of substrate mineralized with time were observed for m-cresol, m-aminophenol and aniline. A maximum of 10 to 15% of the label added was respired during the 3 to 5 months incubation. Phenol, ethylene dibromide and p-chlorophenol were rapidly mineralized, to a maximum of 20 to 35% of the label added within the first few weeks of incubation. Of all the compounds examined, only p-nitrophenol and m-nitrophenol elicited an adaptation response in the microbial community.

• Research Organization: North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill, NC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7001026
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANILINE
BIODEGRADATION
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CRESOLS
PHENOLS
TOLUENE
AQUIFERS
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
MINERALIZATION
WATER POLLUTION
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AMINES
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology