Work

Measuring growth of a phenanthrene-degrading bacterial inoculum in soil with a quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction method

Year: 2000

Type: article

Abstract: We measured growth of a phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Arthrobacter, strain RP17, in Forbes soil, amended with 500 µg g(-1) phenanthrene using a quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction method. The inoculum, which was not indigenous to Forbes soil, grew from 5.55x10(5) colony forming units (cfu) g(-1) to 1.97x10(7) cfu g(-1) within 100 h after the cells were added to the soil. Maximum population density was reached before the highest degradation rate was observed 150 h after the cells were added to soil. Population density remained stable even after 56% of the phenanthrene had mineralized. This study is one of the few documented examples of growth by a non-indigenous bacterium in a non-sterile soil amended with a pollutant.

Source: FEMS Microbiology Ecology

DOI: 10.1016/s0168-6496(00)00066-0

Authors: Egbert Schwartz, Sinh V. Trinh, Kate M. Scow

Institution: University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences