ISSN:
1574-6968
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract The distribution of oil-degrading microorganism in samples of surface water and sediment from North Eastern Japanese coastal waters was studied. Modified natural sea water (NSW) agar supplemented with emulsified crude oil (Arabian light, 5 g 1−1) was used to enumerate oil-degrading bacteria. In addition, filtered samples were inoculated into NSW broth containing weathered crude oil. Incubation was carried out at 20°C for 7–10 days. Populations of oil-degrading microorganisms ranged from 3–230 CFU 100 ml−1 in surface waters and 2.9 × 103 to 1.2 × 105 CFU g− in sediment samples. Analysis of variance showed that oil-degraders were heterogenously distributed. Six mixed populations selected from 20 samples were studied to determine which of the constituent microflora were capable of crude oil biodegradation. Among 51 strains selected for identification, only 61% could be identified which formed 17 different bacterial species. Acinetobacter species (14 strains), Psychrobacter immobilis (9 strains) and Gram-positive cocci (10 strains) were the predominant types. Oil-degrading activity by various mixed populations (three each from water and sediment samples) was determined by using a conventional total weight reduction technique. Reduction in amount of various aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon substrates was verified using gas chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography. Biodegradation of crude oil ranged from 35–58%. One mixed population of the sediment samples degraded more hydrocarbon (both aliphatic and aromatic) and the biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbon reached as high as 48%.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04800.x
