Biodegradation of Crude Oil by Individual Bacterial Strains and a Mixed Bacterial Consortium Isolated from Hydrocarbon Contaminated Areas

A preliminary study was undertaken to determine the optimal conditions for the biodegradation of a crude oil. Among 57 oil‐degrading bacterial cultures isolated from oil‐contaminated soil samples, Bacillus sp. IOS1‐7, Corynebacterium sp. BPS2‐6, Pseudomonas sp. HPS2‐5, and Pseudomonas sp. BPS1‐8 were selected for the study based on the efficiency of crude oil utilization. Along with the selected individual strains, a mixed bacterial consortium prepared using the above strains was also used for degradation studies. The mixed bacterial consortium showed more growth and degradation than did individual strains. At 1% crude oil concentration, the mixed bacterial consortium degraded a maximum of 77% of the crude oil. This was followed by 69% by Pseudomonas sp. BPS1‐8, 64% by Bacillus sp. IOS1‐7, 45% by Pseudomonas sp. HPS2‐5, and 41% by Corynebacterium sp. BPS2‐6. The percentage of degradation by the mixed bacterial consortium decreased from 77 to 45% as the concentration of crude oil was increased from 1 to 12%. Temperature of 35°C and pH 7 were found to be optimum for maximum degradation.     

Abundance and relationship of bacteria with transparent exopolymer particles during the 1996 summer monsoon in the Arabian Sea

Bacterial abundance and production, numbers, sizes and concentrations of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured during the 1996 summer monsoon to understand the relationship between TEP, the most labile particulate organic carbon, and bacteria. While high regional variability in the vertical distribution of TOC was discernible, TEP concentrations were high in surface waters at 18–20°N along 64°E with concentrations well over 25 mg alginic acid equivalents I⁻¹ due to upwelling induced productivity. Their concentrations decreased with depth and were lower between 200 and 500 m. Bacterial concentrations were up to 1.99 × 10⁸ I^–1 in the surface waters and decreased by an order of magnitude or more at depths below 500 m. A better relationship has been found between bacterial abundance and concentrations of TEP than between bacteria and TOC, indicating that bacterial metabolism is fueled by availability of TEP in the Arabian Sea. Assuming a carbon assimilation of 33%, bacterial carbon demand (BCD) is estimated to be 1.017 to 4.035 g C m^–2 d^–1 in the surface waters. The observed TEP concentrations appear to be sufficient in meeting the surface and subsurface BCD in the northern Arabian Sea.     

机遇,挑战,应对—加入WTO与中国黄金珠宝业

中国即将加入ＷＴＯ。本文结合中国珠宝业实际,对入关所面临的机遇、挑战、应对等问题进行探讨,然望中国珠宝业能“未雨绸缪”,作好充分准备,在入关后寻求更大的发展。     

盘锦芦苇湿地土壤微生物特征分析

基于盘锦湿地生态系统野外观测站芦苇群落生长季6～9月的定位观测资料,分析了芦苇湿地土壤微生物季节动态及其与环境因子的关系。结果表明:盘锦芦苇湿地的土壤细菌、放线菌、真菌以及微生物的总数在生长季节呈现出先减少、后增加的变化趋势。湿地的土壤细菌、放线菌以及微生物的总数在8月达到最小,而真菌数量在7月达到最小。湿地土壤中,细菌数量最大,其次是放线菌,最少的是真菌。对细菌、放线菌、真菌以及微生物总数与环境因子的相关分析表明,细菌、放线菌与微生物总数主要受水分影响,而真菌则受水分与气温的协同作用影响     

Early microbial biofilm formation on marine plastic debris

An important aspect of the global problem of plastic debris pollution is plastic buoyancy. There is some evidence that buoyancy is influenced by attached biofilms but as yet this is poorly understood. We submerged polyethylene plastic in seawater and sampled weekly for 3 weeks in order to study early stage processes. Microbial biofilms developed rapidly on the plastic and coincided with significant changes in the physicochemical properties of the plastic. Submerged plastic became less hydrophobic and more neutrally buoyant during the experiment. Bacteria readily colonised the plastic but there was no indication that plastic-degrading microorganisms were present. This study contributes to improved understanding of the fate of plastic debris in the marine environment.     

Alkaline Phosphatase Activity and Utilization of Dissolved Organic Phosphorus by Algae in Subtropical Coastal Waters

Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and the availability of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) to marine algae were determined in Xiamen Bay and in algal batch culture systems. Results showed that APA changed with seasons, increasing to the highest value in summer and decreasing to the lowest in autumn and spring in Xiamen Bay. Tests on natural populations of planktonic algae and bacteria community showed that algae were mostly responsible for DOP utilization, while bacteria could not take up DOP compounds. Results from algal batch cultures also supported the above conclusion. Relationships between APA and environmental factors indicated that APA was negatively correlated with phosphorus level such as phosphate and small molecular DOP, and APA played an important role in utilization of DOP by algae. All the results emphasized the ecological significance of DOP in subtropical coastal waters.     

A Preliminary Survey of the Level of Microbiological Pollution of Major Rivers in Northern Greece

The objective of the present survey was to assess the microbiological quality of river waters used mainly to irrigate the large plains of Macedonia and Thessaly in Northern Greece. Five rivers (Aliakmonas, Axios, Loudias, Mavroneri and Pineios) were sampled during a 10‐month period (June 2002 – March 2003) for Total Microbial Flora (TMF) at 22 °C and 37 °C, Total Coliforms (TC), Fecal Coliforms (FC), enterococci, staphylococci, Pseudomonas, fungi, Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. The results indicate moderate to high microbiological pollution, with the highest levels of microbial pollution found in Mavroneri and Pineios Rivers, and moderate pollution levels in Aliakmonas, Axios and Loudias Rivers. The extent of microbiological pollution is accentuated by the fact that Giardia‐ and/or Cryptosporidium cysts were detected in nine out of eleven samples collected in June 2002 with excessive Giardia counts demonstrated for Pineios River. The microbiological pollution of the surveyed rivers is attributed to various degrees of human interference and to lack of ample pollution monitoring systems, which emphasize the need for implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.     

Mats of Beggiatoa bacteria reveal that organic pollution from lumber mills inhibits growth of Zostera marina

The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution and abundance of Zostera marina (eelgrass) in relation to the distribution of the mat forming bacteria Beggiatoa spp., and the levels of sulfide and organic material (wood waste) in the sediment. Underwater videography and intertidal surveys were used to map the distribution and abundance of Z. marina beds and Beggiatoa in the nearshore area of Commencement Bay, WA (USA), a location that has a long history of sawmill activity. Zostera marina occurred from the intertidal to ?6 m mean lower low water (MLLW) on sandy substrates in areas with low levels of sulfide (<50 μm ) and organic material (<5 % total volatile solids). Areas with high sulfide levels (>200 μm ) occurred where there were significant amounts of organic material in the sediments, which was found to be wood waste that had been discarded from sawmills. Zostera marina was absent from the intertidal and occurred at lower densities in areas with high sulfide levels. In contrast, mats of Beggiatoa were only found in areas where the sulfide levels were >1000 μm and there were significant deposits of wood. Thus, the negative correlation between the distribution and abundance of Z. marina and Beggiatoa suggests that the presence of Beggiatoa mats could be used as a biological indicator of inhibiting levels of hydrogen sulfide in the marine environment.     

Inorganic and organic nitrogen cycling in the Southern California Bight

On the basis of mass balance calculations performed for nitrogen (N) uptake experiments in the Southern California Bight (SCB), it has been suggested that a significant portion of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) uptake results in the production of dissolved organic N (DON). To investigate this process, the fate of ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) uptake was quantified within the euphotic zone at three coastal stations in the SCB using ¹⁵N tracer techniques. Several trends in the fate of DIN and the production of DON were observed. First, production of particulate N (PN), from both NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻, was quantitatively more important in near surface waters, while DON release dominated within the nitracline. Second, the percentage of gross N uptake released as DON was generally higher when NO₃⁻, rather than NH₄⁺, was the substrate. Third, the percentage of N released as DON was higher at night, relative to the day. Fourth, rates of DON release were significantly correlated to NH₄⁺ regeneration, suggesting that similar mechanisms are responsible for both processes—presumably grazing. The results of this study indicate that the DON pool is a sink for DIN uptake on the time scale of hours. One implication of this finding is that new production estimates based on ¹⁵NO₃⁻ uptake rates will likely underestimate particle flux out of the surface layer because the rate of NO₃⁻ uptake is underestimated due to loss of DO¹⁵N during the incubation. On time scales of months to years, however, the N that is taken up as NO₃⁻ and released as DON will likely contribute to export flux via incorporation of the dissolved phase during seasonal mixing into sinking particles or transport. The export of DON on these time scales argues for the use of gross uptake rates to calculate f-ratios.