Isolation of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from tropical marine sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, W.-Q.; Tay, J.-H.; Maszenan, A.M.; Tay, S.T.-L.

2003-01-01

Oil pollution is a major environmental concern in many countries, and this has led to a concerted effort in studying the feasibility of using oil-degrading bacteria for bioremediation. Although many oil-degrading bacteria have been isolated from different environments, environmental conditions can impose a selection pressure on the types of bacteria that can reside in a particular environment. This study reports the successful isolation of two indigenous naphthalene-degrading bacteria from oil-contaminated tropical marine sediments by enrichment culture. Strains MN-005 and MN-006 were characterized using an extensive range of biochemical tests. The 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequence analysis was also performed for the two strains. Their naphthalene degradation capabilities were determined using gas chromatography and DAPI counting of bacterial cells. Strains MN-005 and MN-006 are phenotypically and phylogenetically different from each other, and belong to the genera Staphylococcus and Micrococcus, respectively. Strains MN-005 and MN-006 has maximal specific growth rates (μ max ) of 0.082±0.008 and 0.30±0.02 per hour, respectively, and half-saturation constants (K s ) of 0.79±0.10 and 2.52±0.32 mg per litre, respectively. These physiological and growth studies are useful in assessing the potential of these indigenous isolates for in situ or ex situ naphthalene pollutant bioremediation in tropical marine environments. (author)

Lubricating oil-degrading bacteria in soils from filling stations and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-06-03

Jun 3, 2008 ... 1Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of ... Key words: environmental pollution, oil-degrading bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, physico-chemical factors, ..... Manual of Environmental.

Isolation of Asphaltene-Degrading Bacteria from Sludge Oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pingkan Aditiawati

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Sludge oil contains 30%–50% hydrocarbon fractions that comprise saturated fractions, aromatics, resins, and asphaltene. Asphaltene fraction is the most persistent fraction. In this research, the indigenous bacteria that can degrade asphaltene fractions from a sludge oil sample from Balikpapan that was isolated using BHMS medium (Bushnell-Hass Mineral Salt with 0.01% (w/v yeast extract, 2% (w/v asphaltene extract, and 2% (w/v sludge oil. The ability of the four isolates to degrade asphaltene fractions was conducted by the biodegradation asphaltene fractions test using liquid cultures in a BHMS medium with 0.01% (w/v yeast extract and 2% (w/v asphaltene extract as a carbon source. The parameters measured during the process of biodegradation of asphaltene fractions include the quantification of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (g, log total number of bacteria (CFU/ml, and pH. There are four bacteria (isolates 1, 2, 3, and 4 that have been characterized to degrade asphaltic fraction and have been identified as Bacillus sp. Lysinibacillus fusiformes, Acinetobacter sp., and Mycobacterium sp., respectively. The results showed that the highest ability to degrade asphaltene fractions is that of Bacillus sp. (isolate 1 and Lysinibacillus fusiformes (Isolate 2, with biodegradation percentages of asphaltene fractions being 50% and 55%, respectively, and growth rate at the exponential phase is 7.17x107 CFU/mL.days and 4.21x107 CFU/mL.days, respectively.

Isolation and Characterization of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

June 2017. Vol. 21 (4) 641-645. Full-text Available Online at www.ajol.info and ... ABSTRACT: The isolation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in topsoil and subsoil samples of ... This process whereby microorganisms break down ..... Page 5 ...

Hydrocarbon-degrading Capability of Bacteria isolated from a Maize ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hydrocarbon-degrading Capability of Bacteria isolated from a Maize-Planted, Kerosene-contaminated Ilorin Alfisol. ... also revealed that some bacteria survive and even thrive in kerosene contaminated soil and hence have the potential to be used in biodegradation and/or bioremediation of oil contaminated soils and water.

Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene by the mixed bacteria under nitrate reducing conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dou Junfeng; Liu Xiang; Ding Aizhong

2009-01-01

Mixed bacteria were enriched from soil samples contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The anaerobic degradation characteristics by the enriched bacteria with different initial naphthalene concentrations were investigated under nitrate reducing conditions. The results showed that the mixed bacteria could degrade nearly all the naphthalene over the incubations of 25 days when the initial naphthalene concentration was below 30 mg/L. The degradation rates of naphthalene increased with increasing initial concentrations. A high naphthalene concentration of 30 mg/L did not inhibit neither on the bacterial growth nor on the naphthalene degradation ability. The accumulation of nitrite was occurred during the reduction of nitrate, and a nitrite concentration of 50 mg/L had no inhibition effect on the degradation of naphthalene. The calculation of electron balances revealed that most of the naphthalene was oxidized whereas a small proportion was used for cell synthesis.

Identification of New Aflatoxin B1-Degrading Bacteria from Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fahimeh Sangi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 is a mutagenic and carcinogenic compound mainly produced by the Aspergillus parasiticus, A. flavus, A. nomius, A. tamari, and A. pseudotamarii. AFB1 biodegradation is the most important strategy for reducing AFB1 in plant tissues. Bacteria can deactivate and biodegrade AFB1 for effective detoxification of contaminated products. The present study investigated the efficiency of AFB1 degradation by soil bacteria from the Southern Khorasan Province in Eastern Iran by thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography during 2014–2015. Methods: DNA was extracted from AFB1-degrading isolates by the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with the 27f and 1492r general bacterial primers and the sequences were used to identify the isolates based on their similarity to Gene Bank sequences of known bacterial species. Results: We isolated five strains from four species of AFB1-degrading bacteria from Birjand plain, including Bacillus pumilus, two isolates of Ochrobactrum pseudogrigonens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloace, which had AFB1-degrading activities of 88%, 78%, 61%, 58%, and 51%, respectively. Conclusion: We provide the first demonstration of AFB1 degradation by B. pumilus in from Iran and the first report identifying O. pseudogrigonens and E. cloace species as having AFB1-degrading activity.

Toxicity of tetracyclines and tetracycline degradation products to environmentally relevant bacteria, including selected tetracycline-resistant bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halling-Sørensen, B.; Sengeløv, G.; Tjørnelund, J.

2002-01-01

Tetracyclines used in veterinary therapy invariably will find their way as parent compound and degradation products to the agricultural field. Major degradation products formed due to the limited stability of parent tetracyclines (tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline) in aqueous...... at the same concentration level as tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline on both the sludge and the tetracycline-sensitive soil bacteria. Further, both 5a,6-anhydrotetracychne and 5a,6-anhydrochlortetracycline had potency on tetracycline-resistant bacteria supporting a mode of action different...

Isolation and study of Biodegradiation Potential of Phenanthrene degrading bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

nafise Nourieh

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs are among of potentially hazardous chemicals for environment and cause health concern. These compounds exhibit carcinogenic and/or mutagenic properties and are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA as priority pollutants. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are hardly degraded and therefore bioremediation is often considered as a desirable and cost effective remediation technique for soil. contaminated with them. Materials and Methods: In this research Phenanthrene (C14H10, a three-benzene ring PAHs, was selected as a PAH representative compound and two different concentrations of Phenanthrene (100mg/kg and 500mg/kg were studied. First, PAH-degrading microorganisms were separated and after adaptation and enrichment PAH-degrading bacteria were identified. Results: The results showed that removal efficiency of Phenanthrene in the samples containing pseudomonas was more than other specified bacteria. Also the most removal efficiency of Phenanthrene occurred in first 45 days of biotreatment and then decreasing trend slowed down. Other finding was that the bioremediation of the lower concentration of Phenanthrene takes shorter time compared with the higher concentration and also the comparison of Phenanthrene bioremediation by pure bacteria and Consertium indicated that, at the beginning of the process, the pace of eliminating Phenanthrene by Consertium is more than other bacteria. Conclusion: Microbial analysis, based on cinfirmation tests and analytical profile index (api 20E kit tests, showed that Pseudomonas. SPP, Bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter were the bacteria, responsible for Phenanthrene degradation. Extraction was conducted by ultra sonic method and Phenanthrene concentration was measured by (HPLC.

Biotransformation of geosmin by terpene-degrading bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Two terpene-degrading bacteria that are able to transform geosmin have been identified. Pseudomonas sp. SBR3-tpnb, isolated on -terpinene, converts geosmin to several products; the major products are keto-geosmins. This geosmin transformation ability is inducible by -terpinene. Rhodococcus wratisl...

Ruminal tryptophan-utilizing bacteria degrade ergovaline from tall fescue seed extract.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlow, B E; Goodman, J P; Lynn, B C; Flythe, M D; Ji, H; Aiken, G E

2017-02-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate degradation of ergovaline in a tall fescue [ (Schreb.) Darbysh.] seed extract by rumen microbiota ex vivo and to identify specific bacteria capable of ergovaline degradation in vitro. Rumen cell suspensions were prepared by harvesting rumen fluid from fistulated wether goats ( = 3), straining, and differential centrifugation. Suspensions were dispensed into anaerobic tubes with added Trypticase with or without extract (∼10 μg kg ergovaline). Suspensions were incubated for 48 h at 39°C. Samples were collected at 0, 24, and 48 h for ergovaline analysis and enumeration of hyper-ammonia producing (HAB) and tryptophan-utilizing bacteria. Ergovaline values were analyzed by repeated measures using the mixed procedure of SAS. Enumeration data were log transformed for statistical analysis. When suspensions were incubated with extract, 11 to 15% of ergovaline disappearance was observed over 48 h ( = 0.02). After 24 h, suspensions with added extract had 10-fold less HAB than controls ( = 0.04), but treatments were similar by 48 h ( = 1.00). However, after 24 h and 48 h, suspensions with extract had 10-fold more tryptophan-utilizing bacteria ( rumen pure cultures ( JB1, B159, HD4, B, F, MD1, SR) were evaluated for the ability to degrade ergovaline in vitro. Pure culture cell suspensions were incubated as described above and samples were taken at 0 and 48 h for ergovaline analysis. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA procedure of SAS. All HAB, including the isolates, tested degraded ergovaline (54 to 75%; bacteria tested did not degrade ergovaline. The results of this study indicate which rumen bacteria may play an important role in ergovaline degradation and that microbiological strategies for controlling their activity could have ramifications for fescue toxicosis and other forms of ergotism in ruminants.

Degradation of multiwall carbon nanotubes by bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Liwen; Petersen, Elijah J.; Habteselassie, Mussie Y.; Mao, Liang; Huang, Qingguo

2013-01-01

Understanding the environmental transformation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is important to their life cycle assessment and potential environmental impacts. We report that a bacterial community is capable of degrading 14 C-labeled MWCNTs into 14 CO 2 in the presence of an external carbon source via co-metabolism. Multiple intermediate products were detected, and genotypic characterization revealed three possible microbial degraders: Burkholderia kururiensis, Delftia acidovorans, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. This result suggests that microbe/MWCNTs interaction may impact the long-term fate of MWCNTs. Highlights: •Mineralization of MWCNTs by a bacterial community was observed. •The mineralization required an external carbon source. •Multiple intermediate products were identified in the MWCNT degrading culture. •Three bacterial species were found likely responsible for MWCNT degradation. -- The 14 C-labeled multiwall carbon nanotubes can be degraded to 14 CO 2 and other byproducts by a bacteria community under natural conditions

Influence of Environmental Stressors on the Physiology of Pollutant Degrading Bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svenningsen, Nanna Bygvraa

of model degrader bacteria to nutrient- and oxidative stress, two highly relevant stress scenarios in natural environments, and at evaluating the impact of these environmental stress conditions on catabolic gene expression. The results suggest that environmental bacteria, here represented by the toluene...... biodegradative or catabolic performance. To date, details concerning the physiology of degrader microorganisms and their ability to express the relevant catabolic genes in the context of a complex and stressful environment have yet to be elucidated. In order to fully exploit the catabolic potential of degrader......- and xylene degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida mt-2 and the phenoxy acid herbicide degrading bacterium Cupriavidus pinatubonensis JMP134, have a high defense capacity towards archetypical environmental stressors. However, the results also showed that induction of a stress defense may have a cost in regard...

Aerobic dehalogenation activities of two petroleum degrading bacteria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

GREGO

2007-04-02

Apr 2, 2007 ... Full Length Research Paper. Aerobic ... these compounds are good carbon sources for bacteria capable of ... Degradation of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid using soil .... Such toxic effects of chlorinated aromatic compound.

Isolation and some characteristics of anaerobic oxalate-degrading bacteria from the rumen.

OpenAIRE

Dawson, K A; Allison, M J; Hartman, P A

1980-01-01

Obligately anaerobic oxalate-degrading bacteria were isolated from an enriched population of rumen bacteria in an oxalate-containing medium that had been depleted of other readily metabolized substrates. These organisms, which are the first reported anaerobic oxalate degraders isolated from the rumen, were gram negative, nonmotile rods. They grew in a medium containing sodium oxalate, yeast extract, cysteine, and minerals. The only substrate that supported growth was oxalate. Growth was direc...

Enrichment and identification of polycyclic aromatic compound-degrading bacteria enriched from sediment samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Rachel M; Lappin-Scott, Hilary M; Stevens, Jamie R

2009-07-01

The degradation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) has been widely studied. Knowledge of the degradation of PACs by microbial populations can be utilized in the remediation of contaminated sites. To isolate and identify PAC-degrading bacteria for potential use in future bioremediation programmes, we established a series of PAC enrichments under the same experimental conditions from a single sediment sample taken from a highly polluted estuarine site. Enrichment cultures were established using the pollutants: anthracene, phenanthrene and dibenzothiophene as a sole carbon source. The shift in microbial community structure on each of these carbon sources was monitored by analysis of a time series of samples from each culture using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Significantly, our findings demonstrate that shifts in the constituent species within each degradative community are directly attributable to enrichment with different PACs. Subsequently, we characterized the microorganisms comprising the degradative communities within each enrichment using 16S rRNA sequence data. Our findings demonstrate that the ability to degrade PACs is present in five divisions of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. By determining the precise identity of the PAC-degrading bacterial species isolated from a single sediment sample, and by comparing our findings with previously published research, we demonstrate how bacteria with similar PAC degrading capabilities and 16S rRNA signatures are found in similarly polluted environments in geographically very distant locations, e.g., China, Italy, Japan and Hawaii. Such a finding suggests that geographical barriers do not limit the distribution of key PAC-degrading bacteria; this finding is in accordance with the Baas-Becking hypothesis "everything is everywhere; the environment selects" and may have significant consequences for the global distribution of PAC-degrading bacteria and

Identification of anthraquinone-degrading bacteria in soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers-Vieira, Elyse A; Zhang, Zhenfa; Adrion, Alden C; Gold, Avram; Aitken, Michael D

2015-06-01

Quinones and other oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (oxy-PAHs) are toxic and/or genotoxic compounds observed to be cocontaminants at PAH-contaminated sites, but their formation and fate in contaminated environmental systems have not been well studied. Anthracene-9,10-dione (anthraquinone) has been found in most PAH-contaminated soils and sediments that have been analyzed for oxy-PAHs. However, little is known about the biodegradation of oxy-PAHs, and no bacterial isolates have been described that are capable of growing on or degrading anthraquinone. PAH-degrading Mycobacterium spp. are the only organisms that have been investigated to date for metabolism of a PAH quinone, 4,5-pyrenequinone. We utilized DNA-based stable-isotope probing (SIP) with [U-(13)C]anthraquinone to identify bacteria associated with anthraquinone degradation in PAH-contaminated soil from a former manufactured-gas plant site both before and after treatment in a laboratory-scale bioreactor. SIP with [U-(13)C]anthracene was also performed to assess whether bacteria capable of growing on anthracene are the same as those identified to grow on anthraquinone. Organisms closely related to Sphingomonas were the most predominant among the organisms associated with anthraquinone degradation in bioreactor-treated soil, while organisms in the genus Phenylobacterium comprised the majority of anthraquinone degraders in the untreated soil. Bacteria associated with anthracene degradation differed from those responsible for anthraquinone degradation. These results suggest that Sphingomonas and Phenylobacterium species are associated with anthraquinone degradation and that anthracene-degrading organisms may not possess mechanisms to grow on anthraquinone. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Use of mycelia as paths for the isolation of contaminant‐degrading bacteria from soil

Science.gov (United States)

Furuno, Shoko; Remer, Rita; Chatzinotas, Antonis; Harms, Hauke; Wick, Lukas Y.

2012-01-01

Summary Mycelia of fungi and soil oomycetes have recently been found to act as effective paths boosting bacterial mobility and bioaccessibility of contaminants in vadose environments. In this study, we demonstrate that mycelia can be used for targeted separation and isolation of contaminant‐degrading bacteria from soil. In a ‘proof of concept’ study we developed a novel approach to isolate bacteria from contaminated soil using mycelia of the soil oomycete Pythium ultimum as translocation networks for bacteria and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon naphthalene (NAPH) as selective carbon source. NAPH‐degrading bacterial isolates were affiliated with the genera Xanthomonas, Rhodococcus and Pseudomonas. Except for Rhodococcus the NAPH‐degrading isolates exhibited significant motility as observed in standard swarming and swimming motility assays. All steps of the isolation procedures were followed by cultivation‐independent terminal 16S rRNA gene terminal fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis. Interestingly, a high similarity (63%) between both the cultivable NAPH‐degrading migrant and the cultivable parent soil bacterial community profiles was observed. This suggests that mycelial networks generally confer mobility to native, contaminant‐degrading soil bacteria. Targeted, mycelia‐based dispersal hence may have high potential for the isolation of bacteria with biotechnologically useful properties. PMID:22014110

The gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant insects houses insecticide-degrading bacteria: A potential source for biotechnological exploitation

OpenAIRE

de Almeida, Luis Gustavo; de Moraes, Luiz Alberto Beraldo; Trigo, Jos? Roberto; Omoto, Celso; C?nsoli, Fernando Luis

2017-01-01

The exploration of new niches for microorganisms capable of degrading recalcitrant molecules is still required. We hypothesized the gut microbiota associated with insect-resistant lines carry pesticide degrading bacteria, and predicted they carry bacteria selected to degrade pesticides they were resistant to. We isolated and accessed the pesticide-degrading capacity of gut bacteria from the gut of fifth instars of Spodoptera frugiperda strains resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, ch...

Direct immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for evaluating chlorinated hydrocarbon degrading bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brigmon, R.L.; Franck, M.M.; Brey, J.; Fliermans, C.B. [Westinghouse Savannah River, Aiken, SC (United States). Environmental Biotechnology Section; Scott, D.; Lanclos, K. [Medical Coll. of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States)

1997-06-01

Immunological procedures were developed to enumerate chlorinated hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Polyclonal antibodies (Pabs) were produced by immunizing New Zealand white rabbits against 18 contaminant-degrading bacteria. These included methanotrophic and chlorobenzene (CB) degrading species. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test for specificity and sensitivity of the Pabs. Direct fluorescent antibodies (DFAs) were developed with these Pabs against select methanotrophic bacteria isolated from a trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated landfill at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and cultures from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Analysis of cross reactivity testing data showed some of the Pabs to be group specific while others were species specific. The threshold of sensitivity for the ELISA is 105 bacteria cells/ml. The DFA can detect as few as one bacterium per ml after concentration. Results from the DFA and ELISA techniques for enumeration of methanotrophic bacteria in groundwater were higher but not significantly different (P < 0.05) compared to indirect microbiological techniques such as MPN. These methods provide useful information on in situ community structure and function for bioremediation applications within 1--4 hours of sampling.

Distribution of Anaerobic Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria in Soils from King George Island, Maritime Antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Sampaio, Dayanna Souza; Almeida, Juliana Rodrigues Barboza; de Jesus, Hugo E; Rosado, Alexandre S; Seldin, Lucy; Jurelevicius, Diogo

2017-11-01

Anaerobic diesel fuel Arctic (DFA) degradation has already been demonstrated in Antarctic soils. However, studies comparing the distribution of anaerobic bacterial groups and of anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in Antarctic soils containing different concentrations of DFA are scarce. In this study, functional genes were used to study the diversity and distribution of anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (bamA, assA, and bssA) and of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB-apsR) in highly, intermediate, and non-DFA-contaminated soils collected during the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011 from King George Island, Antarctica. Signatures of bamA genes were detected in all soils analyzed, whereas bssA and assA were found in only 4 of 10 soils. The concentration of DFA was the main factor influencing the distribution of bamA-containing bacteria and of SRB in the analyzed soils, as shown by PCR-DGGE results. bamA sequences related to genes previously described in Desulfuromonas, Lautropia, Magnetospirillum, Sulfuritalea, Rhodovolum, Rhodomicrobium, Azoarcus, Geobacter, Ramlibacter, and Gemmatimonas genera were dominant in King George Island soils. Although DFA modulated the distribution of bamA-hosting bacteria, DFA concentration was not related to bamA abundance in the soils studied here. This result suggests that King George Island soils show functional redundancy for aromatic hydrocarbon degradation. The results obtained in this study support the hypothesis that specialized anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria have been selected by hydrocarbon concentrations present in King George Island soils.

Bovine intestinal bacteria inactivate and degrade ceftiofur and ceftriaxone with multiple beta-lactamases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, R Doug; Johnson, Shemedia J; Cerniglia, Carl E; Erickson, Bruce D

2011-11-01

The veterinary cephalosporin drug ceftiofur is rapidly degraded in the bovine intestinal tract. A cylinder-plate assay was used to detect microbiologically active ceftiofur, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used to quantify the amount of ceftiofur remaining after incubation with bovine intestinal anaerobic bacteria, which were isolated from colon contents or feces from 8 cattle. Ninety-six percent of the isolates were able to inactivate ceftiofur to some degree, and 54% actually degraded the drug. None of 9 fungal isolates inactivated or degraded ceftiofur. Facultative and obligate anaerobic bacterial species that inactivated or degraded ceftiofur were identified with Vitek and Biolog systems, respectively. A subset of ceftiofur degraders also degraded the chemically similar drug ceftriaxone. Most of the species of bacteria that degraded ceftiofur belonged to the genera Bacillus and Bacteroides. PCR analysis of bacterial DNA detected specific β-lactamase genes. Bacillus cereus and B. mycoides isolates produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases and metallo-β-lactamases. Seven isolates of Bacteroides spp. produced multiple β-lactamases, including possibly CepA, and metallo-β-lactamases. Isolates of Eubacterium biforme, Bifidobacterium breve, and several Clostridium spp. also produced ceftiofur-degrading β-lactamases. An agar gel overlay technique on isoelectric focusing separations of bacterial lysates showed that β-lactamase enzymes were sufficient to degrade ceftiofur. These results suggest that ceftiofur is inactivated nonenzymatically and degraded enzymatically by multiple β-lactamases from bacteria in the large intestines of cattle.

Bovine Intestinal Bacteria Inactivate and Degrade Ceftiofur and Ceftriaxone with Multiple β-Lactamases▿

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, R. Doug; Johnson, Shemedia J.; Cerniglia, Carl E.; Erickson, Bruce D.

2011-01-01

The veterinary cephalosporin drug ceftiofur is rapidly degraded in the bovine intestinal tract. A cylinder-plate assay was used to detect microbiologically active ceftiofur, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used to quantify the amount of ceftiofur remaining after incubation with bovine intestinal anaerobic bacteria, which were isolated from colon contents or feces from 8 cattle. Ninety-six percent of the isolates were able to inactivate ceftiofur to some degree, and 54% actually degraded the drug. None of 9 fungal isolates inactivated or degraded ceftiofur. Facultative and obligate anaerobic bacterial species that inactivated or degraded ceftiofur were identified with Vitek and Biolog systems, respectively. A subset of ceftiofur degraders also degraded the chemically similar drug ceftriaxone. Most of the species of bacteria that degraded ceftiofur belonged to the genera Bacillus and Bacteroides. PCR analysis of bacterial DNA detected specific β-lactamase genes. Bacillus cereus and B. mycoides isolates produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases and metallo-β-lactamases. Seven isolates of Bacteroides spp. produced multiple β-lactamases, including possibly CepA, and metallo-β-lactamases. Isolates of Eubacterium biforme, Bifidobacterium breve, and several Clostridium spp. also produced ceftiofur-degrading β-lactamases. An agar gel overlay technique on isoelectric focusing separations of bacterial lysates showed that β-lactamase enzymes were sufficient to degrade ceftiofur. These results suggest that ceftiofur is inactivated nonenzymatically and degraded enzymatically by multiple β-lactamases from bacteria in the large intestines of cattle. PMID:21876048

Degradation of volatile hydrocarbons from steam-classified solid waste by a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy, Joseph G; Tracy, Karen D; Eley, Michael H

2003-03-01

Steam classification is a process for treatment of solid waste that allows recovery of volatile organic compounds from the waste via steam condensate and off-gases. A mixed culture of aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria was used to degrade the contaminants in the condensate, which contained approx. 60 hydrocarbons, of which 38 were degraded within 4 d. Many of the hydrocarbons, including styrene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, naphthalene, ethylbenzene, m-/p-xylene, chloroform, 1,3-dichloropropene, were completely or nearly completely degraded within one day, while trichloroethylene and 1,2,3-trichloropropane were degraded more slowly.

Diuron degradation by bacteria from soil of sugarcane crops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tassia C. Egea

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The isolation of microorganisms from soil impacted by xenobiotic chemicals and exposing them in the laboratory to the contaminant can provide important information about their response to the contaminants. The purpose of this study was to isolate bacteria from soil with historical application of herbicides and to evaluate their potential to degrade diuron. The isolation media contained either glucose or diuron as carbon source. A total of 400 bacteria were isolated, with 68% being Gram-positive and 32% Gram-negative. Most isolates showed potential to degrade between 10 and 30% diuron after five days of cultivation; however Stenotrophomonas acidophila TD4.7 and Bacillus cereus TD4.31 were able to degrade 87% and 68%, respectively. The degradation of diuron resulted in the formation of the metabolites DCPMU, DCPU, DCA, 3,4-CAC, 4-CA, 4-CAC and aniline. Based on these results it was proposed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa TD2.3, Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila TD4.7, B. cereus TD4.31 and Alcaligenes faecalis TG 4.48, act on 3,4-DCA and 4-CA by alkylation and dealkylation while Micrococcus luteus and Achromobacter sp follow dehalogenation directly to aniline. Growth on aniline as sole carbon source demonstrates the capacity of strains to open the aromatic ring. In conclusion, the results show that the role of microorganisms in the degradation of xenobiotics in the environment depends on their own metabolism and also on their synergistic interactions.

Characterization of acetanilide herbicides degrading bacteria isolated from tea garden soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yei-Shung; Liu, Jian-Chang; Chen, Wen-Ching; Yen, Jui-Hung

2008-04-01

Three different green manures were added to the tea garden soils separately and incubated for 40 days. After, incubation, acetanilide herbicides alachlor and metolachlor were spiked into the soils, separately, followed by the isolation of bacteria in each soil at designed intervals. Several bacterial strains were isolated from the soils and identified as Bacillus silvestris, B. niacini, B. pseudomycoides, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. simplex, B. megaterium, and two other Bacillus sp. (Met1 and Met2). Three unique strains with different morphologies were chosen for further investigation. They were B. megaterium, B. niacini, and B. silvestris. The isolated herbicide-degrading bacteria showed optimal performance among three incubation temperatures of 30 degrees C and the best activity in the 10 to 50 microg/ml concentration of the herbicide. Each bacterial strain was able to degrade more than one kind of test herbicides. After incubation for 119 days, B. cereus showed the highest activity to degrade alachlor and propachlor, and B. thuringiensis to degrade metolachlor.

RNA degradation in Archaea and Gram-negative bacteria different from Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Evguenieva-Hackenberg, Elena; Klug, Gabriele

2009-01-01

Exoribonucleolytic and endoribonucleolytic activities are important for controlled degradation of RNA and contribute to the regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by influencing the half-lives of specific messenger RNAs. The RNA half-lives are determined by the characteristics of the RNA substrates and by the availability and the properties of the involved proteins-ribonucleases and assisting polypeptides. Much is known about RNA degradation in Eukarya and Bacteria, but there is limited information about RNA-degrading enzymes and RNA destabilizing or stabilizing elements in the domain of the Archaea. The recent progress in the understanding of the structure and function of the archaeal exosome, a protein complex with RNA-degrading and RNA-tailing capabilities, has given some first insights into the mechanisms of RNA degradation in the third domain of life and into the evolution of RNA-degrading enzymes. Moreover, other archaeal RNases with degrading potential have been described and a new mechanism for protection of the 5'-end of RNA in Archaea was discovered. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on RNA degradation in the Archaea. Additionally, RNA degradation mechanisms in Rhodobacter capsulatus and Pseudomonas syringae are compared to those in the major model organism for Gram-negatives, Escherichia coli, which dominates our view on RNA degradation in Bacteria.

The diversity of PAH-degrading bacteria in a deep-sea water column above the Southwest Indian Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jun; Lai, Qiliang; Sun, Fengqin; Zheng, Tianling; Shao, Zongze

2015-01-01

The bacteria involved in organic pollutant degradation in pelagic deep-sea environments are largely unknown. In this report, the diversity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria was analyzed in deep-sea water on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). After enrichment with a PAH mixture (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene), nine bacterial consortia were obtained from depths of 3946–4746 m. While the consortia degraded all four PAHs when supplied in a mixture, when PAHs were tested individually, only phenanthrene supported growth. Thus, degradation of the PAH mixture reflected a cometabolism of anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene with phenanthrene. Further, both culture-dependent and independent methods revealed many new bacteria involved in PAH degradation. Specifically, the alpha and gamma subclasses of Proteobacteria were confirmed as the major groups within the communities. Additionally, Actinobacteria, the CFB group and Firmicutes were detected. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis showed that bacteria closely affiliated with Alcanivorax, Novosphingobium, and Rhodovulum occurred most frequently in different PAH-degrading consortia. By using general heterotrophic media, 51 bacteria were isolated from the consortia and of these 34 grew with the PAH mixture as a sole carbon source. Of these, isolates most closely related to Alterierythrobacter, Citricella, Erythrobacter, Idiomarina, Lutibacterium, Maricaulis, Marinobacter, Martelella, Pseudidiomarina, Rhodobacter, Roseovarius, Salipiger, Sphingopyxis, and Stappia were found to be PAH degraders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time these bacteria have been identified in this context. In summary, this report revealed significant diversity among the PAH-degrading bacteria in the deep-sea water column. These bacteria may play a role in PAH removal in deep-sea environments. PMID:26379634

The diversity of PAH-degrading bacteria in a deep-sea water column above the Southwest Indian Ridge.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jun; Lai, Qiliang; Sun, Fengqin; Zheng, Tianling; Shao, Zongze

2015-01-01

The bacteria involved in organic pollutant degradation in pelagic deep-sea environments are largely unknown. In this report, the diversity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria was analyzed in deep-sea water on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). After enrichment with a PAH mixture (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene), nine bacterial consortia were obtained from depths of 3946-4746 m. While the consortia degraded all four PAHs when supplied in a mixture, when PAHs were tested individually, only phenanthrene supported growth. Thus, degradation of the PAH mixture reflected a cometabolism of anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene with phenanthrene. Further, both culture-dependent and independent methods revealed many new bacteria involved in PAH degradation. Specifically, the alpha and gamma subclasses of Proteobacteria were confirmed as the major groups within the communities. Additionally, Actinobacteria, the CFB group and Firmicutes were detected. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis showed that bacteria closely affiliated with Alcanivorax, Novosphingobium, and Rhodovulum occurred most frequently in different PAH-degrading consortia. By using general heterotrophic media, 51 bacteria were isolated from the consortia and of these 34 grew with the PAH mixture as a sole carbon source. Of these, isolates most closely related to Alterierythrobacter, Citricella, Erythrobacter, Idiomarina, Lutibacterium, Maricaulis, Marinobacter, Martelella, Pseudidiomarina, Rhodobacter, Roseovarius, Salipiger, Sphingopyxis, and Stappia were found to be PAH degraders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time these bacteria have been identified in this context. In summary, this report revealed significant diversity among the PAH-degrading bacteria in the deep-sea water column. These bacteria may play a role in PAH removal in deep-sea environments.

Contribution of increased mutagenesis to the evolution of pollutants-degrading indigenous bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Ilmjärv, Tanel; Naanuri, Eve; Kivisaar, Maia

2017-01-01

Bacteria can rapidly evolve mechanisms allowing them to use toxic environmental pollutants as a carbon source. In the current study we examined whether the survival and evolution of indigenous bacteria with the capacity to degrade organic pollutants could be connected with increased mutation frequency. The presence of constitutive and transient mutators was monitored among 53 pollutants-degrading indigenous bacterial strains. Only two strains expressed a moderate mutator phenotype and six were hypomutators, which implies that constitutively increased mutability has not been prevalent in the evolution of pollutants degrading bacteria. At the same time, a large proportion of the studied indigenous strains exhibited UV-irradiation-induced mutagenesis, indicating that these strains possess error-prone DNA polymerases which could elevate mutation frequency transiently under the conditions of DNA damage. A closer inspection of two Pseudomonas fluorescens strains PC20 and PC24 revealed that they harbour genes for ImuC (DnaE2) and more than one copy of genes for Pol V. Our results also revealed that availability of other nutrients in addition to aromatic pollutants in the growth environment of bacteria affects mutagenic effects of aromatic compounds. These results also implied that mutagenicity might be affected by a factor of how long bacteria have evolved to use a particular pollutant as a carbon source. PMID:28777807

Novel diesel-oil-degrading bacteria and fungi from the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

Science.gov (United States)

Maddela, N R; Masabanda, M; Leiva-Mora, M

2015-01-01

Isolating new diesel-oil-degrading microorganisms from crude-oil contaminated sites and evaluating their degradation capacities are vitally important in the remediation of oil-polluted environments and crude-oil exploitation. In this research, new hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and fungi were isolated from the crude-oil contaminated soil of the oil-fields in the Amazon rainforest of north-east Ecuador by using a soil enrichment technique. Degradation analysis was tracked by gas chromatography and a flame ionization detector. Under laboratory conditions, maximum degradability of the total n-alkanes reached up to 77.34 and 62.62 removal ratios after 30 days of incubation for the evaporated diesel oil by fungi (isolate-1) and bacteria (isolate-1), respectively. The 16S/18S rDNA sequence analysis indicated that the microorganisms were most closely (99-100%) related to Bacillus cereus (isolate-1), Bacillus thuringiensis (isolate-2), Geomyces pannorum (isolate-1), and Geomyces sp. (isolate-2). Therefore, these strains enable the degradation of hydrocarbons as the sole carbon source, and these findings will benefit these strains in the remediation of oil-polluted environments and oil exploitation.

The gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant insects houses insecticide-degrading bacteria: A potential source for biotechnological exploitation

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Luis Gustavo; de Moraes, Luiz Alberto Beraldo; Trigo, José Roberto; Omoto, Celso

2017-01-01

The exploration of new niches for microorganisms capable of degrading recalcitrant molecules is still required. We hypothesized the gut microbiota associated with insect-resistant lines carry pesticide degrading bacteria, and predicted they carry bacteria selected to degrade pesticides they were resistant to. We isolated and accessed the pesticide-degrading capacity of gut bacteria from the gut of fifth instars of Spodoptera frugiperda strains resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, chlorpyrifos ethyl, spinosad and lufenuron, using insecticide-selective media. Sixteen isolates belonging to 10 phylotypes were obtained, from which four were also associated with the susceptible strain. However, growth of gut bacteria associated with larvae from the susceptible strain was not obtained in any of the insecticide-based selective media tested. Growth of isolates was affected by the concentration of insecticides in the media, and all grew well up to 40 μg/ml. The insecticide-degrading capacity of selected isolates was assessed by GC or LC-MS/MS analyses. In conclusion, resistant strains of S. frugiperda are an excellent reservoir of insecticide-degrading bacteria with bioremediation potential. Moreover, gut-associated bacteria are subjected to the selection pressure imposed by insecticides on their hosts and may influence the metabolization of pesticides in insects. PMID:28358907

The gut microbiota of insecticide-resistant insects houses insecticide-degrading bacteria: A potential source for biotechnological exploitation.

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Luis Gustavo de Almeida

Full Text Available The exploration of new niches for microorganisms capable of degrading recalcitrant molecules is still required. We hypothesized the gut microbiota associated with insect-resistant lines carry pesticide degrading bacteria, and predicted they carry bacteria selected to degrade pesticides they were resistant to. We isolated and accessed the pesticide-degrading capacity of gut bacteria from the gut of fifth instars of Spodoptera frugiperda strains resistant to lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, chlorpyrifos ethyl, spinosad and lufenuron, using insecticide-selective media. Sixteen isolates belonging to 10 phylotypes were obtained, from which four were also associated with the susceptible strain. However, growth of gut bacteria associated with larvae from the susceptible strain was not obtained in any of the insecticide-based selective media tested. Growth of isolates was affected by the concentration of insecticides in the media, and all grew well up to 40 μg/ml. The insecticide-degrading capacity of selected isolates was assessed by GC or LC-MS/MS analyses. In conclusion, resistant strains of S. frugiperda are an excellent reservoir of insecticide-degrading bacteria with bioremediation potential. Moreover, gut-associated bacteria are subjected to the selection pressure imposed by insecticides on their hosts and may influence the metabolization of pesticides in insects.

Phytate degradation by fungi and bacteria that inhabit sawdust and coffee residue composts.

Science.gov (United States)

Fathallh Eida, Mohamed; Nagaoka, Toshinori; Wasaki, Jun; Kouno, Kenji

2013-01-01

Phytate is the primary source of organic phosphorus, but it cannot be directly utilized by plants and is strongly adsorbed by the soil, reducing bioavailability. Composting is a process used to improve the bioavailability of phytate in organic wastes through degradation by microorganisms. In this study, we aimed to investigate the phytate-degrading ability of fungi and bacteria that inhabit sawdust compost and coffee residue compost, and their contribution to the composting process. In the plate assay, the fungi that formed clear zones around their colonies belonged to the genera Mucor, Penicillium, Galactomyces, Coniochaeta, Aspergillus, and Fusarium, while the bacteria belonged to the genera Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Chitinophaga, and Rahnella. Eight fungal isolates (genera Mucor, Penicillium, Galactomyces, and Coniochaeta) and four bacterial isolates (genera Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, and Rahnella) were selected to evaluate phytase activity in their liquid culture and their ability to degrade phytate in organic materials composed of mushroom media residue and rice bran. The selected fungi degraded phytate in organic materials to varying degrees. Penicillium isolates showed the highest degradation ability and Coniochaeta isolate exhibited relatively high degradation ability. The clear zone diameters of these fungal isolates displayed significantly positive and negative correlations with inorganic and phytate phosphorus contents in the organic materials after incubation, respectively; however, none of the selected bacteria reduced phytate phosphorus in organic materials. It is therefore possible that fungi are major contributors to phytate degradation during composting.

Enumeration of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria by an overlayer technique and its use in evaluation of petroleum-contaminated sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogardt, A.H.; Hemmingsen, B.B.

1992-01-01

Bacteria that are capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were enumerated by incorporating soil and water dilutions together with fine particles of phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, into an agarose overlayer and pouring the mixture over a mineral salts underlayer. The phenanthrene-degrading bacteria embedded in the overlayer were recognized by a halo of clearing in the opaque phenanthrene layer. Diesel fuel- or creosote-contaminated soil and water that were undergoing bioremediation contained 6 x 10 6 to 100 x 10 6 phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per g and ca. 5 x 10 5 phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per ml, respectively, whereas samples from untreated polluted sites contained substantially lower numbers. Unpolluted soil and water contained no detectable phenanthrene degraders or only very modest numbers of these organisms

Occurrence of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in soil in Kukawa, Borno State

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IA Allamin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Soil samples were collected from five sites covering petroleum exploration station in Kukawa, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria between October, 2012 and February, 2013 at two different depths (0-10cm and 10-20cm to enumerate and identify hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the soil. Total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (TAHB were enumerated on Nutrient agar (NA, and Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB enumerated on Oil agar (OA. The bacterial isolates were identified using morphological and biochemical tests. It was observed that the microorganisms (TAHB, and HUB were more densely populated at 10cm depth. (TAHB: 5.3×108 - 11.4×108cfu/g, and HUB: 2.4×105 - 5.3×105 cfu/g, than at 20 cm depth (TAHB: 3.0×108 - 5.7×108 cfu/g, and HUB: 2.1×105 - 4.8×105 cfu/g. The HUB was identified as species of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium, and Actinomyces. Bacillus, and Pseudomonas species were more constantly isolated than other isolates and they constitute 100% of total bacterial isolates. The potential of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria isolated to degrade hydrocarbon was studied. Nineteen (19 bacterial species was screened, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Micrococcus leteus,and Lactobacillus casei, utilized and degrade crude oil at considerably high rates after 21 days of incubation. The degradation efficiency was confirmed by GC-MS analysis, which indicated that the bacterial isolates utilized most of the crude oil components particularly straight chain alkanes and cycloalkanes DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i2.10503 International Journal of the Environment Vol.3(2 2014: 36-47

Hydrocarbon-degrading sulfate-reducing bacteria in marine hydrocarbon seep sediments

OpenAIRE

Kleindienst, Sara

2012-01-01

Microorganisms are key players in our biosphere because of their ability to degrade various organic compounds including a wide range of hydrocarbons. At marine hydrocarbon seeps, more than 90% of sulfate reduction (SR) is potentially coupled to non-methane hydrocarbon oxidation. Several hydrocarbon-degrading sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were enriched or isolated from marine sediments. However, in situ active SRB remained largely unknown. In the present thesis, the global distribution and a...

Isolation and Identification of Carcinogen Acenaphthene-Degrading Endemic Bacteria from Crude Oil Contaminated Soils around Abadan Refinery

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Farshid Kafilzadeh

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: PAHs are non-polar organic compounds consisting of two or more fused benzene multi-rings. Among these compounds, acenaphthene is a multi-ring hydrocarbon that occurs abundantly in nature. Use of microorganisms to clean the contaminations of soil can be cheap and effective. The most important acenaphthene-degrading bacteria are pseudomonas, micrococcus, and Bacillus. The goal of this study was to isolate and identify the bacteria which degrade acenaphthene in soils around Abadan Refinery and to investigate the relation between the levels of environmental pollution with acenaphthene. Materials and Methods: Soil samples were collected from three areas around Abadan Refinery. The number of the bacteria was counted on the nutrient agar culture with and without acenaphthene. Isolation of the bacteria was done by culturing the samples on acenaphthene broth with a mineral-salt medium, and on an acenaphthene agar medium. Then, the bacteria were identified via biochemical diagnostic tests. Results: The logarithm average of the bacteria was 4.786 ± 0.073 at a medium with acenaphthene, which was 6.671 ± 0.073 less than that of the control medium. The maximum number of degrading bacteria was 7.089 ± 0.089 at Station C, and the minimum number of the degrading bacteria was 4.485 ± 0.089 at Station B. In this study, Bacillus sp, Micrococcus Luteus, Corynebacterium sp, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas sp bacteria were isolated and identified in terms of frequency, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the soil around Abadan Refinery contained a great number of acenaphthene degrading bacteria, especially Bacillus and Micrococcus.

Potential of bacteria isolated from landfill soil in degrading low density polyethylene plastic

Science.gov (United States)

Munir, E.; Sipayung, F. C.; Priyani, N.; Suryanto, D.

2018-03-01

Plastic is an important material and used for many purposes. It is returned to the environment as a waste which is recently considered as the second largest solid waste. The persistency of plastic in the environment has been attracted researchers from a different point of view. The study of the degradation of plastic using bacteria isolated from local landfill soil was conducted. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic was used as tested material. Potential isolates were obtained by culturing the candidates in mineral salt medium broth containing LDPE powder. Two of ten exhibited better growth response in the selection media and were used in degradation study. Results showed that isolate SP2 and SP4 reduced the weight of LDPE film significantly to a weight loss of 10.16% and 12.06%, respectively after four weeks of incubation. Scanning electron micrograph analyses showed the surface of LDPE changed compared to the untreated film. It looked rough and cracked, and bacteria cells attached to the surface was also noticed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the degradation of LDPE film. These results indicated that bacteria isolated from landfill might play an important role in degrading plastic material in the landfill.

Abundance and activity of oil-degrading and indigenous bacteria in sediment microcosms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, R.; Molina, M.; Bachoon, D.

1995-01-01

The responses of bacterial community composition and degradation crude oil to applications of bioremediation products and plant detrital material were investigated in wetlands microcosms. The microcosms were constructed of sieved sediments and operated as tidal marshes. Products included nutrients, organisms, surfactants and combinations thereof; dried ground Spartina was the source of detrital material. Plate count and most probable-number techniques were used to enumerate microbial populations and GC/MS analysis of indicator petroleum hydrocarbons was used to assess oil degradation. Microbial communities were characterized by whole-genome hybridization and specific probes for bacterial groups, including Pseudomonas, Streptomycetes, Vibrio, and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Although the total microbial numbers were similar in all bioremediation treatments, the numbers of oil degraders increased two to three log units in the fertilizer and microbial-degrader-enriched treatments. Oil-degraders comprised the largest fraction of the total population in the treatment amended with microbial degraders, apparently at the expense of indigenous bacteria, as indicated by specific probes. Oil-degraders were also detected in the subsurface in all treatments except the controls. The extent of oil degradation was not consistent with bacterial numbers; only nutrient additions resulted in significantly enhanced degradation of oil. After 1 month of microcosm operation, oil-degraders had increased at least two orders of magnitude in sediment surface layers when oil was added alone or with Spartina detritus, although total bacterial numbers and the number of oil-degraders decreased to near initial levels by 2 months. The peak coincides with bacterial utilization of the alkane fraction of petroleum hydrocarbons

Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) degradation by nitrate-reducing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulo, Ana M S; Aydin, Rozelin; Dimitrov, Mauricio R; Vreeling, Harm; Cavaleiro, Ana J; García-Encina, Pedro A; Stams, Alfons J M; Plugge, Caroline M

2017-06-01

The surfactant sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is widely used in the composition of detergents and frequently ends up in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). While aerobic SLES degradation is well studied, little is known about the fate of this compound in anoxic environments, such as denitrification tanks of WWTPs, nor about the bacteria involved in the anoxic biodegradation. Here, we used SLES as sole carbon and energy source, at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1000 mg L -1 , to enrich and isolate nitrate-reducing bacteria from activated sludge of a WWTP with the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (A 2 /O) concept. In the 50 mg L -1 enrichment, Comamonas (50%), Pseudomonas (24%), and Alicycliphilus (12%) were present at higher relative abundance, while Pseudomonas (53%) became dominant in the 1000 mg L -1 enrichment. Aeromonas hydrophila strain S7, Pseudomonas stutzeri strain S8, and Pseudomonas nitroreducens strain S11 were isolated from the enriched cultures. Under denitrifying conditions, strains S8 and S11 degraded 500 mg L -1 SLES in less than 1 day, while strain S7 required more than 6 days. Strains S8 and S11 also showed a remarkable resistance to SLES, being able to grow and reduce nitrate with SLES concentrations up to 40 g L -1 . Strain S11 turned out to be the best anoxic SLES degrader, degrading up to 41% of 500 mg L -1 . The comparison between SLES anoxic and oxic degradation by strain S11 revealed differences in SLES cleavage, degradation, and sulfate accumulation; both ester and ether cleavage were probably employed in SLES anoxic degradation by strain S11.

Identification of Anaerobic Aniline-Degrading Bacteria at a Contaminated Industrial Site.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weimin; Li, Yun; McGuinness, Lora R; Luo, Shuai; Huang, Weilin; Kerkhof, Lee J; Mack, E Erin; Häggblom, Max M; Fennell, Donna E

2015-09-15

Anaerobic aniline biodegradation was investigated under different electron-accepting conditions using contaminated canal and groundwater aquifer sediments from an industrial site. Aniline loss was observed in nitrate- and sulfate-amended microcosms and in microcosms established to promote methanogenic conditions. Lag times of 37 days (sulfate amended) to more than 100 days (methanogenic) were observed prior to activity. Time-series DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify bacteria that incorporated (13)C-labeled aniline in the microcosms established to promote methanogenic conditions. In microcosms from heavily contaminated aquifer sediments, a phylotype with 92.7% sequence similarity to Ignavibacterium album was identified as a dominant aniline degrader as indicated by incorporation of (13)C-aniline into its DNA. In microcosms from contaminated canal sediments, a bacterial phylotype within the family Anaerolineaceae, but without a match to any known genus, demonstrated the assimilation of (13)C-aniline. Acidovorax spp. were also identified as putative aniline degraders in both of these two treatments, indicating that these species were present and active in both the canal and aquifer sediments. There were multiple bacterial phylotypes associated with anaerobic degradation of aniline at this complex industrial site, which suggests that anaerobic transformation of aniline is an important process at the site. Furthermore, the aniline degrading phylotypes identified in the current study are not related to any known aniline-degrading bacteria. The identification of novel putative aniline degraders expands current knowledge regarding the potential fate of aniline under anaerobic conditions.

POTENCY OF LIGNOCELLULOSE DEGRADING BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM BUFFALO AND HORSE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT AND ELEPHANT DUNG FOR FEED FIBER DEGRADATION

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A. Wahyudi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Lignin is limiting factor for cellulose and hemicellulose degradation in rumen. Isolation andselection bacteria from buffalo and horse gastrointestinal tract and elephant dung could be foundbacteria that have superiority to degrade lignin, xylan, and cellulose. Those animals were chosenbecause they were herbivores that consume low quality crude fiber as their main energy sources.Lignocellulose degrading bacteria were isolated by Hungate selective media, by using lignin (tannicacid, xylan, and cellulose as selective substrates. The morphological identification used an enrichmentmedia by measuring color, colony size, diffusion zone, clear zone, and biochemical identification usingproduction of ligninase, xylanase, and cellulase enzymes. The best lignocellulose degrading bacteriathen was determined by the morphological and biochemical character. This study showed thatlignocellulose degrading bacteria could be found in gastrointestinal tract of buffalo and horse, andelephant dung. Highest number colony was found in samples from buffalo's colon (376, followed byhorse's cecum (203, elephant’s dung (46, buffalo’s cecum (23, buffalo's rumen (9 and horse’s colon(7. The highest isolates activity of lignolytic, xylanolytic, and cellulolytic were reached by buffalo’scecum (7.64, horse's cecum (6.27, and buffalo’s colon (2.48. Meanwhile the highest enzymesproductivities were: buffalo’s cecum (0.0400 µmol, horse’s cecum (1.3912 µmol and buffalo’s colon(0.1971 µmol. Based on morphologycal character and biochemical test, it could be concluded thatlignolytic from buffalo’s cecum, xylanolytic from horse’s cecum, and cellulolytic from buffalo’s colonwere the superior isolates and they were 99% analyzed as Enterococcus casseliflavus/gallinarumspecies.

Isolation, Identification and Phenotypic Characterization of Microcystin-Degrading Bacteria from Lake Erie

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, A.; Mou, X. J.

2015-12-01

Lake Erie, the smallest and warmest lake among the Laurentian Great Lakes, is known for its problem of eutrophication and frequent occurrence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs). One major harmful effect of CyanoHABs is the production of cyanotoxins, especially microcystins. Microcystins (MC) are a group of hepatotoxins and the predominant variant of them is MC-LR. Field measurements and lab experiments indicate that MC degradation in Lake Erie is mainly carried out by indigenous bacteria. However, our knowledge on taxa involved in this process is very limited. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap using a culture-dependent approach. Water and surface sediment samples were collected from Lake Erie in 2014 and 2015 and enriched with MC-LR. Cells were plated on a number of culturing media. The obtained pure bacterial cultures were screened for MC degrading abilities by MT2 BIO-LOG assays and by growing cells in liquid media containing MC-LR as the sole carbon source. In the latter experiment, MC concentrations were measured using HPLC. Isolates showing positive MC degradation activities in the screening steps were designated MC+ bacteria and characterized based on their phenotypic properties, including colony pigmentation, elevation, opacity, margin, gram nature and motility. The taxonomic identity of MC+ bacteria was determined by 16S rRNA gene full-length DNA sequencing. The presence of mlrA, a gene encoding MC cleavage pathway, was detected by PCR. Our culturing efforts obtained 520 pure cultures; 44 of them were identified as MC+. These MC+ isolates showed diversity in taxonomic identities and differed in their morphology, gram nature, colony characteristics and motility. PCR amplification of mlrA gene yield negative results for all MC+ isolates, indicating that the primers that were used may not be ubiquitous enough to cover the heterogeneity of mlrA genes or, more likely, alternative degradative genes/pathways were employed by Lake Erie bacteria

Amylase activity of a starch degrading bacteria isolated from soil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Starch degrading bacteria are most important for industries such as food, fermentation, textile and paper. Thus isolating and manipulating pure culture from various waste materials has manifold importance for various biotechnology industries. In the present investigation a bacterial strain was isolated from soil sample ...

The Diversity of PAH-degrading bacteria in a deep-sea water column above the Southwest Indian Ridge

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Zongze eShao

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The bacteria involved in organic pollutant degradation in pelagic deep-sea environments are largely unknown. In this report, the diversity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ( PAH-degrading bacteria was analyzed in deep-sea water on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR. After enrichment with a PAH mixture (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene, 9 nine bacterial consortia were obtained from depths of 3946 m to 4746 m. PAH degradation occurred to all components of the mixture, but when using a single PAH as the sole carbon and energy source, only phenanthrene can be degraded obviously. This indicates the cometabolism of anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene with phenanthreneWhile the consortia degraded all four PAHs when supplied in a mixture, when PAHs were tested individually, only phenanthrene supported growth. Thus, degradation of the PAH mixture reflected a cometabolism of anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene with phenanthrene. Further, both culture-dependent and independent methods revealed many new bacteria involved in PAH degradation. Specifically, the alpha and gamma subclasses of Proteobacteria were confirmed as the major groups within the communities. Additionally, Actinobacteria, the CFB group and Firmicutes were detected. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE analysis showed that bacteria closely affiliated with Alcanivorax, Novosphingobium and Rhodovulum occurred most frequently in different PAH-degrading consortia. More than half of the isolates (34 of 51 isolates were confirmed to have the ability to grow with the PAH mixture By using general heterotrophic media, 51 bacteria were isolated from the consortia and of these 34 grew with the PAH mixture as a sole carbon source. Of these, isolates most closely related to Alterierythrobacter, Citricella, Erythrobacter, Idiomarina, Lutibacterium, Maricaulis, Marinobacter, Martelella, Pseudidiomarina, Rhodobacter, Roseovarius, Salipiger, Sphingopyxis and Stappia were found to

Use of compost bacteria to degrade cellulose from grass cuttings in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2007-09-06

Sep 6, 2007 ... bacteria isolated from compost, thereby producing volatile fatty acids (VFA) and other ... 100% increase in the use of water by the mining and industrial .... other intermediates of cellulose degradation, such as hydrogen.

Identification of soil bacteria able to degrade phenanthrene bound to a hydrophobic sorbent in situ

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Regonne, Raïssa Kom [CEA, DSV/iRTSV, Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, 38054, Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, UMR 5249, 38042, Grenoble (France); Laboratoire de Substances Actives et Pollution, ENSAI, Université de Ngaoundéré, BP 455, Ngaoundéré (Cameroon); Martin, Florence [CEA, DSV/iRTSV, Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, 38054, Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, UMR 5249, 38042, Grenoble (France); Mbawala, Augustin [Laboratoire de Microbiologie, ENSAI, Université de Ngaoundéré, BP 455, Ngaoundéré (Cameroon); Ngassoum, Martin Benoît [Laboratoire de Substances Actives et Pollution, ENSAI, Université de Ngaoundéré, BP 455, Ngaoundéré (Cameroon); Jouanneau, Yves [CEA, DSV/iRTSV, Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, 38054, Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes and CNRS, UMR 5249, 38042, Grenoble (France)

2013-09-15

Efficient bioremediation of PAH-contaminated sites is limited by the hydrophobic character and poor bioavailability of pollutants. In this study, stable isotope probing (SIP) was implemented to track bacteria that can degrade PAHs adsorbed on hydrophobic sorbents. Temperate and tropical soils were incubated with {sup 13}C-labeled phenanthrene, supplied by spiking or coated onto membranes. Phenanthrene mineralization was faster in microcosms with PAH-coated membranes than in microcosms containing spiked soil. Upon incubation with temperate soil, phenanthrene degraders found in the biofilms that formed on coated membranes were mainly identified as Sphingomonadaceae and Actinobacteria. In the tropical soil, uncultured Rhodocyclaceae dominated degraders bound to membranes. Accordingly, ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase sequences recovered from this soil matched PAH-specific dioxygenase genes recently found in Rhodocyclaceae. Hence, our SIP approach allowed the detection of novel degraders, mostly uncultured, which differ from those detected after soil spiking, but might play a key role in the bioremediation of PAH-polluted soils. -- Highlights: •Soil bacteria with the ability to degrade sorbent-bound PAHs were investigated. •In soil, membrane-bound phenanthrene was readily mineralized. •PAH degraders found in biofilms were different in temperate and tropical soils. •Uncultured Rhodocyclaceae were dominant phenanthrene degraders in the tropical soil. •PAH-specific ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase sequences were identified in soil DNA. -- Bacteria able to degrade PAHs bound to a hydrophobic sorbent were mainly identified as uncultured Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingomonadaceae in polluted soils from tropical and temperate area, respectively.

Identification of soil bacteria able to degrade phenanthrene bound to a hydrophobic sorbent in situ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regonne, Raïssa Kom; Martin, Florence; Mbawala, Augustin; Ngassoum, Martin Benoît; Jouanneau, Yves

2013-01-01

Efficient bioremediation of PAH-contaminated sites is limited by the hydrophobic character and poor bioavailability of pollutants. In this study, stable isotope probing (SIP) was implemented to track bacteria that can degrade PAHs adsorbed on hydrophobic sorbents. Temperate and tropical soils were incubated with 13 C-labeled phenanthrene, supplied by spiking or coated onto membranes. Phenanthrene mineralization was faster in microcosms with PAH-coated membranes than in microcosms containing spiked soil. Upon incubation with temperate soil, phenanthrene degraders found in the biofilms that formed on coated membranes were mainly identified as Sphingomonadaceae and Actinobacteria. In the tropical soil, uncultured Rhodocyclaceae dominated degraders bound to membranes. Accordingly, ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase sequences recovered from this soil matched PAH-specific dioxygenase genes recently found in Rhodocyclaceae. Hence, our SIP approach allowed the detection of novel degraders, mostly uncultured, which differ from those detected after soil spiking, but might play a key role in the bioremediation of PAH-polluted soils. -- Highlights: •Soil bacteria with the ability to degrade sorbent-bound PAHs were investigated. •In soil, membrane-bound phenanthrene was readily mineralized. •PAH degraders found in biofilms were different in temperate and tropical soils. •Uncultured Rhodocyclaceae were dominant phenanthrene degraders in the tropical soil. •PAH-specific ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase sequences were identified in soil DNA. -- Bacteria able to degrade PAHs bound to a hydrophobic sorbent were mainly identified as uncultured Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingomonadaceae in polluted soils from tropical and temperate area, respectively

Effect of isolates of fibre degrading bacteria on body weight changes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

tc

2013-05-22

May 22, 2013 ... lactating buffaloes divided into treatment and control groups of six animals each were fed with experimental diets ... anaerobic fibre degrading bacteria was prepared as described by ..... Bryant MP, Burkey LA (1953). Cultural ...

Bioremediation Potential of Native Hydrocarbons Degrading Bacteria in Crude Oil Polluted Soil

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Mariana MARINESCU

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soil is an effective process to clean petroleum pollutants from the environment. Crude oil bioremediation of soils is limited by the bacteria activity in degrading the spills hydrocarbons. Native crude oil degrading bacteria were isolated from different crude oil polluted soils. The isolated bacteria belong to the genera Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium, Arthrobacter and Bacillus. A natural biodegradable product and bacterial inoculum were used for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH removal from an artificial polluted soil. For soil polluted with 5% crude oil, the bacterial top, including those placed in the soil by inoculation was 30 days after impact, respectively 7 days after inoculum application, while in soil polluted with 10% crude oil,  multiplication top of bacteria was observed in the determination made at 45 days after impact and 21 days after inoculum application, showing once again how necessary is for microorganisms habituation and adaptation to environment being a function of pollutant concentration. The microorganisms inoculated showed a slight adaptability in soil polluted with 5% crude oil, but complete inhibition in the first 30 days of experiment at 10% crude oil.

Exploring the microbiota dynamics related to vegetable biomasses degradation and study of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria for industrial biotechnological application

Science.gov (United States)

Ventorino, Valeria; Aliberti, Alberto; Faraco, Vincenza; Robertiello, Alessandro; Giacobbe, Simona; Ercolini, Danilo; Amore, Antonella; Fagnano, Massimo; Pepe, Olimpia

2015-02-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate the microbial diversity of different lignocellulosic biomasses during degradation under natural conditions and to isolate, select, characterise new well-adapted bacterial strains to detect potentially improved enzyme-producing bacteria. The microbiota of biomass piles of Arundo donax, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Populus nigra were evaluated by high-throughput sequencing. A highly complex bacterial community was found, composed of ubiquitous bacteria, with the highest representation by the Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla. The abundances of the major and minor taxa retrieved during the process were determined by the selective pressure produced by the lignocellulosic plant species and degradation conditions. Moreover, cellulolytic bacteria were isolated using differential substrates and screened for cellulase, cellobiase, xylanase, pectinase and ligninase activities. Forty strains that showed multienzymatic activity were selected and identified. The highest endo-cellulase activity was seen in Promicromonospora sukumoe CE86 and Isoptericola variabilis CA84, which were able to degrade cellulose, cellobiose and xylan. Sixty-two percent of bacterial strains tested exhibited high extracellular endo-1,4-ß-glucanase activity in liquid media. These approaches show that the microbiota of lignocellulosic biomasses can be considered an important source of bacterial strains to upgrade the feasibility of lignocellulose conversion for the `greener' technology of second-generation biofuels.

Individually and Synergistic Degradation of Hydrocarbons by Biosurfactant Producing Bacteria

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Amirarsalan Kavyanifard

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Increasing worldwide contamination with hydrocarbons has urged environmental remediation using biological agents such as bacteria. Our goal here was to study the phylogenetic relationship of two crude oil degrader bacteria and investigation of their ability to degrade hydrocarbons. Materials and Methods: Phylogenetic relationship of isolates was determined using morphological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Optimum conditions of each isolate for crude oil degradation were investigated using one factor in time method. The rate of crude oil degradation by individual and consortium bacteria was assayed via Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS analysis. Biosurfactant production was measured by Du Noüy ring method using Krüss-K6 tensiometer. Results: The isolates were identified as Dietzia cinnamea KA1 and Dietzia cinnamea AP and clustered separately, while both are closely related to each other and with other isolates of Dietzia cinnamea. The optimal conditions for D. cinnamea KA1 were 35°C, pH9.0, 510 mM NaCl, and minimal requirement of 46.5 mM NH4Cl and 2.10 mM NaH2PO4. In the case of D. cinnamea AP, the values were 30°C, pH8.0, 170 mM NaCl, and minimal requirement of 55.8 mM NH4Cl and 2.10 mM NaH2PO4, respectively. Gas chromatography – Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS analysis showed that both isolates were able to utilize various crude oil compounds, but D. cinnamea KA1 was more efficient individually and consortium of isolates was the most. The isolates were able to grow and produce biosurfactant when cultured in MSM supplemented with crude oil and optimization of MSM conditions lead to increase in biosurfactant production. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of synergistic relationship between two strains of D. cinnamea in biodegradation of crude oil components, including poisonous and carcinogenic compound in a short time.

Cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent characterisation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in Guaymas Basin sediments

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Tony eGutierrez

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria perform a fundamental role in the biodegradation of crude oil and its petrochemical derivatives in coastal and open ocean environments. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the diversity and function of these organisms in deep-sea sediment. Here we used stable-isotope probing (SIP, a valuable tool to link the phylogeny and function of targeted microbial groups, to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH-degrading bacteria under aerobic conditions in sediments from Guaymas Basin with uniformly labeled [13C]phenanthrene. The dominant sequences in clone libraries constructed from 13C-enriched bacterial DNA (from phenanthrene enrichments were identified to belong to the genus Cycloclasticus. We used quantitative PCR primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene of the SIP-identified Cycloclasticus to determine their abundance in sediment incubations amended with unlabeled phenanthrene and showed substantial increases in gene abundance during the experiments. We also isolated a strain, BG-2, representing the SIP-identified Cycloclasticus sequence (99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity, and used this strain to provide direct evidence of phenanthrene degradation and mineralization. In addition, we isolated Halomonas, Thalassospira and Lutibacterium spp. with demonstrable phenanthrene-degrading capacity from Guaymas Basin sediment. This study demonstrates the value of coupling SIP with cultivation methods to identify and expand on the known diversity of PAH-degrading bacteria in the deep-sea.

Sequential Isolation of Saturated, Aromatic, Resinic and Asphaltic Fractions Degrading Bacteria from Oil Contaminated Soil in South Sumatera

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Pingkan Aditiawati

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Sequential isolation has been conducted to obtain isolates of saturated, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene fractions degrading bacteria from oil contaminated sites. Five soil samples were collected from South Sumatera. These were analyzed using soil extract medium enriched with oil recovery or Remaining-Oil recovery Degradated (ROD as sole carbon and energy sources according to the isolation stage. ROD at the end of every isolation stage analyzed oil fractions by use of the SARA analysis method. Six isolates of bacteria have been selected, one isolate was fraction saturates degrading bacteria that are Mycobacterium sp. T1H2D4-7 at degradation rate 0.0199 mgs/h with density 8.4x106 cfu/g from stage I. The isolate T2H1D2-4, identified as Pseudomonas sp. was fraction aromatics degrading bacteria at accelerate 0.0141 mgs/h with density 5.1x106 cfu/g are obtained at stage II. Two isolates namely Micrococcus sp. T3H2D4-2 and Pseudomonas sp. T1H1D5-5 were fraction resins degrading bacteria by accelerate 0.0088 mgs/h at density 5.6x106 cfu/g and 0.0089 mgs/h at density 5.7x106 cfu/g are obtained at stage III. Isolation of stage IV has been obtained two isolates Pseudomonas sp. T4H1D3-1and Pseudomonas sp. T4H3D5-4 were fraction asphaltenes degrading bacteria by accelerate 0.0057 mgs/h at density 5.6x106 cfu/g and accelerate 0.0058 mgs/h at density 5.7x106 cfu/g.

Degradation of superconductivity in A15 V3Si by explosive compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, G.; Olinger, B.; Newkirk, L.R.

1985-01-01

We have found that explosive compression similar to that used to create A15 Nb 3 Si seriously degrades superconductivity in A15 V 3 Si which, before compression, was typical of well-ordered material. Specifically, the midpoint of the bulk superconducting transition is depressed by 1.8 K, the bulk transition width is increased by a factor of 3, and the specific heat γ is decreased by more than 20% compared to the starting material. Implications of these results for the ultimate achievable transition temperature in A15 Nb 3 Si are discussed

Breeding of in-situ Petroleum Degrading Bacteria in Hangzhou Bay and evaluating for the In-situ repair effect

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Lan, Ru; Lin, Hai; Qiao, Bing; Dong, Yingbo; Zhang, Wei; Chang, Wen

2018-02-01

In this paper, the restoration behaviour of the in-situ microorganisms in seawater and sediments to the marine accident oil spill was researched. The experimental study on the breeding of in-situ petroleum-degrading bacteria in the seawater and sediments of Hangzhou Bay and the restoration of oil spill were carried out. Making use of the reinforced microbial flora, combined with physical and chemical methods in field environment, petroleum degrading and restoration experiment were performed, the effect of the breeding of in-situ degrading bacteria was evaluated, and the standard process of in-situ bacteria sampling, laboratory screening, domestication and degradation efficiency testing were formed. This study laid a foundation for further evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages for the petroleum-degrading bacteria of Hangzhou Bay during the process of in-situ restoration. The results showed that in-situ microbes of Hangzhou Bay could reach the growth peak in 5 days with the suitable environmental factors and sufficient nutrient elements, and the degradation efficiency could reach 65.2% (or 74.8% after acclimation). And also the microbes could adapt to the local sea water and environmental conditions, with a certain degree of degradation. The research results could provide parameter support for causal judgment and quantitative assessment of oil spill damage.

Isolation and identification of crude oil degrading bacteria from gastropod Haustrum scobina collected from Persian Gulf (Bandar Abbas Shoreline provenance

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Zinab Bayat

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Biodegradation is a good alternative rather than chemical and physical methods for cleaning oil contaminated areas. Several factors like crude oil concentration, biosurfactant production, salinity and incubation time affect the biodegradation. Materials and methods: In this study, seawater sample and gastropod were collected from Persian Gulf. To isolate oil degrading bacteria from collected samples, ONR7a medium was used. The strains that had more growth and higher oil removal were selected and identified. The factors such as the effect of different concentrations of oil, incubation time, mixed cultures and salinity on the biodegradation were investigated. Results: Six crude oil degrading bacteria were isolated. Between these bacteria 2 strains were selected based on higher oil removal. These strains belonged to the genus Vibrio and Halomonas. Strains with higher Emulsification activity produce more biosurfactant and have higher oil biodegradation. Growth and oil degradation have increment pattern by prolonging the incubation time. Mixed culture of Vibrio and Halomonas strains have higher rates of degradation rather than culturing with one of them. Increase in crudeoil concentration to 2.5% caused reduction in growth of bacteria and degradation of oil. Discussion and conclusion: The results of this study show that crude oil degrading bacteria have high diversity in Persian Gulf. These bacteria have higher capability for oil degradation thus they can be used for remediation of oil contaminated areas.

Acute toxicity assessment of explosive-contaminated soil extracting solution by luminescent bacteria assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenjie; Jiang, Zhenming; Zhao, Quanlin; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Su, Hongping; Gao, Xuewen; Ye, Zhengfang

2016-11-01

Explosive-contaminated soil is harmful to people's health and the local ecosystem. The acute toxicity of its extracting solution was tested by bacterial luminescence assay using three kinds of luminescent bacteria to characterize the toxicity of the soil. An orthogonal test L 16 (4 5 ) was designed to optimize the soil extracting conditions. The optimum extracting conditions were obtained when the ultrasonic extraction time, ultrasonic extraction temperature, and the extraction repeat times were 6 h, 40 °C, and three, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed that the main components of the contaminated soil's extracting solution were 2,4-dinitrotoluene-3-sulfonate (2,4-DNT-3-SO 3 - ); 2,4-dinitrotoluene-5-sulfonate (2,4-DNT-5-SO 3 - ); and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT). Compared with Photobacterium phosphoreum and Vibrio fischeri, Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov. is more suitable for assessing the soil extracting solution's acute toxicity. Soil washing can remove most of the contaminants toxic to luminescent bacterium Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov., suggesting that it may be a potential effective remediation method for explosive-contaminated soil.

Multifarious activities of cellulose degrading bacteria from Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) faeces.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Surender; Thavamani, Palanisami; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2015-01-01

Cellulose degrading bacteria from koala faeces were isolated using caboxymethylcellulose-Congo red agar, screened in vitro for different hydrolytic enzyme activities and phylogenetically characterized using molecular tools. Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were the most prominent bacteria from koala faeces. The isolates demonstrated good xylanase, amylase, lipase, protease, tannase and lignin peroxidase activities apart from endoglucanase activity. Furthermore many isolates grew in the presence of phenanthrene, indicating their probable application for bioremediation. Potential isolates can be exploited further for industrial enzyme production or in bioremediation of contaminated sites.

The metabolic and ecological interactions of oxalate-degrading bacteria in the Mammalian gut.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Aaron W; Dearing, Denise

2013-12-06

Oxalate-degrading bacteria comprise a functional group of microorganisms, commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals. Oxalate is a plant secondary compound (PSC) widely produced by all major taxa of plants and as a terminal metabolite by the mammalian liver. As a toxin, oxalate can have a significant impact on the health of mammals, including humans. Mammals do not have the enzymes required to metabolize oxalate and rely on their gut microbiota for this function. Thus, significant metabolic interactions between the mammalian host and a complex gut microbiota maintain the balance of oxalate in the body. Over a dozen species of gut bacteria are now known to degrade oxalate. This review focuses on the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that regulate the degradation of oxalate by the gut microbiota. We discuss the pathways of oxalate throughout the body and the mammalian gut as a series of differentiated ecosystems that facilitate oxalate degradation. We also explore the mechanisms and functions of microbial oxalate degradation along with the implications for the ecological and evolutionary interactions within the microbiota and for mammalian hosts. Throughout, we consider questions that remain, as well as recent technological advances that can be employed to answer them.

Isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria from industrial sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahid, M.N.; Jabeen, F.

2009-01-01

Immidacloprid is a cyclodiene organochlorine used as an insecticide all over the world and possessing a serous environmental threat. It is mostly used for cotton insects (bollworm, aphid and white fly). For isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria, two soil samples were collected from industrial contaminated sites of Kala Shah Kahu district sheikupura, having ten year history of use. Soil samples were analyzed by measuring pH and electric conductivity. The isolation of imidacroprid degrading bacteria was performed by enrichment technique. Eight bacterial strains, S/sub 1-a/ S/2-2-b/ S/2-c/ S/2-d/ S/2-e/ S/sub 2-f/ and S/sub 2-g/ and S/sub e-a/ were isolated on the basis of their colony morphologies. The purified colonies were characterized morphologically, physiologically and biochemically. Gram staining was done and Gram negative strain were confirmed on MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue. Bacterial strains were also checked for different minimal media in which only carbon source was the imidcloprid. For this purpose. FTW, FTW without N/sub 2/ NSM, M/sub 9/ and MM/sub 2/ media were used and their optical densities were taken on spectrophotometer isolates were checked for resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. On these characteristics, S/sub 2-d/ and S/sub c-a/ were assigned to Enterobacteriaceae, S/sub 2-b/ to Pseudomonad and rest of the bacterial isolates were affiliated to bacillaceae. (author)

Petroleum residues degradation in laboratory-scale by rhizosphere bacteria isolated from the mangrove ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Rinanti, A.; Nainggolan, I. J.

2018-01-01

This research is about petroleum bioremediation experiment to obtain bacterial isolate from mangrove ecosystem which potentially degrade petroleum. It was conducted in an Erlenmeyer batch system filled with growth medium of Stone Mineral Salt Solution (SMSS) plus petroleum residue, placed in an incubator shaker with a rotation speed of 120 rpm, temperature 3000C, for 14 research days. Indigenous bacteria that have been isolated and identified from the roots of mangrove plants are Ochrobactrum anthropi and Bacillus sp., Ralstonia pickettii and Bacillus circulans. Those bacteriain both monoculture and consortium form (mixed culture) are incorporated into erlenmeyer as remediator agents. All bacteria can utilize hydrocarbon compounds, but Ralstonia pickettii and Bacillus circulans reached exponential phase faster with more cell count than other bacteria. Compared to single cultures, petroleum degradation by a bacterial consortium provides a higher TPH reduction efficiency, i.e. at 5%, 10%, and 15% of initial TPH of 94.4%, 72%, and 80.3%, respectively. This study proved that all bacteria could optimize hydrocarbon compounds up to 15% TPH load.

PHB-degrading bacteria isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of aquatic animals as protective actors against luminescent vibriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yiying; De Schryver, Peter; Van Delsen, Bart; Maignien, Loïs; Boon, Nico; Sorgeloos, Patrick; Verstraete, Willy; Bossier, Peter; Defoirdt, Tom

2010-10-01

The use of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) was shown to be successful in increasing the resistance of brine shrimp against pathogenic infections. In this study, we isolated for the first time PHB-degrading bacteria from a gastrointestinal environment. Pure strains of PHB-degrading bacteria were isolated from Siberian sturgeon, European sea bass and giant river prawn. The capability of selected isolates to degrade PHB was confirmed in at least two of three setups: (1) growth in minimal medium containing PHB as the sole carbon (C) source, (2) production of clearing zones on minimal agar containing PHB as the sole C source and (3) degradation of PHB (as determined by HPLC analysis) in 10% Luria-Bertani medium containing PHB. Challenge tests showed that the PHB-degrading activity of the selected isolates increased the survival of brine shrimp larvae challenged to a pathogenic Vibrio campbellii strain by a factor 2-3. Finally, one of the PHB-degrading isolates from sturgeon showed a double biocontrol effect because it was also able to inactivate acylhomoserine lactones, a type of quorum-sensing molecule that regulates the virulence of different pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the combined supplementation of a PHB-degrading bacterium and PHB as a synbioticum provides perspectives for improving the gastrointestinal health of aquatic animals. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploration of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria on soils contaminated by crude oil from South Sumatera

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A. Napoleon

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research was to explore hydrocarbon degrading bacteria on crude oil contaminated soil with potential to degrade hydrocarbon in oil pollutant. The research started by early August 2013 till January 2014. Soil sampling for this research was taken on several places with contaminated soil location such as Benakat, Rimau, and Pengabuan all of it located in South Sumatera. Conclusion from this research Isolates obtained from three (3 sites of contaminated soil and treated using SBS medium were Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pnumoniae, Streptococcus beta hemolisa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus epidermis and Acinotobacter calcoaceticus. Isolates that survived on 300 ppm of hydrocarbon concentration were Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter cakciaceticus Selected isolates posses the ability to degrade hydrocarbon by breaking hydrocarbon substance as the energy source to support isolates existence up to 1,67 TPH level. Based on results accomplish by this research, we urge for further research involving the capacity of isolates to degrade wide variety of hydrocarbon substance and more to develop the potential of these bacteria for bioremediation.

Isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria from cotton fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahid, M.N.; Jabeen, F.; Hassan, S.W.

2008-01-01

Imidacloprid is cyclodiene organochlorine, used as an insecticide all over the world an possess a serious environmental threat. It is mostly used for cotton insects (bollworm, aphid and white fly). For isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria three soil samples were collected from cotton fields of district Layyah having five years history of use. Soil samples were analyzed by measuring pH and electric conductivity. The isolation of imidacroprid degrading bacteria was performed by enrichment technique. Fourteen bacterial strains: S/sub i-a/, S/sub i-b/, S/sub i-c/, S/sub i-d/, S/sub i-e/, S/sub a-a/, S/a-b/, S/a-c/, S/a-d/, S/sub b-a/, S/sub b-b/, S/sub b-c/, S/sub b-d/ and S/b-e/ were isolated on the basis of their colony morphologies. The purified colonies were characterized morphologically physiologically and biochemically. Gram staining was done and Gram staining was done and Gram negative strains were confirmed on macConkey agar and Eosin methylene blue. Bacterial strains were also checked for different minimal media in which only carbon source was the imidacloprid. For this purpose FTW, FTW without N/sun 2/, NSM, M/sub 9/ and MM/sub 2/ media were used and their optical densities were taken on spectrophotometer, isolates were checked for resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. On the basis of these characteristics. S/sub a-c/ and S/sub l-d/ were assigned to Enterobacteriaceae, S/sub a-b/ to Pseudomonadaceae and rest of the bacterial isolates were affiliated. (author)

Biogenic amines degradation by malolactic bacteria: towards a potential application in wine

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Vittorio eCapozzi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Biogenic amines in wine represent a toxicological risk for the health of the consumer, with several trade implications. In this study 26 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum were analysed for their ability to degrade biogenic amines commonly found during wine fermentation. Two strains of L. plantarum were selected in reason of their ability to degrade putrescine and tyramine. The degradation was assessed in vitro, both in presence of the biogenic amines and in presence of the specific chemical precursor and of producer bacteria. The two L. plantarum biotypes were found capable to work synergically. In addition, the survival in wine-like medium and the aptitude to degrade malic acid after alcoholic fermentation of the selected L. plantarum strains was analysed. Our results suggest the potential application of wine L. plantarum strains to design malolactic starter cultures able to degrade biogenic amines in wine.

Isolation and Characterization of Phenanthrene Degrading Bacteria from Diesel Fuel-Contaminated Antarctic Soils

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Alejandro Gran-Scheuch

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Antarctica is an attractive target for human exploration and scientific investigation, however the negative effects of human activity on this continent are long lasting and can have serious consequences on the native ecosystem. Various areas of Antarctica have been contaminated with diesel fuel, which contains harmful compounds such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH. Bioremediation of PAHs by the activity of microorganisms is an ecological, economical, and safe decontamination approach. Since the introduction of foreign organisms into the Antarctica is prohibited, it is key to discover native bacteria that can be used for diesel bioremediation. By following the degradation of the PAH phenanthrene, we isolated 53 PAH metabolizing bacteria from diesel contaminated Antarctic soil samples, with three of these isolates exhibiting a high phenanthrene degrading capacity. In particular, the Sphingobium xenophagum D43FB isolate showed the highest phenanthrene degradation ability, generating up to 95% degradation of initial phenanthrene. D43FB can also degrade phenanthrene in the presence of its usual co-pollutant, the heavy metal cadmium, and showed the ability to grow using diesel-fuel as a sole carbon source. Microtiter plate assays and SEM analysis revealed that S. xenophagum D43FB exhibits the ability to form biofilms and can directly adhere to phenanthrene crystals. Genome sequencing analysis also revealed the presence of several genes involved in PAH degradation and heavy metal resistance in the D43FB genome. Altogether, these results demonstrate that S. xenophagum D43FB shows promising potential for its application in the bioremediation of diesel fuel contaminated-Antarctic ecosystems.

Screening of SDS-degrading bacteria from car wash wastewater and study of the alkylsulfatase enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahbazi, Razieh; Kasra-Kermanshahi, Roha; Gharavi, Sara; Moosavi-Nejad, Zahra; Borzooee, Faezeh

2013-06-01

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is one of the main surfactant components in detergents and cosmetics, used in high amounts as a detergent in products such as shampoos, car wash soap and toothpaste. Therefore, its bioremediation by suitable microorganisms is important. Alkylsulfatase is an enzyme that hydrolyses sulfate -ester bonds to give inorganic sulfate and alcohol. The purpose of this study was to isolate SDS-degrading bacteria from Tehran city car wash wastewater, study bacterial alkylsulfatase enzyme activity and identify the alkylsulfatase enzyme coding gene. Screening of SDS-degrading bacteria was carried out on basal salt medium containing SDS as the sole source of carbon. Amount of SDS degraded was assayed by methylene blue active substance (MBAS). Identification of the sdsA gene was carried by PCR and subsequent sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene and biochemical tests identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This bacterium is able to degrade 84% of SDS after four days incubation. Bacteria isolated from car wash wastewater were shown to carry the sdsA gene (670bp) and the alkylsulfatase enzyme specific activity expressed from this gene was determined to be 24.3 unit/mg. The results presented in this research indicate that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a suitable candidate for SDS biodegradation.

Isolation of oxamyl-degrading bacteria and identification of cehA as a novel oxamyl hydrolase gene

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Konstantina eRousidou

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Microbial degradation is the main process controlling the environmental dissipation of the nematicide oxamyl. Despite that, little is known regarding the microorganisms involved in its biotransformation. We report the isolation of four oxamyl-degrading bacterial strains from an agricultural soil exhibiting enhanced biodegradation of oxamyl. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA assigned the isolated bacteria to different subgroups of the genus Pseudomonas. The isolated bacteria hydrolyzed oxamyl to oxamyl oxime, which was not further transformed, and utilized methylamine as a C and N source. This was further supported by the detection of methylamine dehydrogenase in three of the four isolates. All oxamyl-degrading strains carried a gene highly homologous to a carbamate-hydrolase gene cehA previously identified in carbaryl- and carbofuran-degrading strains. Transcription analysis verified its direct involvement in the hydrolysis of oxamyl. Selected isolates exhibited relaxed degrading specificity and transformed all carbamates tested including the oximino carbamates aldicarb and methomyl (structurally related to oxamyl and the aryl-methyl carbamates carbofuran and carbaryl which share with oxamyl only the carbamate moiety

Soil burial method for plastic degradation performed by Pseudomonas PL-01, Bacillus PL-01, and indigenous bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Shovitri, Maya; Nafi'ah, Risyatun; Antika, Titi Rindi; Alami, Nur Hidayatul; Kuswytasari, N. D.; Zulaikha, Enny

2017-06-01

Lately, plastic bag is becoming the most important pollutant for environment since it is difficult to be naturally degraded due to it consists of long hydrocarbon polymer chains. Our previous study indicated that our pure isolate Pseudomonas PL-01 and Bacillus PL-01 could degrade about 10% plastic bag. This present study was aimed to find out whether Pseudomonas PL01 and Bacillus PL01 put a positive effect to indigenous bacteria from marginal area in doing plastic degradation with a soil burial method. Beach sand was used as a representative marginal area, and mangrove sediment was used as a comparison. Plastics were submerged into unsterile beach sand with 10% of Pseudomonas PL-01 or Bacillus PL-01 containing liquid minimal salt medium (MSM) separately, while other plastics were submerged into unsterile mangrove sediments. After 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, their biofilm formation on their plastic surfaces and plastic degradation were measured. Results indicated that those 2 isolates put positive influent on biofilm formation and plastic degradation for indigenous beach sand bacteria. Bacillus PL-01 put higher influent than Pseudomonas PL-01. Plastic transparent was preferable degraded than black and white plastic bag `kresek'. But anyhow, indigenous mangrove soil bacteria showed the best performance in biofilm formation and plastic degradation, even without Pseudomonas PL-01 or Bacillus PL-01 addition. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis complemented the results; there were attenuated peaks with decreasing peaks transmittances. This FTIR peaks indicated chemical functional group changes happened among the plastic compounds after 16 weeks incubation time.

Combined use of alkane-degrading and plant growth-promoting bacteria enhanced phytoremediation of diesel contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Tara, Nain; Afzal, Muhammad; Ansari, Tariq M; Tahseen, Razia; Iqbal, Samina; Khan, Qaiser M

2014-01-01

Inoculation of plants with pollutant-degrading and plant growth-promoting microorganisms is a simple strategy to enhance phytoremediation activity. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inoculation of different bacterial strains, possessing alkane-degradation and 1-amino-cyclopropane-1 -carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, on plant growth and phytoremediation activity. Carpet grass (Axonopus affinis) was planted in soil spiked with diesel (1% w/w) for 90 days and inoculated with different bacterial strains, Pseudomonas sp. ITRH25, Pantoea sp. BTRH79 and Burkholderia sp. PsJN, individually and in combination. Generally, bacterial application increased total numbers of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the rhizosphere ofcarpet grass, plant biomass production, hydrocarbon degradation and reduced genotoxicity. Bacterial strains possessing different beneficial traits affect plant growth and phytoremediation activity in different ways. Maximum bacterial population, plant biomass production and hydrocarbon degradation were achieved when carpet grass was inoculated with a consortium of three strains. Enhanced plant biomass production and hydrocarbon degradation were associated with increased numbers of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the rhizosphere of carpet grass. The present study revealed that the combined use of different bacterial strains, exhibiting different beneficial traits, is a highly effective strategy to improve plant growth and phytoremediation activity.

Enrichment of Bacteria From Eastern Mediterranean Sea Involved in Lignin Degradation via the Phenylacetyl-CoA Pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah L. Woo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The degradation of allochthonous terrestrial organic matter, such as recalcitrant lignin and hemicellulose from plants, occurs in the ocean. We hypothesize that bacteria instead of white-rot fungi, the model organisms of aerobic lignin degradation within terrestrial environments, are responsible for lignin degradation in the ocean due to the ocean’s oligotrophy and hypersalinity. Warm oxic seawater from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea was enriched on lignin in laboratory microcosms. Lignin mineralization rates by the lignin-adapted consortia improved after two sequential incubations. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing detected a higher abundance of aromatic compound degradation genes in response to lignin, particularly phenylacetyl-CoA, which may be an effective strategy for marine microbes in fluctuating oxygen concentrations. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing detected a higher abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria bacteria such as taxonomic families Idiomarinaceae, Alcanivoraceae, and Alteromonadaceae in response to lignin. Meanwhile, fungal Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes remained at very low abundance. Our findings demonstrate the significant potential of bacteria and microbes utilizing the phenylacetyl-CoA pathway to contribute to lignin degradation in the Eastern Mediterranean where environmental conditions are unfavorable for fungi. Exploring the diversity of bacterial lignin degraders may provide important enzymes for lignin conversion in industry. Enzymes may be key in breaking down high molecular weight lignin and enabling industry to use it as a low-cost and sustainable feedstock for biofuels or other higher-value products.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)-degrading potential bacteria from marine ecosystem of Gulf of Mannar, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, V; Natarajan, K; Hemambika, B; Ramesh, N; Sumathi, C S; Kottaimuthu, R; Rajesh Kannan, V

2010-08-01

Assessment of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-degrading bacteria isolated from plastic waste dumpsites of Gulf of Mannar. Rationally, 15 bacteria (GMB1-GMB15) were isolated by enrichment technique. GMB5 and GMB7 were selected for further studies based on their efficiency to degrade the HDPE and identified as Arthrobacter sp. and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. Assessed weight loss of HDPE after 30 days of incubation was nearly 12% for Arthrobacter sp. and 15% for Pseudomonas sp. The bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbon (BATH) assay showed that the cell surface hydrophobicity of Pseudomonas sp. was higher than Arthrobacter sp. Both fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis and protein content of the biofilm were used to test the viability and protein density of the biomass. Acute peak elevation was observed between 2 and 5 days of inoculation for both bacteria. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum showed that keto carbonyl bond index (KCBI), Ester carbonyl bond index (ECBI) and Vinyl bond index (VBI) were increased indicating changes in functional group(s) and/or side chain modification confirming the biodegradation. The results pose us to suggest that both Pseudomonas sp. and Arthrobacter sp. were proven efficient to degrade HDPE, albeit the former was more efficacious, yet the ability of latter cannot be neglected. Recent alarm on ecological threats to marine system is dumping plastic waste in the marine ecosystem and coastal arena by anthropogenic activity. In maintenance phase of the plastic-derived polyethylene waste, the microbial degradation plays a major role; the information accomplished in this work will be the initiating point for the degradation of polyethylene by indigenous bacterial population in the marine ecosystem and provides a novel eco-friendly solution in eco-management.

Distribution of PAHs and the PAH-degrading bacteria in the deep-sea sediments of the high-latitude Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, C.; Bai, X.; Sheng, H.; Jiao, L.; Zhou, H.; Shao, Z.

2015-04-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common organic pollutants that can be transferred long distances and tend to accumulate in marine sediments. However, less is known regarding the distribution of PAHs and their natural bioattenuation in the open sea, especially the Arctic Ocean. In this report, sediment samples were collected at four sites from the Chukchi Plateau to the Makarov Basin in the summer of 2010. PAH compositions and total concentrations were examined with GC-MS. The concentrations of 16 EPA-priority PAHs varied from 2.0 to 41.6 ng g-1 dry weight and decreased with sediment depth and movement from the southern to the northern sites. Among the targeted PAHs, phenanthrene was relatively abundant in all sediments. The 16S rRNA gene of the total environmental DNA was analyzed with Illumina high-throughput sequencing (IHTS) to determine the diversity of bacteria involved in PAH degradation in situ. The potential degraders including Cycloclasticus, Pseudomonas, Halomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinomonas, Bacillus, Dietzia, Colwellia, Acinetobacter, Alcanivorax, Salinisphaera and Shewanella, with Dietzia as the most abundant, occurred in all sediment samples. Meanwhile, enrichment with PAHs was initiated onboard and transferred to the laboratory for further enrichment and to obtain the degrading consortia. Most of the abovementioned bacteria in addition to Hahella, Oleispira, Oceanobacter and Hyphomonas occurred alternately as predominant members in the enrichment cultures from different sediments based on IHTS and PCR-DGGE analysis. To reconfirm their role in PAH degradation, 40 different bacteria were isolated and characterized, among which Cycloclasticus Pseudomonas showed the best degradation capability under low temperatures. Taken together, PAHs and PAH-degrading bacteria were widespread in the deep-sea sediments of the Arctic Ocean. We propose that bacteria of Cycloclasticus, Pseudomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Halomonas, Marinomonas and Dietzia may

Application of fluorescent antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for TCE and PAH degrading bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brigmon, R.L.; Franck, M.; Brey, J.; Scott, D.; Lanclos, K.; Fliermans, C.

1996-07-01

Historically, methods used to identify methanotrophic and polyaromatic hydrocarbon-degrading (PAH) bacteria in environmental samples have been inadequate because isolation and identification procedures are time-consuming and often fail to separate specific bacteria from other environmental microorganisms. Methanotrophic bacteria have been isolated and characterized from TCE-contaminated soils (Bowman et al. 1993; Fliermans et al., 1988). Fliermans et al., (1988) and others demonstrated that cultures enriched with methane and propane could cometabolically degrade a wide variety of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons including ethylene; 1,2-cisdichloroethylene (c-DCE); 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene (t-DCE); vinyl chloride (VC); toluene; phenol and cresol. Characterization of select microorganisms in the natural setting is important for the evaluation of bioremediation potential and its effectiveness. This realization has necessitated techniques that are selective, sensitive and easily applicable to soils, sediments, and groundwater (Fliermans, et al., 1994). Additionally these techniques can identify and quantify microbial types in situ in real time

Bacteria that degrade hazardous waste: The isolation of trichloroethylene-degrading methanotrophic bacteria and development of monoclonal antibodies specific to them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, C.D.

1988-01-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a suspected carcinogen, is one of the most frequently reported groundwater contaminants at hazardous waste sites in the US. An aerobic, methane-oxidizing bacterium was isolated that degrades TCE in pure culture at concentrations commonly observed in contaminated groundwater. Strain 46-1, a Type I methanotrophic bacterium, degraded TCE when growing on methane or methanol, producing CO 2 and water-soluble products. Gas chromatography and 14 C radiotracer techniques were used to determine the rate, methane dependence, and mechanism of TCE biodegradation. TCE biodegradation by strain 46-1 appears to be a co-metabolic process that occurs when the organism is actively metabolizing a suitable growth substrate such as methane or methanol. Five mouse monoclonal antibodies (MABS) that specifically bind strain 46-1 were prepared by conventional hybridoma technology. These MABS are apparently biochemically distinct and were used to develop enzyme-linked and fluorescent immunoassays to detect strain 46-1 cells in environmental samples. A fluorescent immunoassay utilizing four of these MABS easily distinguished laboratory-grown 46-1 cells from other methanotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, but failed to detect 46-1 cells in groundwater samples and cultures

Anaerobic degradation of veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether and guaiacoxyacetic acid by mixed rumen bacteria.

OpenAIRE

Chen, W; Supanwong, K; Ohmiya, K; Shimizu, S; Kawakami, H

1985-01-01

Veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether (0.2 g/liter), a lignin model compound, was found to be degraded by mixed rumen bacteria in a yeast extract medium under strictly anaerobic conditions to the extent of 19% within 24 h. Guaiacoxyacetic acid, 2-(o-methoxyphenoxy)ethanol, vanillic acid, and vanillin were detected as degradation products of veratrylglycerol-beta-guaiacyl ether by thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Guaiacoxyacetic acid (0.25...

Bacteria capable of degrading anthracene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene as revealed by DNA based stable-isotope probing in a forest soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Mengke [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Jiang, Longfei [College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Zhang, Dayi [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Luo, Chunling, E-mail: clluo@gig.ac.cn [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Wang, Yan [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Yu, Zhiqiang [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Yin, Hua [College of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zhang, Gan [Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

2016-05-05

Highlights: • Investigate PAHs degraders in forest carbon-rich soils via DNA-SIP. • Rhodanobacter is identified to metabolite anthracene for the first time. • The first fluoranthene degrader belongs to Acidobacteria. • Different functions of PAHs degraders in forest soils from contaminated soils. - Abstract: Information on microorganisms possessing the ability to metabolize different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in complex environments helps in understanding PAHs behavior in natural environment and developing bioremediation strategies. In the present study, stable-isotope probing (SIP) was applied to investigate degraders of PAHs in a forest soil with the addition of individually {sup 13}C-labeled phenanthrene, anthracene, and fluoranthene. Three distinct phylotypes were identified as the active phenanthrene-, anthracene- and fluoranthene-degrading bacteria. The putative phenanthrene degraders were classified as belonging to the genus Sphingomona. For anthracene, bacteria of the genus Rhodanobacter were the putative degraders, and in the microcosm amended with fluoranthene, the putative degraders were identified as belonging to the phylum Acidobacteria. Our results from DNA-SIP are the first to directly link Rhodanobacter- and Acidobacteria-related bacteria with anthracene and fluoranthene degradation, respectively. The results also illustrate the specificity and diversity of three- and four-ring PAHs degraders in forest soil, contributes to our understanding on natural PAHs biodegradation processes, and also proves the feasibility and practicality of DNA-based SIP for linking functions with identity especially uncultured microorganisms in complex microbial biota.

Study of Tannin- degrading bacteria isolated from Pistachio soft hulls and feces of goat feeding on it

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Arezoo Tahmourespour

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Tannins (tannic acid are toxic, high molecular weight and water- soluble polyphenols that are present in many plants such as pistachio and its by- products. Wide ranges of microorganisms including bacteria tolerate tannin and degrade it. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize tannin- tolerant bacteria from pistachio soft hulls (P- SH and feces of goat before and after feeding on this by- product as tannin rich diet. Materials and methods: Tannin tolerant bacteria were isolated from enrichment cultures of samples in medium containing tannic acid as a sole source of carbon and energy. Tannin hydrolyzing ability of isolates was confirmed by observation of clear zones around the colonies. The increasing concentrations of tannin on minimal salt medium (MSM agar plates were used to test the maximum tolerable concentrations (MTCs. Furthermore, in the supplemented media tannin concentrations were measured by bovine serum albumin (BSA precipitation assay during time intervals. Results: Tannin- degrading bacterial population of P- SH was about only 10.3% of total population. More than 50 percent of tannin degrading strains were isolated from goat feces after grazing on tannin rich diet. Isolated bacteria were Gram- negative and positive rod species belonging to Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Escherichia and Enterobacter genera. Among the isolated bacteria 71.4% could tolerate the concentration of 64 g/l of tannin in their media while only 7.2% were able to tolerate the maximum tannin concentration of 16 g/l. Bacterial isolates of goat feces could degrade tannin more than 72% after 72 h of incubation. In the case of soft P- SH isolates, the biodegradation percentage was between 17- 75%. Discussion and conclusion: Feeding of tannin rich diet induced a shift in digestive system microbial profile with increased population of tannin tolerant bacteria. The ability of isolated strains provides novel insights for the role they can

Evaluation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Compounds Degradation by Indigenous Bacteria Isolated from Soil Contaminated with Petroleum

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Farhad Gilavand

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background:  The major of this study was to isolate oil-degrading bacteria from soil contaminated with petroleum and examining the removal of hydrocarbons by these bacteria. Methods: Oil-degrading colonies were purified from the samples obtained of around Ahvaz oil wells. Organic matter degradation was investigated with 1 g of crude oil in basal salt medium (BSM as sole carbon source. The growth rate was determined through total protein assay and hydrocarbon consuming was measured through organic carbon oxidation and titration by dichromate as oxidizing agent. Results: Two potential isolates named S1 and S2 strains were screened and identified as Planococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As results for S1 and S2 could degrade 80.86 and 65.6% of olive oil, 59.6 and 35.33 of crude oil, while 32 and 26.15 % of coal tar were consumed during 14 days incubation. Conclusion: The results of this investigation showed these indigenous strains high capability to biodegradation at short time and are desirable alternatives for treatment of oil pollutants.

Culture-based Identification Of Microcystin-Degrading Bacteria In the Sandusky Bay and Maumee Bay of Lake Erie

Science.gov (United States)

Ormiston, A.; Mou, X.

2012-12-01

Harmful cyanobacteria blooms (cyanoHABs) are a serious issue that affects wildlife, human health, recreation and local economics worldwide. CyanoHABs produce cyanotoxins, such as microcystins (MCs) that lead to skin irritation, illness and liver tumors. Bacterially mediated degradation of MCs plays a key role to transform these toxic substrates to less harmful metabolites in natural environments. However, only a few Sphingomonos species have been isolated for degradation of MCs and many of which are from other habitats such as water plants. This project aims to isolate and identify bacteria that can degrade MC-LR and MC-RR, two major forms of MCs found during cyanoHABs in Lake Erie. Water samples were collected from the surface of Sandusky Bay and Maumee Bay of Lake Erie and immediately filtered through 3.0 -μm-pore-size membrane filters to obtain bacterioplankton fraction. The filtrates were amended with excessive inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and incubated in the dark for a week to purposely establish a carbon-limited condition. Afterwards, enrichment microcosms were established in flasks filled with pre-incubated bacterioplankton and single MC compounds (final concentration 10 μM). Once cell growth was confirmed by flow cytometry-based cell counting, bacterial cells in enriched microcosms were transferred onto solid surfaces, i.e., GFF filter and noble agar for colony isolation. Obtained single colonies were inoculated in defined liquid media with MCs as single carbon source. DNA was extracted from each purified isolate and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP). A total of 18 different RFLP banding patterns were found, indicating MC-degrading bacteria may be heterogeneous in studied water samples. 16S rRNA genes of selected bacterial isolates were PCR amplified and sequenced for taxonomic identification. Our results demonstrated that MCs can be degraded by multiple bacterial species in Lake Erie. Future directions

Enhanced degradation activity by endophytic bacteria of plants growing in hydrocarbon contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, L.; Germida, J.J. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Greer, C.W. [National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Biotechnology Research Inst.

2006-07-01

The feasibility of using phytoremediation for cleaning soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was discussed. Petroleum hydrocarbons are problematic because of their toxicity, mobility and persistence in the environment. Appropriate clean-up methods are needed, given that 60 per cent of Canada's contaminated sites contain these compounds. Phytoremediation is an in situ biotechnology in which plants are used to facilitate contaminant removal. The approach relies on a synergistic relationship between plants and their root-associated microbial communities. Previous studies on phytoremediation have focussed on rhizosphere communities. However, it is believed that endophytic microbes may also play a vital role in organic contaminant degradation. This study investigated the structural and functional dynamics of both rhizosphere and endophytic microbial communities of plants from a phytoremediation field site in south-eastern Saskatchewan. The former flare pit contains up to 10,000 ppm of F3 to F4 hydrocarbon fractions. Root samples were collected from tall wheatgrass, wild rye, saltmeadow grass, perennial ryegrass, and alfalfa. Culture-based and culture-independent methods were used to evaluate the microbial communities associated with these roots. Most probable number assays showed that the rhizosphere communities contained more n-hexadecane, diesel fuel, and PAH degraders. However, mineralization assays with 14C labelled n-hexadecane, naphthalene, and phenanthrene showed that endophytic communities had more degradation activities per standardized initial degrader populations. Total community DNA samples taken from bulk, rhizosphere, and endophytic samples, were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. It was shown that specific bacteria increased in endophytic communities compared to rhizosphere communities. It was suggested plants may possibly recruit specific bacteria in response to hydrocarbon contamination, thereby increasing degradation

Bacteria encapsulated in layered double hydroxides: towards an efficient bionanohybrid for pollutant degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Halma, Matilte; Mousty, Christine; Forano, Claude; Sancelme, Martine; Besse-Hoggan, Pascale; Prevot, Vanessa

2015-02-01

A soft chemical process was successfully used to immobilize Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP (ADP), a well-known atrazine (herbicide) degrading bacterium, within a Mg2Al-layered double hydroxide host matrix. This approach is based on a simple, quick and ecofriendly direct coprecipitation of metal salts in the presence of a colloidal suspension of bacteria in water. It must be stressed that by this process the mass ratio between inorganic and biological components was easily tuned ranging from 2 to 40. This ratio strongly influenced the biological activity of the bacteria towards atrazine degradation. The better results were obtained for ratios of 10 or lower, leading to an enhanced atrazine degradation rate and percentage compared to free cells. Moreover the biohybrid material maintained this biodegradative activity after four cycles of reutilization and 3 weeks storage at 4°C. The ADP@MgAl-LDH bionanohybrid materials were completely characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning and transmission electronic microscopy (SEM and TEM) evidencing the successful immobilization of ADP within the inorganic matrix. This synthetic approach could be readily extended to other microbial whole-cell immobilization of interest for new developments in biotechnological systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploration of Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria on Soils Contaminated by Crude Oil From South Sumatera

OpenAIRE

Napoleon, A; Probowati, D S

2014-01-01

The goal of this research was to explore hydrocarbon degrading bacteria on crude oil contaminated soil with potential to degrade hydrocarbon in oil pollutant. The research started by early August 2013 till January 2014. Soil sampling for this research was taken on several places with contaminated soil location such as Benakat, Rimau, and Pengabuan all of it located in South Sumatera. Conclusion from this research Isolates obtained from three (3) sites of contaminated soil and treated using SB...

Isolation and characterization of diesel degrading bacteria, Sphingomonas sp. and Acinetobacter junii from petroleum contaminated soil

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiuzhuo; Wang, Duanchao; Li, Mengmeng; Xiang, Wei-Ning; Achal, Varenyam

2014-03-01

Two indigenous bacteria of petroleum contaminated soil were characterized to utilize diesel fuel as the sole carbon and energy sources in this work. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis identified these bacteria as Sphingomonas sp. and Acinetobacter junii. The ability to degrade diesel fuel has been demonstrated for the first time by these isolates. The results of IR analyses showed that Sphingomonas sp. VA1 and A. junii VA2 degraded up to 82.6% and 75.8% of applied diesel over 15 days, respectively. In addition, Sphingomonas sp. VA1 possessed the higher cellular hydrophobicities of 94% for diesel compared to 81% by A. junii VA2. The isolates Sphingomonas sp. VA1 and A. junii VA2 exhibited 24% and 18%, respectively emulsification activity. This study reports two new diesel degrading bacterial species, which can be effectively used for bioremediation of petroleum contaminated sites.

Screening for crude oil degrading bacteria in liquid organic waste (effluent samples)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akpe, A.R.

2014-01-01

The screening for crude oil degrading bacteria in some liquid organic wastes (cassava mill effluents, rubber effluents and oil palm mill effluents) was carried out. Hydrocarbon utilising bacteria were isolated on mineral salt agar using vapour phase technique. The samples yielded 20 bacterial isolates from 13 different genera. Cassava mill effluent and rubber effluent had the highest number (7), while oil palm effluent had the least number (6) of bacterial isolates. The isolates that had the highest occurrence (occurring in all samples) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Of these 13 genera 9 were gram negative, while only 4 were gram positive. The total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) count and total hydrocarbon utilisers (THU) from all the effluent samples ranged from 3.0 * 10/sup 4/ to 6.0* 10/sup 7/ cfu/mL and 2.3 *10/sup 2/ to 4.2*10/sup 3/ cfu/mL, respectively. The counts of hydrocarbon utilisers were obviously lower than the heterotrophic counts, although the differences in counts were found to be statistically non-significant (P > 0.05). Rubber effluents and oil palm mill effluents had the highest number of hydrocarbon utilisers with three isolates each. The active hydrocarbon utilisers encountered in this study included Serratia marscescens, Bacillus cereus, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Bacillus subtilis. Presence of nutrients and crude oil degrading bacteria in these effluents suggests that these effluents can be used to enhance bioremediation through their use as biostimulation and bioaugmentation agents. (author)

Degradation of organophosphoric acid triesters by the aquatic bacteria and toxicity to fish; Yuki rinsan toriester no suichu saikin ni yoru bunkai to dokusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawai, S. [Kobe College, Hyogo (Japan)

1996-09-10

This paper describes biodegradation of organophosphoric acid triesters (OPEs) in water environment, in particular, by aquatic bacteria. In culture experiment using river water in Osaka, aryl system OPEs such as triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) are more easily degraded than alkyl system OPEs, and OPEs including Cl are hardly degraded. Properties of isolated TBP degradation bacteria and enzymes, and TCP degradation bacteria isolated from Mukogawa river water are examined. OPEs are toxic to fishes equivalently to or more than organophosphoric system pesticides. However, the cause of their toxicity can`t be interpreted only by cholinesterase activity hindrance of nervous system. Absorption, accumulation, metabolism and degradation of OPEs are dependent on fishes and kinds of OPEs. Although the toxicity evaluation using experimental animals is important, the evaluation using cultured bacteria is recognizing once again from various viewpoints. Direct toxicity of OPEs to fishes or aquatic organisms is yet unidentified, however, the influence of OPEs on human beings is rather important. 39 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.

Anaerobic degradation of benzene by marine sulfate-reducing bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Musat, Florin; Wilkes, Heinz; Musat, Niculina; Kuypers, Marcel; Widdel, Friedrich

2010-05-01

Benzene, the archetypal aromatic hydrocarbon is a common constituent of crude oil and oil-refined products. As such, it can enter the biosphere through natural oil seeps or as a consequence of exploitation of fossil fuel reservoirs. Benzene is chemically very stable, due to the stabilizing aromatic electron system and to the lack of functional groups. Although the anaerobic degradation of benzene has been reported under denitrifying, sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions, the microorganisms involved and the initial biochemical steps of degradation remain insufficiently understood. Using marine sediment from a Mediterranean lagoon a sulfate-reducing enrichment culture with benzene as the sole organic substrate was obtained. Application of 16S rRNA gene-based methods showed that the enrichment was dominated (more than 85% of total cells) by a distinct phylotype affiliated with a clade of Deltaproteobacteria that include degraders of other aromatic hydrocarbons, such as naphthalene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene. Using benzoate as a soluble substrate in agar dilution series, several pure cultures closely related to Desulfotignum spp. and Desulfosarcina spp. were isolated. None of these strains was able to utilize benzene as a substrate and hybridizations with specific oligonucleotide probes showed that they accounted for as much as 6% of the total cells. Incubations with 13C-labeled benzene followed by Halogen in situ Hybridization - Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (HISH-SIMS) analysis showed that cells of the dominant phylotype were highly enriched in 13C, while the accompanying bacteria had little or no 13C incorporation. These results demonstrate that the dominant phylotype was indeed the apparent benzene degrader. Dense-cell suspensions of the enrichment culture did not show metabolic activity toward added phenol or toluene, suggesting that benzene degradation did not proceed through anaerobic hydroxylation or methylation. Instead, benzoate was identified in

STUDIES ON FUNCTIONAL BACTERIA OF INDONESIAN TROPICAL FOREST PLANTS FOR BIOREHABILITATION OF DEGRADED LANDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irnayuli R. Sitepu

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Forest  degradations  have left vast amount  of damaged  and abandoned  lands in Indonesia.   In this paper, we present our approaches  in rehabilitation of adverse soils using functional  bacteria isolated from plant species of Indonesian tropical  rain forests. For these purposes,  we collected  bacteria  from various  bio-geo-climatically different forests and conducted bioassays to test these bacterial abilities in improving plant growth. Repeated seedling-based studies on Shorea spp., Alstonia scholaris, Acacia crassicarpa, and Agathis lorantifolia have revealed that many bacteria were able to promote plant growth at early stage in the nursery.  Various  plant responses towards  inoculations suggested that although  forest soils maintain  highly diverse and potent  bacteria,  it is necessary to select appropriate approaches to obtain optimum  benefits from these plant-bacteria interactions.  Our  ideas and futures  studies  for further  management  of these plant- bacteria interactions for biorehabilitation are also discussed.

Biodiversity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria from deep sea sediments of the Middle Atlantic Ridge.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Zhisong; Lai, Qiliang; Dong, Chunming; Shao, Zongze

2008-08-01

The bacteria involved in the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in deep sea subsurface environments are largely unknown. In order to reveal their biodiversity, sediments from 2.2 m under the bottom surface at a water depth of 3542 m were sampled on the Middle Atlantic Ridge with a gravity column sampler. The sediments were promptly enriched with either crude oil or a mixture of PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) as the sole carbon source, and further enriched with the PAH mixture mentioned above in the lab. The resulting consortia were named C2CO and C2PPN respectively. Their bacterial composition was analysed with plate cultivation, PCR-DGGE and 16S rDNA library analysis. On plates, isolates belonging to Pseudoalteromonas, Halomonas, Marinobacter, Thalassospira and Tistrella dominated the culturable populations. With PCR-DGGE, five major bands closely related to Cycloclasticus, Alteromonas, Thalassospira, Alcanivorax and Rhodospirillaceae were detected in consortium C2CO, while only one major band of Cycloclasticus was detected in consortium C2PPN. In addition, the dynamics of community structure in response to aromatic substrate alterations were examined. As a result, three ribotypes of Cycloclasticus were detected by 16S rDNA library analysis, one which played a key role in phenanthrene degradation; two Alteromonas bacteria dominated the naphthalene reselected consortium. Although bacteria of the two genera grew as the main members of the communities, none of them were isolated, probably owing to their poor cultivability. These results confirm that bacteria of Cycloclasticus are important obligate PAH degraders in marine environments, and coexist with other degrading bacteria that inhabit the deep subsurface sediment of the Atlantic. This supports the view that PAH accumulation and bioattenuation occur in remote areas consistently and continuously.

Distribution of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the soil environment and their contribution to bioremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuhara, Yuki; Horii, Sachie; Matsuno, Toshihide; Matsumiya, Yoshiki; Mukai, Masaki; Kubo, Motoki

2013-05-01

A real-time PCR quantification method for indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (HDB) carrying the alkB gene in the soil environment was developed to investigate their distribution in soil. The detection limit of indigenous HDB by the method was 1 × 10(6) cells/g-soil. The indigenous HDB were widely distributed throughout the soil environment and ranged from 3.7 × 10(7) to 5.0 × 10(8) cells/g-soil, and the ratio to total bacteria was 0.1-4.3 %. The dynamics of total bacteria, indigenous HDB, and Rhodococcus erythropolis NDKK6 (carrying alkB R2) during bioremediation were analyzed. During bioremediation with an inorganic nutrient treatment, the numbers of these bacteria were slightly increased. The numbers of HDB (both indigenous bacteria and strain NDKK6) were gradually decreased from the middle stage of bioremediation. Meanwhile, the numbers of these bacteria were highly increased and were maintained during bioremediation with an organic nutrient. The organic treatment led to activation of not only the soil bacteria but also the HDB, so an efficient bioremediation was carried out.

Study and isolation of aerobic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria from Cuban shorelines

OpenAIRE

Barrios-San Martín, Yaima; Acosta, Silvia; Sánchez, Ayixon; Toledo, Antonio; González, Francisca; García, Regla M

2012-01-01

The isolation of aerobic marine bacteria able to degrade hydrocarbons represents a promising alternative for the decontamination of oceanic and coastal environments. In the present work, twelve water and sediment samples from the Felton coastline in the Province of Holguín were collected and screened with Bushnell-Haas medium supplemented with light crude oil or with seawater supplemented with yeast extract and crude oil as a carbon source, obtaining twenty seven and six bacterial isolates re...

Inhibition of ethanol-producing yeast and bacteria by degradation products produced during pre-treatment of biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinke, H.B.; Thomsen, A.B.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

2004-01-01

for ethanol fermentation. The resulting hydrolyzsates contain substances inhibitory to fermentation-depending on both the raw material (biomass) and the pre-treatment applied. An overview of the inhibitory effect on ethanol production by yeast and bacteria is presented. Apart from furans formed by sugar......An overview of the different inhibitors formed by pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials and their inhibition of ethanol production in yeast and bacteria is given. Different high temperature physical pre-treatment methods are available to render the carbohydrates in lignocellulose accessible...... degradation, phenol monomers from lignin degradation are important co-factors in hydrolysate inhibition, and inhibitory effects of these aromatic compounds on different ethanol producing microorganisms is reviewed. The furans and phenols generally inhibited growth and ethanol production rate (Q...

Screening of chlorpyrifos degrading bacteria CD7 and its combined application with PGPR JD37

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Cuizhu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We screened a chlorpyrifos degrading bacteria,Burkholderiasp. CD7.Joint with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR JD37 to produce a compositesoil amendment,which could restorethe pesticides polluted soil and promote plant growth.Results showed that CD7 and JD37 (at the volume ratio of 1:1 can promote the growth of plants,and within 25 days degrade about 66.43% chlorpyrifos in the soil.Further research found that under the same conditions of carrier dosage,vermicompost can adsorbed more bacteria than talcum powder;after a month preservation at room temperature,the number of living bacterium still maintained about 4.81×107 CFU/g.Carrier and soil,at the mass ratio of 1:1,could optimally promote plant growth,improve soil enzyme activities and increase the number of microorganisms in soil.

Isolation and Identification of Phenanthrene-degrading Bacteria and Increasing the Biodegrading Ability by Synergistic Relationship

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Zahra Fathi

2017-05-01

Conclusion: Results showed that isolated co-culture bacteria have high potential to degrade phenanthrene with the best results achieved when the enriched consortium was used and this mixture was shown to be an appropriate candidate for bioremediation purposes.

Sulfur isotopic fractionation of carbonyl sulfide during degradation by soil bacteria and enzyme

Science.gov (United States)

Kamezaki, Kazuki; Hattori, Shohei; Ogawa, Takahiro; Toyoda, Sakae; Kato, Hiromi; Katayama, Yoko; Yoshida, Naohiro

2017-04-01

Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is an atmospheric trace gas that possess great potential for tracer of carbon cycle (Campbell et al., 2008). COS is taken up by vegetation during photosynthesis like absorption of carbon dioxide but COS can not emit by respiration of vegetation, suggesting possible tracer for gross primary production. However, some studies show the COS-derived GPP is larger than the estimates by using carbon dioxide flux because COS flux by photolysis and soil flux are not distinguished (e.g. Asaf et al., 2013). Isotope analysis is a useful tool to trace sources and transformations of trace gases. Recently our group developed a promising new analytical method for measuring the stable sulfur isotopic compositions of COS using nanomole level samples: the direct isotopic analytical technique of on-line gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) using fragmentation ions S+ enabling us to easily analyze sulfur isotopes in COS (Hattori et al., 2015). Soil is thought to be important as both a source and a sink of COS in the troposphere. In particular, soil has been reported as a large environmental sink for atmospheric COS. Bacteria isolated from various soils actively degrade COS, with various enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase and COSase (Ogawa et al., 2013) involved in COS degradation. However, the mechanism and the magnitude of bacterial contribution in terms of a sink for atmospheric COS is still uncertain. Therefore, it is important to quantitatively evaluate this contribution using COS sulfur isotope analysis. We present isotopic fractionation constants for COS by laboratory incubation experiments during degradation by soil bacteria and COSase. Incubation experiments were conducted using strains belonging to the genera Mycobacterium, Williamsia, Cupriavidus, and Thiobacillus, isolated from natural soil or activated sludge and enzyme purified from a bacteria. As a result, the isotopic compositions of OCS were increased during degradation of

From oil spills to barley growth - oil-degrading soil bacteria and their promoting effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikolasch, Annett; Reinhard, Anne; Alimbetova, Anna; Omirbekova, Anel; Pasler, Lisa; Schumann, Peter; Kabisch, Johannes; Mukasheva, Togzhan; Schauer, Frieder

2016-11-01

Heavy contamination of soils by crude oil is omnipresent in areas of oil recovery and exploitation. Bioremediation by indigenous plants in cooperation with hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms is an economically and ecologically feasible means to reclaim contaminated soils. To study the effects of indigenous soil bacteria capable of utilizing oil hydrocarbons on biomass production of plants growing in oil-contaminated soils eight bacterial strains were isolated from contaminated soils in Kazakhstan and characterized for their abilities to degrade oil components. Four of them, identified as species of Gordonia and Rhodococcus turned out to be effective degraders. They produced a variety of organic acids from oil components, of which 59 were identified and 7 of them are hitherto unknown acidic oil metabolites. One of them, Rhodococcus erythropolis SBUG 2054, utilized more than 140 oil components. Inoculating barley seeds together with different combinations of these bacterial strains restored normal growth of the plants on contaminated soils, demonstrating the power of this approach for bioremediation. Furthermore, we suggest that the plant promoting effect of these bacteria is not only due to the elimination of toxic oil hydrocarbons but possibly also to the accumulation of a variety of organic acids which modulate the barley's rhizosphere environment. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silage fermentation and ruminal degradation of stylo prepared with lactic acid bacteria and cellulase.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mao; Zhou, Hanlin; Zi, Xuejuan; Cai, Yimin

2017-10-01

In order to improve the silage fermentation of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) in tropical areas, stylo silages were prepared with commercial additives Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso-1 (CH1), L. rhamnasus Snow Lact L (SN), Acremonium cellulase (CE) and their combination as SN+CE or CH1 + CE, and the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of these silages were studied. Stylo silages treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or cellulase, the pH value and NH 3 -N ⁄ total-N were significantly (P fermentation and ruminal degradation than SN+CE treatment. The results confirmed that LAB or LAB plus cellulase treatment could improve the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of stylo silage. Moreover, the combined treatment with LAB and cellulase may have beneficial synergistic effects on ruminal degradation. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Self-bioremediation of cork-processing wastewaters by (chloro)phenol-degrading bacteria immobilised onto residual cork particles.

Science.gov (United States)

del Castillo, I; Hernández, P; Lafuente, A; Rodríguez-Llorente, I D; Caviedes, M A; Pajuelo, E

2012-04-15

Cork manufacturing is a traditional industry in Southern Europe, being the main application of this natural product in wine stoppers and insulation. Cork processing begins at boiling the raw material. As a consequence, great volumes of dark wastewaters, with elevated concentrations of chlorophenols, are generated, which must be depurated through costly physicochemical procedures before discarding them into public water courses. This work explores the potential of bacteria, isolated from cork-boiling waters storage ponds, in bioremediation of the same effluent. The bacterial population present in cork-processing wastewaters was analysed by DGGE; low bacterial biodiversity was found. Aerobic bacteria were isolated and investigated for their tolerance against phenol and two chlorophenols. The most tolerant strains were identified by sequencing 16S rDNA. The phenol-degrading capacity was investigated by determining enzyme activities of the phenol-degrading pathway. Moreover, the capacity to form biofilms was analysed in a microtitre plate assay. Finally, the capacity to form biofilms onto the surface of residual small cork particles was evaluated by acridine staining followed by epifluorescence microscopy and by SEM. A low-cost bioremediation system, using phenol-degrading bacteria immobilised onto residual cork particles (a by-product of the industry) is proposed for the remediation of this industrial effluent (self-bioremediation). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation of the Nitramine Explosive CL-20

OpenAIRE

Trott, Sandra; Nishino, Shirley F.; Hawari, Jalal; Spain, Jim C.

2003-01-01

The cyclic nitramine explosive CL-20 (2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane) was examined in soil microcosms to determine whether it is biodegradable. CL-20 was incubated with a variety of soils. The explosive disappeared in all microcosms except the controls in which microbial activity had been inhibited. CL-20 was degraded most rapidly in garden soil. After 2 days of incubation, about 80% of the initial CL-20 had disappeared. A CL-20-degrading bacterial strain, Agrobact...

Gluten-degrading bacteria are present in the human small intestine of healthy volunteers and celiac patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrán, Alexandra R; Pérez-Andrés, Jénifer; Caminero, Alberto; Nistal, Esther; Vivas, Santiago; Ruiz de Morales, José María; Casqueiro, Javier

2017-09-01

Gluten is the only known environmental factor that triggers celiac disease. Several studies have described an imbalance between the intestinal microbiota of different individuals based on diagnoses. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that human bacteria may play an important role in gluten hydrolysis. However, there has been no research focusing on the small intestine. This study aimed to characterize the adult small intestine microbiota possibly implicated in gluten hydrolysis. Duodenal biopsies from different diagnosed individuals were cultured in a gluten-containing medium, and the grown microbiota was analyzed by culture dependent/independent methods. Results showed that gluten-degrading bacteria can be found in the human small intestine. Indeed, 114 bacterial strains belonging to 32 species were isolated; 85 strains were able to grow in a medium containing gluten as the sole nitrogen source, 31 strains showed extracellular proteolytic activity against gluten protein and 27 strains showed peptidolytic activity towards the 33 mer peptide, an immunogenic peptide for celiac disease patients. We found that there are no differences based on the diagnosis, but each individual has its own population of gluten-hydrolyzing bacteria. These bacteria or their gluten-degrading enzymes could help to improve the quality of life of celiac disease patients'. Copyright © 2017 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modelling TCE degradation by a mixed culture of methane-oxidizing bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, Kim; Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Jensen, Bjørn K.

1992-01-01

A model describing the growth of bacteria and the degradation of methane and trichloroethylene (TCE) based on the concept of competitive inhibition is proposed. The model has been applied to laboratory batch experiments representing different initial TCE concentrations (50–4300 μg/l) and initial...... methane concentrations (0.53–3.2 mg/l). The proposed model simulated successfully the data obtained for initial methane concentration (less than 1.8 mg/l), causing constant experimental growth conditions during the experiments. This indicates that the interactions between methane and TCE degradation can...... be explained as competitive inhibition. The model simulations of the results from the experiments with the highest initial methane concentration of 3.2 mg/l failed, supposedly because the growth conditions changed during the experiments. The proposed model is a useful engineering tool for design of treatment...

Potential of Selected Rumen Bacteria for Cellulose and Hemicellulose Degradation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maša Zorec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Herbivorous animals harbour potent cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic microorganisms that supply the host with nutrients acquired from degradation of ingested plant material. In addition to protozoa and fungi, rumen bacteria contribute a considerable part in the breakdown of recalcitrant (hemicellulosic biomass. The present review is focused on the enzymatic systems of three representative fibrolytic rumen bacteria, namely Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Prevotella bryantii and Pseudobutyrivibrio xylanivorans. R. flavefaciens is known for one of the most elaborated cellulosome architectures and might represent a promising candidate for the construction of designer cellulosomes. On the other hand, Prevotella bryantii and Pseudobutyrivibrio xylanivorans produce multiple free, but highly efficient xylanases. In addition, P. xylanivorans was also shown to have some probiotic traits, which makes it a promising candidate not only for biogas production, but also as an animal feed supplement. Genomic and proteomic analyses of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacterial species aim to identify novel enzymes, which can then be cloned and expressed in adequate hosts to construct highly active recombinant hydrolytic microorganisms applicable for different biotechnological tasks.

Performance and dye-degrading bacteria isolation of a hybrid membrane process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You, Sheng-Jie, E-mail: sjyou@cycu.edu.tw [Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering and R and D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, No. 200, Rd. Chung-Pei, Chungli 320, Taiwan (China); Teng, Jun-Yu, E-mail: nickprometheus@yahoo.com.tw [Department of Civil Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chungli 320, Taiwan (China)

2009-12-15

Textile dyeing wastewater contains harmful compounds, which are toxic to both marine organisms and human beings if it discharged into an aquatic environmental without suitable treatment. In this study, the wastewater containing the azo dye, Reactive Black 5 (RB5), was partially treated in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor which was further treated either in an aerobic membrane bioreactors (AOMBR) or in combined aerobic membrane bioreactor/reverse osmosis (AOMBR/RO) process. The results showed that in the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor the RB5 dye was degraded to form aromatic amine intermediate metabolites, which were further mineralized in the AOMBR. It was also observed that although all effluents from the AOMBR and AOMBR/RO processes met the Taiwan EPA's effluent criteria, irrespective of which membranes were used in the aerobic tank, the effluent from the AOMBR/RO process met the criteria for reuse for toilet flushing, landscaping, irrigation, and cooling water purposes, where as the AOMBR effluent only met the criteria for cooling water due to incomplete color removal. Five anaerobic high dye-degrading bacteria were isolated, which were identified to be the same species of Lactococcus lactis by 16S rRNA sequencing. The L. lactis showed complete degradation of RB5 and further studies showed that it can also able to degrade Reactive Red 120 and Reactive Yellow 84 efficiently within 6 h.

Performance and dye-degrading bacteria isolation of a hybrid membrane process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, Sheng-Jie; Teng, Jun-Yu

2009-01-01

Textile dyeing wastewater contains harmful compounds, which are toxic to both marine organisms and human beings if it discharged into an aquatic environmental without suitable treatment. In this study, the wastewater containing the azo dye, Reactive Black 5 (RB5), was partially treated in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor which was further treated either in an aerobic membrane bioreactors (AOMBR) or in combined aerobic membrane bioreactor/reverse osmosis (AOMBR/RO) process. The results showed that in the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor the RB5 dye was degraded to form aromatic amine intermediate metabolites, which were further mineralized in the AOMBR. It was also observed that although all effluents from the AOMBR and AOMBR/RO processes met the Taiwan EPA's effluent criteria, irrespective of which membranes were used in the aerobic tank, the effluent from the AOMBR/RO process met the criteria for reuse for toilet flushing, landscaping, irrigation, and cooling water purposes, where as the AOMBR effluent only met the criteria for cooling water due to incomplete color removal. Five anaerobic high dye-degrading bacteria were isolated, which were identified to be the same species of Lactococcus lactis by 16S rRNA sequencing. The L. lactis showed complete degradation of RB5 and further studies showed that it can also able to degrade Reactive Red 120 and Reactive Yellow 84 efficiently within 6 h.

Detection of Toluene Degradation in Bacteria Isolated from Oil Contaminated Soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ainon Hamzah; Tavakoli, A.; Amir Rabu

2011-01-01

Toluene (C 7 H 8 ) a hydrocarbon in crude oil, is a common contaminant in soil and groundwater. In this study, the ability to degrade toluene was investigated from twelve bacteria isolates which were isolated from soil contaminated with oil. Out of 12 bacterial isolates tested, most of Pseudomonas sp. showed the capability to grow in 1 mM of toluene compared with other isolates on the third day of incubation. Based on enzyme assays towards toluene monooxygenase, Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP-14T and Bacillus cereus UKMP-6G were shown to have the highest ability to degrade toluene. The toluene monooxygenase activity was analysed by using two calorimetric methods, Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and indole-indigo. Both of the methods measured the production of catechol by the enzymatic reaction of toluene monooxygenase. In the HRP assay, the highest enzyme activity was 0.274 U/ mL, exhibited by Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP-14T. However, for indole-indigo assay, Bacillus cereus UKMP-6G produced the highest enzyme activity of 0.291 U/ ml. Results from both experiments showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP-14T and Bacillus cereus UKMP-6G were able to degrade toluene. (author)

Comparison of the degradation of 14C-labeled DHP and corn stalk lignins by micro- and macrofungi and bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haider, K.; Trojanowski, J.

1980-01-01

To what extent and by which mode microfungi and bacteria from soil are able to degrade lignin have been investigated and their activity compared with those of white and brown rot Basidiomycetes. The experiments were made by means of specifically 14C-labeled DHPs prepared by polymerization of correspondingly labeled coniferyl alcohol. Also, a corn stalk material was used which was specifically labeled in the lignin part. This material was prepared by infusion of specifically labeled cinnamic acid compounds into growing maize plants. The potential of the organisms to degrade several specifically labeled phenols was determined and compared. White and brown rot fungi, as well as several microscopic fungi, were able to degrade phenolcarboxylic and cinnamic acids and even some phenolic compounds with completely alkylated phenolic hydroxl groups. They could also introduce hydroxl groups into benzoic and pi-hydroxybenzoic acids before ring cleavage. As compared to brown rot, the white rot fungi released higher amounts of CO2 from the aromatic and side chain carbons of DHP and plant lignins. Some brown rot fungi, however, had similar capacities in degrading DHP lignin as white rot fungi. They especially released more CO2 from methoxyl groups. This release was dependent upon the added carbohydrate source and could be either repressed or enhanced. Several bacteria, especially Nocardia spp. and Pseudomonas spp., were tested for their potential to degrade the labeled lignins or phenols. Most of these bacteria did not appreciably degrade lignins, although they were highly active in the metabolization of phenols. Some Nocardia spp., however, were found to have a noteworthy capacity in the degradation of lignins and phenols. Preliminary studies of the potentials of the organisms to attack labeled lignin sulfonates either in liquid or soil cultures are presented. (Refs. 100)

Degradation of spent craft brewer's yeast by caprine rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlow, B E; Bryant, R W; Cohen, S D; O'Connell, S P; Flythe, M D

2016-10-01

Spent yeast from craft beers often includes more hops (Humulus lupulus L.) secondary metabolites than traditional recipes. These compounds include α- and β- acids, which are antimicrobial to the rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) that are major contributors to amino acid degradation. The objective was to determine if the hops acids in spent craft brewer's yeast (CY; ~ 3·5 mg g(-1) hops acids) would protect it from degradation by caprine rumen bacteria and HAB when compared to a baker's yeast (BY; no hops acids). Cell suspensions were prepared by harvesting rumen fluid from fistulated goats, straining and differential centrifugation. The cells were re-suspended in media with BY or CY. After 24 h (39°C), HAB were enumerated and ammonia was measured. Fewer HAB and less ammonia was produced from CY than from BY. Pure culture experiments were conducted with Peptostreptococcus anaerobiusBG1 (caprine HAB). Ammonia production by BG1 from BY was greater than from CY. Ammonia production was greater when exogenous amino acids were included, but similar inhibition was observed in CY treatments. These results indicate that rumen micro-organisms deaminated the amino acids in CY to a lesser degree than BY. Spent brewer's yeast has long been included in ruminant diets as a protein supplement. However, modern craft beers often include more hops (Humulus lupulus L.) than traditional recipes. These compounds include α- and β- acids, which are antimicrobial to the rumen hyper ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) that are major contributors to amino acid degradation. This study demonstrated that hops acids in spent craft brewer's yeast protected protein from destruction by HABin vitro. These results suggest that the spent yeast from craft breweries, a source of beneficial hops secondary metabolites, could have value as rumen-protected protein. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Degradation and utilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by indigenous soil bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stetzenbach, L.D.A.

1986-01-01

The persistence of industrially derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the subsurface may be significantly affected by the metabolism of soil bacteria. This study was conducted to determine the ability of indigenous soil bacteria to decrease the concentration of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, fluorene, anthracene, and pyrene) and to utilize the compounds as a substrate for growth. Soil cores from petroleum contaminated and noncontaminated sites contained 10 5 -10 7 viable microorganisms per gram dryweight of soil. Gram negative rod-shaped bacteria predominated. Decreases in the concentration of the four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were observed during incubation with bacterial isolates in aqueous suspension by the use of high performance liquid chromatography. Corresponding increases in bacterial numbers indicated utilization of the compounds as a carbon source. Soil samples from the contaminated sites contained greater numbers of bacteria utilizing anthracene and pyrene than soil samples from uncontaminated sites. Degradation rates of the four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were related to the compound, its concentration, and the bacterium. Biodegradation of pyrene was positively correlated with the presence of oxygen. Pyrene was biodegraded by an Acinetobacter sp. under aerobic conditions but not under anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions. Studies with radiolabeled 14 C-anthracene demonstrated utilization of the labeled carbon as a source of carbon by viable bacterial cells in aqueous suspension. Incorporation of 14 C into cellular biomass however was not observed during incubation of 14 C-anthracene in soil

A novel method for the synergistic remediation of oil-water mixtures using nanoparticles and oil-degrading bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Alabresm, Amjed; Chen, Yung Pin; Decho, Alan W; Lead, Jamie

2018-07-15

Releases of crude oil and other types of oil from numerous sources can impose catastrophic physical, chemical, and biological effects on aquatic ecosystems. While currently-used oil removal techniques possess many advantages, they have inherent limitations, including low removal efficiencies and waste disposal challenges. The present study quantified the synergistic interactions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated magnetite nanoparticles (NP) and oil-degrading bacteria for enhanced oil removal at the laboratory scale. The results showed that at relatively high oil concentrations (375 mg L -1 ), NP alone could remove approximately 70% of lower-chain alkanes (C9-C22) and 65% of higher-chain (C23-C26), after only 1 h, when magnetic separation of NP was used. Removal efficiency did not increase significantly after that, which was likely due to saturation of the NP with oil. Microbial bioremediation, using strains of oil-degrading bacteria, removed almost zero oil immediately but 80-90% removal after 24-48 h. The combination of NPs and oil-degrading bacterial strains worked effectively to remove essentially 100% of oil within 48 h or less. This was likely due to the sorption of oil components to NPs and their subsequent utilization by bacteria as a joint Fe and C source, although the mechanisms of removal require further testing. Furthermore, results showed that the emission of selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were reduced after addition of NPs and bacteria separately. When combined, VOC and SVOC emissions were reduced by up to 80%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC NUTRIENTS AND COCULTURES ON THE COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR OF 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE-DEGRADING BACTERIA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijngaard, Arjan J. van den; Kleij, Roelof G. van der; Doornweerd, Rianne E.; Janssen, Dick B.

1993-01-01

The effects of organic nutrients and cocultures on substrate removal by and competitive behavior of 1,2-dichloroethane-degrading bacteria were investigated. Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 needed biotin for optimal growth on 1,2-dichloroethane. In continuous culture, dilution of biotin to a

Isolation and Identification of Sodium Fluoroacetate Degrading Bacteria from Caprine Rumen in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Expedito K. A. Camboim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper was to report the isolation of two fluoroacetate degrading bacteria from the rumen of goats. The animals were adult goats, males, crossbred, with rumen fistula, fed with hay, and native pasture. The rumen fluid was obtained through the rumen fistula and immediately was inoculated 100 μL in mineral medium added with 20 mmol L−1 sodium fluoroacetate (SF, incubated at 39°C in an orbital shaker. Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain DSM 8341 was used as positive control for fluoroacetate dehalogenase activity. Two isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Pigmentiphaga kullae (ECPB08 and Ancylobacter dichloromethanicus (ECPB09. These bacteria degraded sodium fluoroacetate, releasing 20 mmol L−1 of fluoride ion after 32 hours of incubation in Brunner medium containing 20 mmol L−1 of SF. There are no previous reports of fluoroacetate dehalogenase activity for P. kullae and A. dichloromethanicus. Control measures to prevent plant intoxication, including use of fences, herbicides, or other methods of eliminating poisonous plants, have been unsuccessful to avoid poisoning by fluoroacetate containing plants in Brazil. In this way, P. kullae and A. dichloromethanicus may be used to colonize the rumen of susceptible animals to avoid intoxication by fluoroacetate containing plants.

Apparent Contradiction: Psychrotolerant Bacteria from Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Arctic Tundra Soils That Degrade Diterpenoids Synthesized by Trees

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhongtang; Stewart, Gordon R.; Mohn, William W.

2000-01-01

Resin acids are tricyclic terpenoids occurring naturally in trees. We investigated the occurrence of resin acid-degrading bacteria on the Arctic tundra near the northern coast of Ellesmere Island (82°N, 62°W). According to most-probable-number assays, resin acid degraders were abundant (103 to 104 propagules/g of soil) in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, but they were undetectable (soil) in pristine soils from the nearby tundra. Plate counts indicated that the contaminated and the pristine soils had similar populations of heterotrophs (106 to 107 propagules/g of soil). Eleven resin acid-degrading bacteria belonging to four phylogenetically distinct groups were enriched and isolated from the contaminated soils, and representative isolates of each group were further characterized. Strains DhA-91, IpA-92, and IpA-93 are members of the genus Pseudomonas. Strain DhA-95 is a member of the genus Sphingomonas. All four strains are psychrotolerant, with growth temperature ranges of 4°C to 30°C (DhA-91 and DhA-95) or 4°C to 22°C (IpA-92 and IpA-93) and with optimum temperatures of 15 to 22°C. Strains DhA-91 and DhA-95 grew on the abietanes, dehydroabietic and abietic acids, but not on the pimaranes, isopimaric and pimaric acids. Strains IpA-92 and IpA-93 grew on the pimaranes but not the abietanes. All four strains grew on either aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, which is unusual for described resin acid degraders. Eleven mesophilic resin acid degraders did not use hydrocarbons, with the exception of two Mycobacterium sp. strains that used aliphatic hydrocarbons. We conclude that hydrocarbon contamination in Arctic tundra soil indirectly selected for resin acid degraders, selecting for hydrocarbon degraders that coincidentally use resin acids. Psychrotolerant resin acid degraders are likely important in the global carbon cycle and may have applications in biotreatment of pulp and paper mill effluents. PMID:11097882

Effect of mercaptoethylamine on DNA degradation in thermophilic bacteria Bac. stearothermophilus exposed to. gamma. -, UV-radiation or methylnitrosourea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fomenko, L A; Kuznetsovea, E A; Gaziev, A I

1984-07-01

The effect of mercaptoethylamine (MEA) on degradation of DNA in thermophilic bacteria Bac. stear. exposed to ..gamma..-, UV-rays or methylnitrosourea (MNU) was studied. Using centrifugation on alkaline and neutral sucrose gradients, it was shown that MEA inhibits the accumulation of breaks in the DNA of Bac. stear. It also lowers the level of DNA degradation in toluene-treated cells of Bac. stear. under the action of the intrinsic nuclease, reduces the activity of the endonuclease specific for apurinic DNA, as well as that of S/sub 1/-nuclease and DNase-I in vitro. The inhibition in the accumulation of DNA breaks is assumed to be due to a decrease of the endonuclease activity in the cells of thermophilic bacteria.

Effect of mercaptoethylamine on DNA degradation in thermophilic bacteria Bac. stearothermophilus exposed to γ-, UV-radiation or methylnitrosourea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fomenko, L.A.; Kuznetsovea, E.A.; Gaziev, A.I.

1984-01-01

The effect of mercaptoethylamine (MEA) on degradation of DNA in thermophilic bacteria Bac. stear. exposed to γ-, UV-rays or methylnitrosourea (MNU) was studied. Using centrifugation on alkaline and neutral sucrose gradients, it was shown that MEA inhibits the accumulation of breaks in the DNA of Bac. stear. It also lowers the level of DNA degradation in toluene-treated cells of Bac. stear. under the action of the intrinsic nuclease, reduces the activity of the endonuclease specific for apurinic DNA, as well as that of S 1 -nuclease and DNase-I in vitro. The inhibition in the accumulation of DNA breaks is assumed to be due to a decrease of the endonuclease activity in the cells of thermophilic bacteria. (orig.)

A wide diversity of bacteria from the human gut produces and degrades biogenic amines.

Science.gov (United States)

Pugin, Benoit; Barcik, Weronika; Westermann, Patrick; Heider, Anja; Wawrzyniak, Marcin; Hellings, Peter; Akdis, Cezmi A; O'Mahony, Liam

2017-01-01

Background : Biogenic amines (BAs) are metabolites produced by the decarboxylation of amino acids with significant physiological functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. BAs can be produced by bacteria in fermented foods, but little is known concerning the potential for microbes within the human gut microbiota to produce or degrade BAs. Objective : To isolate and identify BA-producing and BA-degrading microbes from the human gastrointestinal tract. Design : Fecal samples from human volunteers were screened on multiple growth media, under multiple growth conditions. Bacterial species were identified using 16S rRNA sequencing and BA production or degradation was assessed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Results : In total, 74 BA-producing or BA-degrading strains were isolated from the human gut. These isolates belong to the genera Bifidobacterium , Clostridium , Enterococcus , Lactobacillus , Pediococcus , Streptococcus , Enterobacter , Escherichia , Klebsiella , Morganella and Proteus . While differences in production or degradation of specific BAs were observed at the strain level, our results suggest that these metabolic activities are widely spread across different taxa present within the human gut microbiota. Conclusions : The isolation and identification of microbes from the human gut with BA-producing and BA-degrading metabolic activity is an important first step in developing a better understanding of how these metabolites influence health and disease.

Effects of surfactants on bacteria and the bacterial degradation of alkanes in crude oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruheim, Per

1998-12-31

This thesis investigates the effects of surfactants on the bacterial degradation of alkanes in crude oil. Several alkane oxidising Gram positive and Gram negative were tested for their abilities to oxidise alkanes in crude oil emulsified with surfactants. The surfactants used to make the oil in water emulsions were either of microbial or chemical origin. Oxidation rates of resting bacteria oxidising various crude oil in water emulsions were measured by Warburg respirometry. The emulsions were compared with non-emulsified oil to see which was the preferred substrate. The bacteria were pregrown to both the exponential and stationary phase of growth before harvesting and preparation for the Warburg experiments. 123 refs., 4 figs., 14 tabs.

In Vitro Degradation and Fermentation of Three Dietary Fiber Sources by Human Colonic Bacteria

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Bliss, Donna Z.; Weimer, Paul J.; Jung, Hans-Joachim G.; Savik, Kay

2013-01-01

Although clinical benefits of dietary fiber supplementation seem to depend partially on the extent of fiber degradation and fermentation by colonic bacteria, little is known about the effect of supplemental fiber type on bacterial metabolism. In an experiment using a non-adapted human bacterial population from three normal subjects, extent of in vitro fermentation was greater for gum arabic (GA) than for psyllium (PSY), which was greater than that for carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). In a separate experiment, in vitro incubation with feces from 52 subjects with fecal incontinence, before and after random assignment to and consumption of one of three fiber (GA, PSY, or CMC) supplements or a placebo for 20-21d, indicated that prior consumption of a specific fiber source did not increase its degradation by fecal bacteria. Results suggest that the colonic microbial community enriched on a particular fiber substrate can rapidly adapt to the presentation of a new fiber substrate. Clinical implications of the findings are that intake of a fiber source by humans is not expected to result in bacterial adaptation that would require continually larger and eventually intolerable amounts of fiber to achieve therapeutic benefits. PMID:23556460

Impact of Oral Commensal Bacteria on Degradation of Periodontal Connective Tissue in Mice.

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Irie, Koichiro; Tomofuji, Takaaki; Ekuni, Daisuke; Morita, Manabu; Shimazaki, Yoshihiro; Darveau, Richard P

2015-07-01

Innate and adaptive immunosurveillance mechanisms in response to the normal commensal bacteria can affect periodontal innate defense status. However, it is still unclear how commensal bacteria contribute to the inflammatory responses of junctional epithelium (JE) and periodontal connective tissue (PCT). The aim of the present study is to investigate the contribution of commensal bacteria on inflammatory responses in JE and PCT in mice. The periodontal tissue of germ-free (GF) and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice were compared at age 11 to 12 weeks (n = 6 per group). In this study, the number of neutrophils and expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and MMP-8 within the JE and the PCT are evaluated. The collagen density was also determined in PCT stained with picrosirius red (PSR). PSR staining combined with or without polarized light microscopy has been used to assess the organization and maturation of collagen matrix. In the present findings, the area of JE in SPF mice was significantly greater than that in GF mice (P bacteria induced a low-grade inflammatory state in JE and that such conditions may contribute to degradation of collagen in PCT in mice.

Isolation and Identification of Crude Oil Degrading and Biosurfactant Producing Bacteria from the Oil-Contaminated Soils of Gachsaran

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Seyyedeh Zahra Hashemi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Petroleum hydrocarbons are harmful to the environment, human health, and all other living creatures. Oil and its byproducts in contact with water block sunshine to phytoplanktons and thus break the food chain and damage the marine food source. This study aims to isolate the crude oil degrading and biosurfactant producing bacteria from the oil contaminated soils of Gachsaran, Iran. Materials and Methods: Isolation was performed in peptone-water medium with yeast extract. Oil displacement area, emulsification index and bacterial phylogeny using 16S rRNA analysis were studied. Results and Conclusion: Three isolates were able to degrade the crude oil. In the first day, there were two phases in the medium; after a few days, these three bacteria degraded the crude oil until there was only one phase left in the medium. One strain was selected as a superior strain by homogenizing until the medium became clear and transparent. This method confirmed that the strain produces biosurfactant. According to the morphological and biochemical tests, the strain isolated from the oil contaminated soils is a member of Bacillus subtilis, so to study the bacterial phylogeny and taxonomy of the strain, an analysis of 16S rRNA was carried out, and the phylogenic tree confirmed them. The results verified that oil contaminated soils are good source for isolation of the biosurfactant producing bacteria.

Isolation and Screening of Diesel-Degrading Bacteria from the Diesel Contaminated Seawater at Kenjeran Beach, Surabaya

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Pratiwi Putri Pranowo

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Samples of contaminated seawater by diesel were taken at Kenjeran Beach Surabaya using aseptic technique. Isolation was conducted using serial dilution and spread method on nutrient agar (NA media. The all bacteria colony were devided in to group based on with morphological characterization and gram staining. After that, those bacterial colonies were tested individually in NA media containing different concentration of diesel (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% for up to 7 days at 30°C. The results showed that eight bacterial strains were isolated from diesel contaminated seawater in Kenjeran Beach Surabaya. Screening on diesel showed that all the isolation bacteria were capable of degrading diesel and bacteria with code of B and E haves highly percentage growth in compared to other bacterial isolation. In conclusion, bacteria with code of B and E have potential to be used in diesel bioremediation in contaminated seawater.

MALDI-TOF MS for the Identification of Cultivable Organic-Degrading Bacteria in Contaminated Groundwater near Unconventional Natural Gas Extraction Sites

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Inês C. Santos

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Groundwater quality and quantity is of extreme importance as it is a source of drinking water in the United States. One major concern has emerged due to the possible contamination of groundwater from unconventional oil and natural gas extraction activities. Recent studies have been performed to understand if these activities are causing groundwater contamination, particularly with respect to exogenous hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. The impact of contaminants on microbial ecology is an area to be explored as alternatives for water treatment are necessary. In this work, we identified cultivable organic-degrading bacteria in groundwater in close proximity to unconventional natural gas extraction. Pseudomonas stutzeri and Acinetobacter haemolyticus were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS, which proved to be a simple, fast, and reliable method. Additionally, the potential use of the identified bacteria in water and/or wastewater bioremediation was studied by determining the ability of these microorganisms to degrade toluene and chloroform. In fact, these bacteria can be potentially applied for in situ bioremediation of contaminated water and wastewater treatment, as they were able to degrade both compounds.

MALDI-TOF MS for the Identification of Cultivable Organic-Degrading Bacteria in Contaminated Groundwater near Unconventional Natural Gas Extraction Sites.

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Santos, Inês C; Martin, Misty S; Carlton, Doug D; Amorim, Catarina L; Castro, Paula M L; Hildenbrand, Zacariah L; Schug, Kevin A

2017-08-10

Groundwater quality and quantity is of extreme importance as it is a source of drinking water in the United States. One major concern has emerged due to the possible contamination of groundwater from unconventional oil and natural gas extraction activities. Recent studies have been performed to understand if these activities are causing groundwater contamination, particularly with respect to exogenous hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. The impact of contaminants on microbial ecology is an area to be explored as alternatives for water treatment are necessary. In this work, we identified cultivable organic-degrading bacteria in groundwater in close proximity to unconventional natural gas extraction. Pseudomonas stutzeri and Acinetobacter haemolyticus were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which proved to be a simple, fast, and reliable method. Additionally, the potential use of the identified bacteria in water and/or wastewater bioremediation was studied by determining the ability of these microorganisms to degrade toluene and chloroform. In fact, these bacteria can be potentially applied for in situ bioremediation of contaminated water and wastewater treatment, as they were able to degrade both compounds.

Monitoring the degradation capability of novel haloalkaliphilic tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) resistant bacteria from butyltin-polluted site.

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Hassan, Hamdy A; Dawah, Somya E; El-Sheekh, Mostafa M

2018-03-28

Tributyltin (TBT) is recognized as a major environmental problem at a global scale. Haloalkaliphilic tributyltin (TBT)-degrading bacteria may be a key factor in the remediation of TBT polluted sites. In this work, three haloalkaliphilic bacteria strains were isolated from a TBT-contaminated site in the Mediterranean Sea. After analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences the isolates were identified as Sphingobium sp. HS1, Stenotrophomonas chelatiphaga HS2 and Rhizobium borbori HS5. The optimal growth conditions for biodegradation of TBT by the three strains were pH 9 and 7% (w/v) salt concentration. S. chelatiphaga HS2 was the most effective TBT degrader and has the ability to transform most TBT into dibutyltin and monobutyltin (DBT and MBT). A gene was amplified from strain HS2 and identified as TBTB-permease-like, that encodes an ArsB-permease. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis in the HS2 strain confirmed that the TBTB-permease-like gene contributes to TBT resistance. The three novel haloalkaliphilic TBT degraders have never been reported previously. Copyright © 2018 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Removal of pyridine and quinoline by bio-zeolite composed of mixed degrading bacteria and modified zeolite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Yaohui; Sun Qinghua; Xing Rui; Wen Donghui; Tang Xiaoyan

2010-01-01

In the process of the biodegradation of pyridine and quinoline, ammonium is often generated because of the transformation of N from pyridine and quinoline. Zeolite has been proven to be an effective sorbent for the removal of the ammonium. The natural zeolite can be modified to be the macroporous carrier in the biological wastewater treatment process. In this study, a specific bio-zeolite composed of mixed bacteria (a pyridine-degrading bacterium and a quinoline-degrading bacterium) and modified zeolite was used for biodegradation and adsorption in two types of wastewater: sterile synthetic and coking wastewater. The experimental results indicated that pyridine and quinoline could be degraded simultaneously by the mixed bacteria. Furthermore, NH 4 + -N transformed from pyridine and quinoline could be removed by the modified zeolite. In addition, the bacterial community structures of the coking wastewater and the bio-zeolite were monitored by the amplicon length heterogeneity polymerase-chain reaction (LH-PCR) technique. Both LH-PCR results and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations indicated that the microorganisms, including BW001 and BW003, could be easily attached on the surface of the modified zeolite and that the bio-zeolite could be used in the treatment of wastewater containing pyridine and/or quinoline.

Accumulation of Dissolved DMSP by Marine Bacteria and its Degradation Via Bacterivory

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Wolfe, Gordon V.

1996-01-01

Several bacterial isolates enriched from seawater using complex media were able to accumulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) from media into cells over several hours without degrading it. Uptake only occurred in metabolically active cells, and was repressed in some strains by the presence of additional carbon sources. Accumulation was also more rapid in osmotically-stressed cells, suggesting DMSP is used as an osmotic solute. Uptake could be blocked by inhibitors of active transport systems (2,4-dinitrophenol, azide, arsenate) and of protein synthesis (chloramphenicol). Some structural analogs such as glycine betaine and S-methyl methionine also blocked DMSP uptake, suggesting that the availability of alternate organic osmolytes may influence DMSP uptake. Stresses such as freezing, heating, or osmotic down shock resulted in partial release of DMSP back to the medium. One strain which contained a DMSP-lyase was also able to accumulate DMSP, and DMS was only produced in the absence of alternate carbon sources. Bacteria containing DMSP were prepared as prey for bacterivorous ciliates and flagellates, to examine the fate of the DMSP during grazing. In all cases, predators metabolized the DMSP in bacteria. In some cases, DMS was produced, but it is not clear if this was due to the predators or to associated bacteria in the non-axenic grazer cultures. Bacterivores may influence DMSP cycling by either modulating populations of DMSP-metabolizing bacteria, or by metabolizing DMSP accumulated by bacterial prey.

Dominant petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in the Archipelago Sea in South-West Finland (Baltic Sea) belong to different taxonomic groups than hydrocarbon degraders in the oceans.

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Reunamo, Anna; Riemann, Lasse; Leskinen, Piia; Jørgensen, Kirsten S

2013-07-15

The natural petroleum hydrocarbon degrading capacity of the Archipelago Sea water in S-W Finland was studied in a microcosm experiment. Pristine and previously oil exposed sites were examined. Bacterial community fingerprinting was performed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and samples from selected microcosms were sequenced. The abundance of PAH degradation genes was measured by quantitative PCR. Bacterial communities in diesel exposed microcosms diverged from control microcosms during the experiment. Gram positive PAH degradation genes dominated at both sites in situ, whereas gram negative PAH degrading genes became enriched in diesel microcosms. The dominant bacterial groups after a 14 days of diesel exposure were different depending on the sampling site, belonging to the class Actinobacteria (32%) at a pristine site and Betaproteobacteria (52%) at a previously oil exposed site. The hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the Baltic Sea differ from those in the oceans, where most hydrocarbon degraders belong to Gammaproteobacteria. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity of alkane degrading bacteria associated with plants in a petroleum oil-contaminated environment and expression of alkane monooxygenase (alkB) genes

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Andria, V.; Yousaf, S.; Reichenauer, T. G.; Smalla, K.; Sessitsch, A.

2009-04-01

Among twenty-six different plant species, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. Taurus), Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. Leo), and the combination of both plants performed well in a petroleum oil contaminated soil. Hydrocarbon degrading bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere, root interior and shoot interior and subjected to the analysis of 16S rRNA, the 16S and 23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and alkane hydroxylase genes. Higher numbers of culturable, degrading bacteria were associated with Italian ryegrass, which were also characterized by a higher diversity, particularly in the plant interior. Only half of the isolated bacteria hosted known alkane hydroxylase genes (alkB and cytochrome P153-like). Our results indicated that alkB genes have spread through horizontal gene transfer, particularly in the Italian ryegrass rhizosphere, and suggested mobility of catabolic genes between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. We furthermore studied the colonization behaviour of selected hydrocarbon-degrading strains (comprising an endopyhte and a rhizosphere strain) as well as the expression of their alkane monooxygenase genes in association with Italian ryegrass. Results showed that the endophyte strain better colonized the plant, particularly the plant interior, and also showed higher expression of alkB genes suggesting a more efficient degradation of the pollutant. Furthermore, plants inoculated with the endophyte were better able to grow in the presence of diesel. The rhizosphere strain colonized primarily the rhizosphere and showed low alkB gene expression in the plant interior.

Isolation of Inositol Hexaphosphate (IHP)-Degrading Bacteria from Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Hyphal Compartments Using a Modified Baiting Method Involving Alginate Beads Containing IHP

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Hara, Shintaro; Saito, Masanori

2016-01-01

Phytate (inositol hexaphosphate; IHP)-degrading microbes have been suggested to contribute to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-mediated P transfer from IHP to plants; however, no IHP degrader involved in AMF-mediated P transfer has been isolated to date. We herein report the isolation of IHP-degrading bacteria using a modified baiting method. We applied alginate beads as carriers of IHP powder, and used them as recoverable IHP in the AM fungal compartment of plant cultivation experiments. P transfer from IHP in alginate beads via AMF was confirmed, and extracted DNA from alginate beads was analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis targeting the 16S rRNA gene and a clone library method for the beta-propeller phytase (BPP) gene. The diversities of the 16S rRNA and BPP genes of microbes growing on IHP beads were simple and those of Sphingomonas spp. and Caulobacter spp. dominated. A total of 187 IHP-utilizing bacteria were isolated and identified, and they were consistent with the results of DNA analysis. Furthermore, some isolated Sphingomonas spp. and Caulobacter sp. showed IHP-degrading activity. Therefore, we successfully isolated dominant IHP-degrading bacteria from IHP in an AMF hyphal compartment. These strains may contribute to P transfer from IHP via AMF. PMID:27383681

Isolation of Thermophilic Lignin Degrading Bacteria from Oil-Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Compost

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Lai, C. M. T.; Chua, H. B.; Danquah, M. K.; Saptoro, A.

2017-06-01

Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) is a potential and sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production due to its high cellulosic content and availability in Malaysia. Due to high lignin content of EFB and the lack of effective delignification process, commercial bioethanol production from EFB is presently not viable. Enzymatic delignification has been identified as one of the key steps in utilising EFB as a feedstock for bioethanol conversion. To date, limited work has been reported on the isolation of lignin degrading bacteria. Hence, there is a growing interest to search for new lignin degrading bacteria with greater tolerance to temperature and high level of ligninolytic enzymes for more effective lignin degradation. This study aimed to isolate and screen thermophilic ligninolytic microorganisms from EFB compost. Ten isolates were successfully isolated from EFB compost. Although they are not capable of decolorizing Methylene Blue (MB) dye under agar plate assay method, they are able to utilize lignin mimicked compound - guaiacol as a sole carbon on the agar plate assay. This infers that there is no correlation of ligninolytic enzymes with dye decolourization for all the isolates that have been isolated. However, they are able to produce ligninolytic enzymes (Lignin peroxidase, Manganese peroxidase, Laccase) in Minimal Salt Medium with Kraft Lignin (MSM-KL) with Lignin Peroxidase (LiP) as the predominant enzyme followed by Manganese Peroxidase (MnP) and Laccase (Lac). Among all the tested isolates, CLMT 29 has the highest LiP production up to 8.7673 U/mL following 24 h of growth.

Identification and characterization of epoxide hydrolase activity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria for biocatalytic resolution of racemic styrene oxide and styrene oxide derivatives.

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Woo, Jung-Hee; Kwon, Tae-Hyung; Kim, Jun-Tae; Kim, Choong-Gon; Lee, Eun Yeol

2013-04-01

A novel epoxide hydrolase (EHase) from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria was identified and characterized. EHase activity was identified in four strains of PAH-degrading bacteria isolated from commercial gasoline and oil-contaminated sediment based on their growth on styrene oxide and its derivatives, such as 2,3- and 4-chlorostyrene oxides, as a sole carbon source. Gordonia sp. H37 exhibited high enantioselective hydrolysis activity for 4-chlorostyrene oxide with an enantiomeric ratio of 27. Gordonia sp. H37 preferentially hydrolyzed the (R)-enantiomer of styrene oxide derivatives resulting in the preparation of a (S)-enantiomer with enantiomeric excess greater than 99.9 %. The enantioselective EHase activity was identified and characterized in various PAH-degrading bacteria, and whole cell Gordonia sp. H37 was employed as a biocatalyst for preparing enantiopure (S)-styrene oxide derivatives.

Anaerobic degradation of cyclohexane by sulfate-reducing bacteria from hydrocarbon-contaminated marine sediments

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Ulrike eJaekel

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The fate of cyclohexane, often used as a model compound for the biodegradation of cyclic alkanes due to its abundance in crude oils, in anoxic marine sediments has been poorly investigated. In the present study, we obtained an enrichment culture of cyclohexane-degrading sulfate-reducing bacteria from hydrocarbon-contaminated intertidal marine sediments. Microscopic analyses showed an apparent dominance by oval cells of 1.5×0.8 m. Analysis of a 16S rRNA gene library, followed by whole-cell hybridization with group- and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes showed that these cells belonged to a single phylotype, and were accounting for more than 80% of the total cell number. The dominant phylotype, affiliated with the Desulfosarcina-Desulfococcus cluster of the Deltaproteobacteria, is proposed to be responsible for the degradation of cyclohexane. Quantitative growth experiments showed that cyclohexane degradation was coupled with the stoichiometric reduction of sulfate to sulfide. Substrate response tests corroborated with hybridization with a sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe suggested that the dominant phylotype apparently was able to degrade other cyclic and n-alkanes, including the gaseous alkanes propane and n-butane. Based on GC-MS analyses of culture extracts cyclohexylsuccinate was identified as a metabolite, indicating an activation of cyclohexane by addition to fumarate. Other metabolites detected were 3-cyclohexylpropionate and cyclohexanecarboxylate providing evidence that the overall degradation pathway of cyclohexane under anoxic conditions is analogous to that of n-alkanes.

Effect of steam explosion and microbial fermentation on cellulose and lignin degradation of corn stover.

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Chang, Juan; Cheng, Wei; Yin, Qingqiang; Zuo, Ruiyu; Song, Andong; Zheng, Qiuhong; Wang, Ping; Wang, Xiao; Liu, Junxi

2012-01-01

In order to increase nutrient values of corn stover, effects of steam explosion (2.5 MPa, 200 s) and Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae) fermentation on cellulose and lignin degradation were studied. The results showed the contents of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in the exploded corn stover were 8.47%, 50.45% and 36.65% lower than that in the untreated one, respectively (Pcellulose and hemicellulose in the exploded and fermented corn stover (EFCS) were decreased by 24.36% and 69.90%, compared with the untreated one (Pcorn stover. The activities of enzymes in EFCS were increased. The metabolic experiment showed that about 8% EFCS could be used to replace corn meal in broiler diets, which made EFCS become animal feedstuff possible. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rock-degrading endophytic bacteria in cacti

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M. Esther Puente; Ching Y. Li; Yoav Bashan

2009-01-01

A plant-bacterium association of the cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) and endophytic bacteria promotes establishment of seedlings and growth on igneous rocks without soil. These bacteria weather several rock types and minerals, unbind significant amounts of useful minerals for plants from the rocks, fix in vitro N2. produce...

Enhanced sulfamethoxazole degradation through ammonia oxidizing bacteria co-metabolism and fate of transformation products.

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Kassotaki, Elissavet; Buttiglieri, Gianluigi; Ferrando-Climent, Laura; Rodriguez-Roda, Ignasi; Pijuan, Maite

2016-05-01

The occurrence of the widely-used antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SFX) in wastewaters and surface waters has been reported in a large number of studies. However, the results obtained up-to-date have pointed out disparities in its removal. This manuscript explores the enhanced biodegradation potential of an enriched culture of Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) towards SFX. Several sets of batch tests were conducted to establish a link between SFX degradation and specific ammonia oxidation rate. The occurrence, degradation and generation of SFX and some of its transformation products (4-Nitro SFX, Desamino-SFX and N(4)-Acetyl-SFX) was also monitored. A clear link between the degradation of SFX and the nitrification rate was found, resulting in an increased SFX removal at higher specific ammonia oxidation rates. Moreover, experiments conducted under the presence of allylthiourea (ATU) did not present any removal of SFX, suggesting a connection between the AMO enzyme and SFX degradation. Long term experiments (up to 10 weeks) were also conducted adding two different concentrations (10 and 100 μg/L) of SFX in the influent of a partial nitrification sequencing batch reactor, resulting in up to 98% removal. Finally, the formation of transformation products during SFX degradation represented up to 32%, being 4-Nitro-SFX the most abundant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced degradation of chlorpyrifos in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by five strains of endophytic bacteria and their plant growth promotional ability.

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Feng, Fayun; Ge, Jing; Li, Yisong; He, Shuang; Zhong, Jianfeng; Liu, Xianjing; Yu, Xiangyang

2017-10-01

Endophytic bacteria reside in plant tissues, such as roots, stems, leaves and seeds. Most of them can stimulate plant growth or alleviate phytotoxicity of pollutants. There are handful species with dual functions stimulating plant growth and degrading pollutants have been reported. Five endophytic bacteria were isolated from chlorpyrifos (CP) treated rice plants and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain RRA, Bacillus megaterium strain RRB, Sphingobacterium siyangensis strain RSA, Stenotrophomonas pavanii strain RSB and Curtobacterium plantarum strain RSC according to morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA phylogeny. All of them possessed some plant growth promotional traits, including indole acetic acid and siderophore production, secretion of phosphate solubilization and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. The bacteria were marked with the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene and successfully colonized into rice plants. All isolates were able to degrade CP in vitro and in vivo. The five isolates degraded more than 90% of CP in 24 h when the initial concentration was lower than 5 mg/L. CP degradation was significantly enhanced in the infested rice plants and rice grains. The final CP residual was reduced up to 80% in the infested rice grains compared to the controls. The results indicate that these isolates are promising bio-inoculants for the removal or detoxification of CP residues in rice plants and grains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement of Pure Poly aromatic Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria Using Gamma Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-Daem, G.A.N.A.; Tarrad, M.M.

2013-01-01

The main goal of this study is to obtain a potent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) biodegrading bacteria to be used for bio augmentation purpose which is considered a promising strategy for the cleanup of contaminated sites. Among 10 selected potent PAHs degrading bacteria isolated from Suez Gulf water (after enrichments on phenanthrene as a sole source of carbon and energy). Isolate HD20 was selected due to its fast and remarkable abilities to breakdown phenanthrene . In a trial to improve the biodegradation potentials of the most potent isolate (Had) identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, low doses of gamma irradiation were used to activate the organism. To determine the radiation response of S. maltophilia, 24 hours culture was exposed in saline solution in a triplicate glass vials separately to increasing doses of gamma irradiation, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kGy. The dose response curve revealed the linear death of bacterial cells with increasing irradiation dose, The D10 value of S. maltophilia was found to be 0.3 kGy. For PAHs biodegradation enhancement, the organism was irradiated at low doses of gamma irradiation, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 kGy. The grown colonies exhibited a morphological differences from the non irradiated Stenotrophomonas maltophilia on Tryptone-glucose-yeast extract (TGY) plates. All of them showed a creamy rough appearance and a loss of the known yellow colour of the original isolate. The single selected irradiated colonies as well as the whole irradiated mixture of cells irradiated at different doses were tested separately in fertilized marine microcosms containing 200 ppm of phenanthrene as a model of PAH and the degradation rates of polyaromatic hydrocarbons were monitored by the determination of the residual phenanthrene up to one week . The biodegradation potentials of irradiated and non irradiated S. maltophilia was compared with that of the natural Suez Gulf microbial communities. The irradiated culture of S

Steam explosion enhances digestibility and fermentation of corn stover by facilitating ruminal microbial colonization.

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Zhao, Shengguo; Li, Guodong; Zheng, Nan; Wang, Jiaqi; Yu, Zhongtang

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate steam explosion as a pretreatment to enhance degradation of corn stover by ruminal microbiome. The steam explosion conditions were first optimized, and then the efficacy of steam explosion was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Steam explosion altered the physical and chemical structure of corn stover as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively, and increased its cellulose content while decreasing hemicellulose content. Steam-exploded corn stover also increased release of reducing sugars, rate of fermentation, and production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in vitro. The steam explosion treatment increased microbial colonization and in situ degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose of corn stover in the rumen of dairy cows. Steam explosion may be a useful pretreatment of corn stover to improve its nutritional value as forage for cattle, or as feedstock for biofuel production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inulin-type fructan degradation capacity of Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa butyrate-producing colon bacteria and their associated metabolic outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moens, F; De Vuyst, L

2017-05-30

Four selected butyrate-producing colon bacterial strains belonging to Clostridium cluster IV (Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM 17677 T ) and XIVa (Eubacterium hallii DSM 17630 and Eubacterium rectale CIP 105953 T ) were studied as to their capacity to degrade inulin-type fructans and concomitant metabolite production. Cultivation of these strains was performed in bottles and fermentors containing a modified medium for colon bacteria, including acetate, supplemented with either fructose, oligofructose, or inulin as the sole energy source. Inulin-type fructan degradation was not a general characteristic among these strains. B. pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and E. hallii DSM 17630 could only ferment fructose and did not degrade oligofructose or inulin. E. rectale CIP 105953 T and F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T fermented fructose and could degrade both oligofructose and inulin. All chain length fractions of oligofructose were degraded simultaneously (both strains) and both long and short chain length fractions of inulin were degraded either simultaneously (E. rectale CIP 105953 T ) or consecutively (F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T ), indicating an extracellular polymer degradation mechanism. B. pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and E. hallii DSM 17630 produced high concentrations of butyrate, CO 2 , and H 2 from fructose. E. rectale CIP 105953 T produced lactate, butyrate, CO 2 , and H 2 , from fructose, oligofructose, and inulin, whereas F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T produced butyrate, formate, CO 2 , and traces of lactate from fructose, oligofructose, and inulin. Based on carbon recovery and theoretical metabolite production calculations, an adapted stoichiometrically balanced metabolic pathway for butyrate, formate, lactate, CO 2 , and H 2 production by members of both Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa butyrate-producing bacteria was constructed.

Isolation, screening, and characterization of surface-active agent-producing, oil-degrading marine bacteria of Mumbai Harbor.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanram, Rajamani; Jagtap, Chandrakant; Kumar, Pradeep

2016-04-15

Diverse marine bacterial species predominantly found in oil-polluted seawater produce diverse surface-active agents. Surface-active agents produced by bacteria are classified into two groups based on their molecular weights, namely biosurfactants and bioemulsifiers. In this study, surface-active agent-producing, oil-degrading marine bacteria were isolated using a modified Bushnell-Haas medium with high-speed diesel as a carbon source from three oil-polluted sites of Mumbai Harbor. Surface-active agent-producing bacterial strains were screened using nine widely used methods. The nineteen bacterial strains showed positive results for more than four surface-active agent screening methods; further, these strains were characterized using biochemical and nucleic acid sequencing methods. Based on the results, the organisms belonged to the genera Acinetobacter, Alcanivorax, Bacillus, Comamonas, Chryseomicrobium, Halomonas, Marinobacter, Nesterenkonia, Pseudomonas, and Serratia. The present study confirmed the prevalence of surface-active agent-producing bacteria in the oil-polluted waters of Mumbai Harbor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of rhamnolipids and diesel oil degradation by bacteria isolated from soil contaminated by petroleum.

Science.gov (United States)

Leite, Giuseppe G F; Figueirôa, Juciane V; Almeida, Thiago C M; Valões, Jaqueline L; Marques, Walber F; Duarte, Maria D D C; Gorlach-Lira, Krystyna

2016-03-01

Biosurfactants are microbial secondary metabolites. The most studied are rhamnolipids, which decrease the surface tension and have emulsifying capacity. In this study, the production of biosurfactants, with emphasis on rhamnolipids, and diesel oil degradation by 18 strains of bacteria isolated from waste landfill soil contaminated by petroleum was analyzed. Among the studied bacteria, gram-positive endospore forming rods (39%), gram positive rods without endospores (17%), and gram-negative rods (44%) were found. The following methods were used to test for biosurfactant production: oil spreading, emulsification, and hemolytic activity. All strains showed the ability to disperse the diesel oil, while 77% and 44% of the strains showed hemolysis and emulsification of diesel oil, respectively. Rhamnolipids production was observed in four strains that were classified on the basis of the 16S rRNA sequences as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Only those strains showed the rhlAB gene involved in rhamnolipids synthesis, and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Erwinia carotovora, and Ralstonia solanacearum. The highest production of rhamnolipids was 565.7 mg/L observed in mineral medium containing olive oil (pH 8). With regard to the capacity to degrade diesel oil, it was observed that 7 strains were positive in reduction of the dye 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (2,6-DCPIP) while 16 had the gene alkane mono-oxygenase (alkB), and the producers of rhamnolipids were positive in both tests. Several bacterial strains have shown high potential to be explored further for bioremediation purposes due to their simultaneous ability to emulsify, disperse, and degrade diesel oil. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:262-270, 2016. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Abundance and diversity of n-alkane-degrading bacteria in a forest soil co-contaminated with hydrocarbons and metals: a molecular study on alkB homologous genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-de-Mora, Alfredo; Engel, Marion; Schloter, Michael

2011-11-01

Unraveling functional genes related to biodegradation of organic compounds has profoundly improved our understanding of biological remediation processes, yet the ecology of such genes is only poorly understood. We used a culture-independent approach to assess the abundance and diversity of bacteria catalyzing the degradation of n-alkanes with a chain length between C(5) and C(16) at a forest site co-contaminated with mineral oil hydrocarbons and metals for nearly 60 years. The alkB gene coding for a rubredoxin-dependent alkane monooxygenase enzyme involved in the initial activation step of aerobic aliphatic hydrocarbon metabolism was used as biomarker. Within the area of study, four different zones were evaluated: one highly contaminated, two intermediately contaminated, and a noncontaminated zone. Contaminant concentrations, hydrocarbon profiles, and soil microbial respiration and biomass were studied. Abundance of n-alkane-degrading bacteria was quantified via real-time PCR of alkB, whereas genetic diversity was examined using molecular fingerprints (T-RFLP) and clone libraries. Along the contamination plume, hydrocarbon profiles and increased respiration rates suggested on-going natural attenuation at the site. Gene copy numbers of alkB were similar in contaminated and control areas. However, T-RFLP-based fingerprints suggested lower diversity and evenness of the n-alkane-degrading bacterial community in the highly contaminated zone compared to the other areas; both diversity and evenness were negatively correlated with metal and hydrocarbon concentrations. Phylogenetic analysis of alkB denoted a shift of the hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial community from Gram-positive bacteria in the control zone (most similar to Mycobacterium and Nocardia types) to Gram-negative genotypes in the contaminated zones (Acinetobacter and alkB sequences with little similarity to those of known bacteria). Our results underscore a qualitative rather than a quantitative response of

Composting of soils/sediments and sludges containing toxic organics including high energy explosives. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doyle, R.C.; Kitchens, J.F.

1993-07-01

Laboratory and pilot-scale experimentation were conducted to evaluate composting as an on-site treatment technology to remediate soils contaminated with hazardous waste at DOE`s PANTEX Plant. Suspected contaminated sites within the PANTEX Plant were sampled and analyzed for explosives, other organics, and inorganic wastes. Soils in drainage ditches and playas at PANTEX Plant were found to be contaminated with low levels of explosives (including RDX, HMX, PETN and TATB). Additional sites previously used for solvent disposal were heavily contaminated with solvents and transformation products of the solvent, as well as explosives and by-products of explosives. Laboratory studies were conducted using {sup 14}C-labeled explosives and {sup 14}C-labeled diacetone alcohol contaminated soil loaded into horse manure/hay composts at three rates: 20, 30, and 40%(W/W). The composts were incubated for six weeks at approximately 60{degree}C with continuous aeration. All explosives degraded rapidly and were reduced to below detection limits within 3 weeks in the laboratory studies. {sup 14}C-degradates from {sup 14}C-RDX, {sup 14}C-HMX and {sup 14}C-TATB were largely limited to {sup 14}CO{sub 2} and unextracted residue in the compost. Volatile and non-volatile {sup 14}C-degradates were found to result from {sup 14}C-PETN breakdown, but these compounds were not identified. {sup 14}C-diacetone alcohol concentrations were significantly reduced during composting. However, most of the radioactivity was volatilized from the compost as non-{sup 14}CO{sub 2} degradates or as {sup 14}C-diacetone alcohol. Pilot scale composts loaded with explosives contaminated soil at 30% (W/W) with intermittent aeration were monitored over six weeks. Data from the pilot-scale study generally was in agreement with the laboratory studies. However, the {sup 14}C-labeled TATB degraded much faster than the unlabeled TATB. Some formulations of TATB may be more resistant to composting activity than others.

Bioremediation of coastal areas 5 years after the Nakhodka oil spill in the Sea of Japan: isolation and characterization of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaerun, S. Khodijah; Tazaki, Kazue; Asada, Ryuji; Kogure, Kazuhiro

2004-01-01

Five years after the 1997 Nakhodka oil spill in the Sea of Japan, seven bacterial strains capable of utilizing the heavy oil spilled from the Nakhodka Russian oil tanker were isolated from three coastal areas (namely Katano Seashore of Fukui Prefecture, Osawa and Atake seashores of Ishikawa Prefecture) and the Nakhodka Russian oil tanker after a 5-year bioremediation process. All bacterial strains isolated could utilize long-chain-length alkanes efficiently, but not aromatic, and all of them were able to grow well on heavy oil. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, most of the strains were affiliated to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Comparing between the year 1997 (at the beginning of bioremediation process) and the year 2001 (after 5 years of bioremediation), there was no significant change in morphology and size of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria during the 5-year bioremediation. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations revealed that a large number of hydrocarbon- degrading bacteria still existed in the sites consisting of a variety of morphological forms of bacteria, such as coccus (Streptococcus and Staphylococcus) and bacillus (Streptobacillus). On the application of bioremediation processes on the laboratory-scale, laboratory microcosm experiments (containing seawater, beach sand, and heavy oil) under aerobic condition by two different treatments (i.e., placed inside the building and outside the building) were established for bioremediation of heavy oil to investigate the significance of the role of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria on them. There was no significant bacterial activity differentiation in the two treatments, and removal of heavy oil by hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the outside building was slightly greater than that in the inside building. The values of pH, Eh, EC, and dissolved oxygen (DO) in two treatments indicated that the bioremediation process took place under aerobic conditions (DO: 1-6 mg/l; Eh: 12-300 mV) and neutral

Thermophilic anaerobic degradation of butyrate by a butyrate-utilizing bacterium in coculture and triculture with methanogenic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahring, B K; Westermann, P

1987-02-01

We studied syntrophic butyrate degradation in thermophilic mixed cultures containing a butyrate-degrading bacterium isolated in coculture with Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum or in triculture with M. thermoautotrophicum and the TAM organism, a thermophilic acetate-utilizing methanogenic bacterium. Butyrate was beta-oxidized to acetate with protons as the electron acceptors. Acetate was used concurrently with its production in the triculture. We found a higher butyrate degradation rate in the triculture, in which both hydrogen and acetate were utilized, than in the coculture, in which acetate accumulated. Yeast extract, rumen fluid, and clarified digestor fluid stimulated butyrate degradation, while the effect of Trypticase was less pronounced. Penicillin G, d-cycloserine, and vancomycin caused complete inhibition of butyrate utilization by the cultures. No growth or degradation of butyrate occurred when 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid or chloroform, specific inhibitors of methanogenic bacteria, was added to the cultures and common electron acceptors such as sulfate, nitrate, and fumarate were not used with butyrate as the electron donor. Addition of hydrogen or oxygen to the gas phase immediately stopped growth and butyrate degradation by the cultures. Butyrate was, however, metabolized at approximately the same rate when hydrogen was removed from the cultures and was metabolized at a reduced rate in the cultures previously exposed to hydrogen.

Characterization of Carbofuran Degrading Bacteria Obtained from Potato Cultivated Soils with Different Pesticide Application Records

OpenAIRE

Castellanos Rozo, José; Sánchez Nieves, Jimena; Uribe Vélez, Daniel; Moreno Chacón, Leonardo; Melgarejo Muñoz, Luz Marina

2013-01-01

Eighty-two bacterial isolates with potential Carbofuran degradation activity (Furadan®3SC) were obtained from soils cultivated with the potato variety Unica (Solanum tuberosum) in Silos, Norte de Santander (Colombia), with different records of pesticide application. The bacteria were selected for their ability to grow at 25 °C for 72 h in media containing 200 mg L-1 of analytical Carbofuran as the sole source of carbon and/ or nitrogen. The results showed that ten isolates, 12% of those obtai...

Efficient methanol-degrading aerobic bacteria isolated from a wetland ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Thulasi, Kavitha; Jayakumar, Arjun; Balakrishna Pillai, Aneesh; Gopalakrishnapillai Sankaramangalam, Vinod Kumar; Kumarapillai, Harikrishnan

2018-04-10

Methylotrophs present in the soil play an important role in the regulation of one carbon compounds in the environment, and thereby aid in mitigating global warming. The study envisages the isolation and characterization of methanol-degrading bacteria from Kuttanad wetland ecosystem, India. Three methylotrophs, viz. Achromobacter spanius KUT14, Acinetobacter sp. KUT26 and Methylobacterium radiotolerans KUT39 were isolated and their phylogenetic positions were determined by constructing a phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA sequences. In vitro activity of methanol dehydrogenase enzyme, responsible for methanol oxidation was evaluated and the genes involved in methanol metabolism, mxaF and xoxF were partially amplified and sequenced. The specific activity of methanol dehydrogenase (451.9 nmol min -1 mg -1 ) observed in KUT39 is the highest, reported ever to our knowledge from a soil bacterium. KUT14 recorded the least activity of 50.15 nmol min -1 mg -1 and is the first report on methylotrophy in A. spanius.

Hydrocarbon degradation potential and plant growth-promoting activity of culturable endophytic bacteria of Lotus corniculatus and Oenothera biennis from a long-term polluted site.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlik, Małgorzata; Cania, Barbara; Thijs, Sofie; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Piotrowska-Seget, Zofia

2017-08-01

Many endophytic bacteria exert beneficial effects on their host, but still little is known about the bacteria associated with plants growing in areas heavily polluted by hydrocarbons. The aim of the study was characterization of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading endophytic bacteria associated with Lotus corniculatus L. and Oenothera biennis L. collected in long-term petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted site using culture-dependent and molecular approaches. A total of 26 hydrocarbon-degrading endophytes from these plants were isolated. Phylogenetic analyses classified the isolates into the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The majority of strains belonged to the genera Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodococcus. More than 90% of the isolates could grow on medium with diesel oil, approximately 20% could use n-hexadecane as a sole carbon and energy source. PCR analysis revealed that 40% of the isolates possessed the P450 gene encoding for cytochrome P450-type alkane hydroxylase (CYP153). In in vitro tests, all endophytic strains demonstrated a wide range of plant growth-promoting traits such as production of indole-3-acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, siderophores, and phosphate solubilization. More than 40% of the bacteria carried the gene encoding for the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (acdS). Our study shows that the diversity of endophytic bacterial communities in tested plants was different. The results revealed also that the investigated plants were colonized by endophytic bacteria possessing plant growth-promoting features and a clear potential to degrade hydrocarbons. The properties of isolated endophytes indicate that they have the high potential to improve phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted soils.

Characterization of Crude Oil Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Contaminated Soils Surrounding Gas Stations.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Shanab, Reda A I; Eraky, Mohamed; Haddad, Ahmed M; Abdel-Gaffar, Abdel-Rahman B; Salem, Ahmed M

2016-11-01

A total of twenty bacterial cultures were isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Of the 20 isolates, RAM03, RAM06, RAM13, and RAM17 were specifically chosen based on their relatively higher growth on salt medium amended with 4 % crude oil, emulsion index, surface tension, and degradation percentage. These bacterial cultures had 16S rRNA gene sequences that were most similar to Ochrobactrum cytisi (RAM03), Ochrobactrum anthropi (RAM06 and RAM17), and Sinorhizobium meliloti (RAM13) with 96 %, 100 % and 99 %, and 99 % similarity. The tested strains revealed a promising potential for bioremediation of petroleum oil contamination as they could degrade >93 % and 54 % of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in a liquid medium and soil amended with 4 % crude oil, respectively, after 30 day incubation. These bacteria could effectively remove both aliphatic and aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons. In conclusion, these strains could be considered as good prospects for their application in bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated environment.

Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pyrene by Biosurfactant-Producing Bacteria Gordonia cholesterolivorans AMP 10

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Tri Handayani Kurniati

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Pyrene degradation and biosurfactant activity by a new strain identified as Gordonia cholesterolivorans AMP 10 were studied. The strain grew well and produced effective biosurfactants in the presence of glucose, sucrose, and crude oil. The biosurfactants production was detected by the decreased surface tension of the medium and emulsification activity.  Analysis of microbial growth parameters showed that AMP10 grew best at 50 µg mL-1 pyrene concentration, leading to 96 % degradation of pyrene within 7 days. The result of nested PCR analysis revealed that this isolate possessed the nahAc gene which encodes dioxygenase enzyme for initial degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH. Observation of both tensio-active and emulsifying activities indicated that biosurfactants which produced by AMP 10 when grown on glucose could lower the surface tension of medium from 71.3 mN/m to 24.7 mN/m and formed a stable emulsion in used lubricant oil with an emulsification index (E24 of 74%. According to the results, it is suggested that the bacterial isolates G. cholesterolivorans AMP10 are suitable candidates for bioremediation of PAH-contaminated environments.How to CiteKurniati, T. H.,  Rusmana, I. Suryani, A. & Mubarik, N. R. (2016. Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pyrene by Biosurfactant-Producing Bacteria Gordonia cholesterolivorans AMP 10. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 8(3, 336-343. 

Selection of oleuropein-degrading lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from fermenting Moroccan green olives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghabbour, N.; Lamzira, Z.; Thonart, P.; Cidalia, P.; Markaouid, M.; Asehraoua, A.

2011-07-01

A total of 177 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from early-stage Moroccan Picholine green olive fermentation, including Lactobacillus plantarum (44.63%), Lactobacillus pentosus (25.99%), Lactobacillus brevis (9.61%) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (19.77%). All the isolates were screened for their tolerance to olive leaf extract and oleuropein. Most of the isolates (85.3%) were found able to degrade oleuropein, when evaluated by either oleuropein or 5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl {beta}-D-glucuronide (X-Gluc) as substrates. The biodegradation capacity of the selected strains of each species was confirmed by HPLC analysis. (Author).

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) profiling in post-explosion residues to constitute evidence of crime-scene presence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brust, H.; van Asten, A.; Koeberg, M.; van der Heijden, A.; Kuijpers, C.J.; Schoenmakers, P.

2013-01-01

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and its degradation products are analyzed to discriminate between residues originating from PETN explosions and residues obtained under other circumstances, such as natural degradation on textile, or after handling intact PETN. The degradation products observed in

Effect of communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria on degradation of 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol by nitrifying activated sludge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Limpiyakorn, T.; Sermwaraphan, P.; Kurisu, F.

2009-07-01

An endocrine disrupting compound, 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), is a synthetic estrogen used as a key ingredient in oral contraceptives pill. this persistent organic pollutant, no biodegradable by most microorganisms, is discharged via municipal waste streams to natural receiving waters. Recently, it was found that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in nitrifying activated sludge (NAS) enriched with high ammonium loads can degrade EE2 via co-metabolism during ammonia oxidation. (Author)

Screening for biosurfactant production by 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene-transforming bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila-Arias, H; Avellaneda, H; Garzón, V; Rodríguez, G; Arbeli, Z; Garcia-Bonilla, E; Villegas-Plazas, M; Roldan, F

2017-08-01

To isolate and identify TNT-transforming cultures from explosive-contaminated soils with the ability to produce biosurfactants. Bacteria (pure and mixed cultures) were selected based on their ability to transform TNT in minimum media with TNT as the sole nitrogen source and an additional carbon source. TNT-transforming bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. TNT transformation rates were significantly lower when no additional carbon or nitrogen sources were added. Surfactant production was enabled by the presence of TNT. Fourteen cultures were able to transform the explosive (>50%); of these, five showed a high transformation capacity (>90%), and six produced surfactants. All explosive-transforming cultures contained Proteobacteria of the genera Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Sphingobium, Raoultella, Rhizobium and Methylopila. These cultures transformed TNT when an additional carbon source was added. Remarkably, Achromobacter spanius S17 and Pseudomonas veronii S94 have high TNT transformation rates and are surfactant producers. TNT is a highly toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic nitroaromatic explosive; therefore, bioremediation to eliminate or mitigate its presence in the environment is essential. TNT-transforming cultures that produce surfactants are a promising method for remediation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that links surfactant production and TNT transformation by bacteria. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Diazotrophic Bacterial Community of Degraded Pastures

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João Tiago Correia Oliveira

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pasture degradation can cause changes in diazotrophic bacterial communities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the culturable and total diazotrophic bacterial community, associated with regions of the rhizosphere and roots of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures in different stages of degradation. Samples of roots and rhizospheric soil were collected from slightly, partially, and highly degraded pastures. McCrady’s table was used to obtain the Most Probable Number (MPN of bacteria per gram of sample, in order to determine population density and calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index. The diversity of total diazotrophic bacterial community was determined by the technique of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE of the nifH gene, while the diversity of the culturable diazotrophic bacteria was determined by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (BOX-PCR technique. The increase in the degradation stage of the B. decumbens Stapf. pasture did not reduce the population density of the cultivated diazotrophic bacterial community, suggesting that the degradation at any degree of severity was highly harmful to the bacteria. The structure of the total diazotrophic bacterial community associated with B. decumbens Stapf. was altered by the pasture degradation stage, suggesting a high adaptive capacity of the bacteria to altered environments.

Isolation and Identification of Pyrene-degrading Bacteria from Soils around Landfills in Shiraz and Their Growth Kinetic Assay

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Farshid Kafilzadeh

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background & Objectives: Pyrene is a kind of carcinogen hydrocarbon in environment and one of the top 129 pollutants as ranked by the U.S.Environmental Pretection Agency (USEPA. Today's commodious method that is considered by many researchers is the use of microorganisms to degrade these compounds from the environment. The goal of this research is separation and identification of the indigenous bacterias which are effective in decomposition of Pyrene hydrocarbon from soils around Shiraz Landfills. Isolated bacteria growth in the presence of different concentrations of the aforesaid organic pollutant was evaluated. Materials & Methods: Taking samples from Landfills were done after transportation them to the laboratory. The numbers of the bacterias were counted in a medium including Pyrene 0.6 g/l and in another medium without Pyrene. The isolated bacterias were separated by the enriched medium of hydrocarbon Pyrene and were recognized accordance with standards methods (specialty of colony, microscopic properties, fermentation of sugars and biochemical test.The kinetic growth of the separated bacterias was evaluated every 12 hours during 7 successive days. Results: It was reported that the numbers of the bacterias in the medium without Pyrene is more than those with Pyrene (cfu/g. The separated bacterias were included Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Micrococcus spp., Mycobacterium spp. These four isolated bacterias showed the best growth with Pyrene 0.6 g/l during third and fourth days. Conclusion: The separating bacterias, effecting in decomposition of PAH, make this possibility that the modern methods with more efficiency to be created for removing the carcinogen organic polluters from the environment. Moreover, the separated bacterias (relating to this research can be applied to develop the microbial population in the areas that polluted with Pyrene.

Isolation and Characterization of Three and Four Ring Pahs Degrading Bacteria from Contaminated Sites, Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India

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Jignasha G. Patel

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH-degrading bacteria were isolated from prolong contaminated Amalakhadi sediment and crude oil polluted soil Telva, near Ankleshwar Gujarat India. Organisms were treated with two-model PAHs compound Anthracene (ANT, and Pyrene (PYR as the sole source of carbon and energy. Identification of the isolates was carried out based on their morphological and partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, which revealed that the isolates belong to two main bacterial groups: gram-negative pseudomonas indoxyladons and gram-positive, spore-forming group, Bacillus benzoevorans. GC-MS based degradation study demonstrated that P. indoxyladons efficiently degrade 98% of ANT and PYR by 93.2 % when treated with 250 mg L-1. However, B. benzoevorans could tolerate to 200 mg L-1of PYR. Thus, the findings of the study provide novel bacterial sp. having different capacity to degrade model PAHs compounds and further could be utilized for the standardization of bioremediation protocols for ex situ and in situ studies in aquatic as well as terrestrial ecosystem.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v4i1.12184International Journal of Environment Volume-4, Issue-1, Dec-Feb 2014/15, Page: 130-140  

DEGRADATION OF WEATHERED OIL BY MIXED MARINE BACTERIA AND THE TOXICITY OF ACCUMULATED WATER-SOLUBLE MATERIAL TO TWO MARINE CRUSTACEA

Science.gov (United States)

Artificially weathered crude oil was degraded by four diverse cultures of mixed marine bacteria under optimized conditions for 7 and 14 days. Loss in total weight of starting oil (30 g) ranged from 6.8-17.3% in biologically active incubations compared with only 0.9-1.1% in steril...

Degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by P. aeruginosa and characterization of some metabolites

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Hatice Aysun Mercimek

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT, a nitroaromatic explosive found in the soil and ground water, was investigated using Pseudomonas aeruginosa in in vitroexperiments. Biodegradable abilitiy of this bacteria was performed with 50 and 75 mg L−1 TNT concentrations in a defined liquid medium for 96 h time period. Treatment of TNT in supernatant samples taken at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h from agitated vessels was followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. In cultures supplemented with 50 and 75 mgL−1 TNT, after 96 h of incubation 46% and 59% reduction were detected respectively. Two metabolites as degradation intermediates with nitrite release into the medium, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT and 4-aminodinitrotoluene (4-ADNT, were elucidated by thin layer chromatography (TLC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS. These findings clearly indicate that Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be used in bioremediation of TNT contaminated sites.

Biodegradation of the High Explosive Hexanitrohexaazaiso-wurtzitane (CL-20)

OpenAIRE

Karakaya, Pelin; Christodoulatos, Christos; Koutsospyros, Agamemnon; Balas, Wendy; Nicolich, Steve; Sidhoum, Mohammed

2009-01-01

The aerobic biodegradability of the high explosive CL-20 by activated sludge and the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been investigated. Although activated sludge is not effective in degrading CL-20 directly, it can mineralize the alkaline hydrolysis products. Phanerochaete chrysosporium degrades CL-20 in the presence of supplementary carbon and nitrogen sources. Biodegradation studies were conducted using various nutrient media under diverse conditions. Variables included the...

Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Hainanmycin on Protein Degradation and Populations of Ammonia-producing Bacteria

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Z. B. Wang

2013-05-01

Full Text Available An in vitro fermentation was conducted to determine the effects of hainanmycin on protein degradation and populations of ammonia-producing bacteria. The substrates (DM basis for in vitro fermentation consisted of alfalfa hay (31.7%, Chinese wild rye grass hay (28.3%, ground corn grain (24.5%, soybean meal (15.5% with a forage: concentrate of 60:40. Treatments were the control (no additive and hainanmycin supplemented at 0.1 (H0.1, 1 (H1, 10 (H10, and 100 mg/kg (H100 of the substrates. After 24 h of fermentation, the highest addition level of hainanmycin decreased total VFA concentration and increased the final pH. The high addition level of hainanmycin (H1, H10, and H100 reduced (p0.05. After 24 h of fermentation, H10 and H100 increased (p<0.05 concentrations of peptide nitrogen and AA nitrogen and proteinase activity, and decreased (p<0.05 NH3-N concentration and deaminase activity compared with control. Peptidase activitives were not affected by hainanmycin. Hainanmycin supplementation only inhibited the growth of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, which is one of the species of low deaminative activity. Hainanmycin supplementation also decreased (p<0.05 relative population sizes of hyper-ammonia-producing species, except for H0.1 on Clostridium aminophilum. It was concluded that dietary supplementation with hainanmycin could improve ruminal fermentation and modify protein degradation by changing population size of ammonia-producing bacteria in vitro; and the addition level of 10 mg/kg appeared to achieve the best results.

Degradation Mechanisms of Poly(ester urethane) Elastomer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edgar, Alexander S. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-11-30

This report describes literature regarding the degradation mechanisms associated with a poly(ester urethane) block copolymer, Estane® 5703 (Estane), used in conjunction with Nitroplasticizer (NP), and 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane, also known as high molecular weight explosive (HMX) to produce polymer bonded explosive PBX 9501. Two principal degradation mechanisms are reported: NO2 oxidative reaction with the urethane linkage resulting in crosslinking and chain scission events, and acid catalyzed hydrolysis of the ester linkage. This report details future work regarding this PBX support system, to be conducted in late 2017 and 2018 at Engineered Materials Group (MST-7), Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory. This is the first of a series of three reports on the degradation processes and trends of the support materials of PBX 9501.

Summary report on the aerobic degradation of diesel fuel and the degradation of toluene under aerobic, denitrifying and sulfate reducing conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyne, P.; Smith, G.

1995-01-01

This report contains a number of studies that were performed to better understand the technology of the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Topics of investigation include the following: diesel fuel degradation by Rhodococcus erythropolis; BTEX degradation by soil isolates; aerobic degradation of diesel fuel-respirometry; aerobic degradation of diesel fuel-shake culture; aerobic toluene degradation by A3; effect of HEPES, B1, and myo-inositol addition on the growth of A3; aerobic and anaerobic toluene degradation by contaminated soils; denitrifying bacteria MPNs; sulfate-reducing bacteria MPNs; and aerobic, DNB and SRB enrichments

The effect of fibre source on the numbers of some fibre-degrading bacteria of Arabian camel's (Camelus dromedarius) foregut origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Samsudin, Anjas Asmara; Wright, André-Denis; Al Jassim, Rafat

2014-10-01

The total bacterial community of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens in fibre-enriched culture of the foregut contents of 12 adult feral camels (Camelus dromedaries) fed on native vegetation in Australia was investigated using quantitative PCR. Foregut contents were collected postmortem, pooled and filtered before divided into two fractions. One fraction was used for extraction of DNA, while the other fraction was inoculated straight away into BM 10 contained filter paper (FP), cotton thread (CT) or neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as the sole carbohydrate sources in Hungate tubes. The tubes were incubated anaerobically at 39 °C for 1 week. After a near complete degradation of the FP and CT and extensive turbidity in the NDF, media subculturing was carried out into fresh media tubes. This was repeated twice before genomic DNA was extracted and used for quantification of bacteria. Using an absolute quantification method, the numbers of cells in 1 ml of each sample ranged from 4.07 × 10(6) to 2.73 × 10(9) for total bacteria, 1.34 × 10(3) to 2.17 × 10(5) for F. succinogenes and 5.78 × 10(1) to 3.53 × 10(4) for R. flavefaciens. The mean cell number of F. succinogenes was highest in the FP enrichment medium at approximately 107-fold, whereas for the R. flavefaciens targeted primer, the NDF enrichment media had the highest mean cell number at approximately 4-fold when compared to the rumen content. The data presented here provide evidence of fibre type preference by the two main fibre-degrading bacteria and would help us understand the interaction between fibre type and fibre-degrading microorganisms, which has ramification on camel nutrition at different seasons and environments.

Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria enriched by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill identified by cultivation and DNA-SIP

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Tony; Singleton, David R; Berry, David; Yang, Tingting; Aitken, Michael D; Teske, Andreas

2013-01-01

The massive influx of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster triggered dramatic microbial community shifts in surface oil slick and deep plume waters. Previous work had shown several taxa, notably DWH Oceanospirillales, Cycloclasticus and Colwellia, were found to be enriched in these waters based on their dominance in conventional clone and pyrosequencing libraries and were thought to have had a significant role in the degradation of the oil. However, this type of community analysis data failed to provide direct evidence on the functional properties, such as hydrocarbon degradation of organisms. Using DNA-based stable-isotope probing with uniformly 13C-labelled hydrocarbons, we identified several aliphatic (Alcanivorax, Marinobacter)- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (Alteromonas, Cycloclasticus, Colwellia)-degrading bacteria. We also isolated several strains (Alcanivorax, Alteromonas, Cycloclasticus, Halomonas, Marinobacter and Pseudoalteromonas) with demonstrable hydrocarbon-degrading qualities from surface slick and plume water samples collected during the active phase of the spill. Some of these organisms accounted for the majority of sequence reads representing their respective taxa in a pyrosequencing data set constructed from the same and additional water column samples. Hitherto, Alcanivorax was not identified in any of the previous water column studies analysing the microbial response to the spill and we discuss its failure to respond to the oil. Collectively, our data provide unequivocal evidence on the hydrocarbon-degrading qualities for some of the dominant taxa enriched in surface and plume waters during the DWH oil spill, and a more complete understanding of their role in the fate of the oil. PMID:23788333

Metagenome enrichment approach used for selection of oil-degrading bacteria consortia for drill cutting residue bioremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Alaine B; Oliveira, Jorge S; Silva-Portela, Rita C B; Araújo, Wydemberg; Carlos, Aline C; Vasconcelos, Ana Tereza R; Freitas, Ana Teresa; Domingos, Yldeney Silva; de Farias, Mirna Ferreira; Fernandes, Glauber José Turolla; Agnez-Lima, Lucymara F

2018-04-01

Drill cuttings leave behind thousands of tons of residues without adequate treatment, generating a large environmental liability. Therefore knowledge about the microbial community of drilling residue may be useful for developing bioremediation strategies. In this work, samples of drilling residue were enriched in different culture media in the presence of petroleum, aiming to select potentially oil-degrading bacteria and biosurfactant producers. Total DNA was extracted directly from the drill cutting samples and from two enriched consortia and sequenced using the Ion Torrent platform. Taxonomic analysis revealed the predominance of Proteobacteria in the metagenome from the drill cuttings, while Firmicutes was enriched in consortia samples. Functional analysis using the Biosurfactants and Biodegradation Database (BioSurfDB) revealed a similar pattern among the three samples regarding hydrocarbon degradation and biosurfactants production pathways. However, some statistical differences were observed between samples. Namely, the pathways related to the degradation of fatty acids, chloroalkanes, and chloroalkanes were enriched in consortia samples. The degradation colorimetric assay using dichlorophenolindophenol as an indicator was positive for several hydrocarbon substrates. The consortia were also able to produce biosurfactants, with biosynthesis of iturin, lichnysin, and surfactin among the more abundant pathways. A microcosms assay followed by gas chromatography analysis showed the efficacy of the consortia in degrading alkanes, as we observed a reduction of around 66% and 30% for each consortium in total alkanes. These data suggest the potential use of these consortia in the bioremediation of drilling residue based on autochthonous bioaugmentation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remediation of saline soils contaminated with crude oil using the halophyte Salicornia persica in conjunction with hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebadi, Ali; Khoshkholgh Sima, Nayer Azam; Olamaee, Mohsen; Hashemi, Maryam; Ghorbani Nasrabadi, Reza

2018-05-08

The negative impact of salinity on plant growth and the survival of rhizosphere biota complicates the application of bioremediation to crude oil-contaminated saline soils. Here, a comparison was made between the remedial effect of treating the soil with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a salinity tolerant hydrocarbon-degrading consortium in conjunction with either the halophyte Salicornia persica or the non-halophyte Festuca arundinacea. The effect of the various treatments on salinized soils was measured by assessing the extent of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation, the soil's dehydrogenase activity, the abundance of the bacteria and the level of phytotoxicity as measured by a bioassay. When a non-salinized soil was assessed after a treatment period of 120 days, the ranking for effectiveness with respect to TPH removal was F. arundinacea > P. aeruginosa > S. persica > no treatment control, while in the presence of salinity, the ranking changed to S. persica > P. aeruginosa > F. arundinacea > no treatment control. Combining the planting of S. persica or F. arundinacea with P. aeruginosa inoculation ("bioaugmentation") boosted the degradation of TPH up to 5-17%. Analyses of the residual oil contamination revealed that long chain alkanes (above C20) were particularly strongly degraded following the bioaugmentation treatments. The induced increase in dehydrogenase activity and the abundance of the bacteria (3.5 and 10 fold respectively) achieved in the bioaugmentation/S. persica treatment resulted in 46-76% reduction in soil phytotoxicity in a saline soil. The indication was that bioaugmentation of halophyte can help to mitigate the adverse effects on the effectiveness of bioremediation in a crude oil-contaminated saline soil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of autotrophic, hydrogen-utilizing, perchlorate-reducing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrout, Joshua D; Scheetz, Todd E; Casavant, Thomas L; Parkin, Gene F

2005-04-01

Recent studies have shown that perchlorate (ClO(4) (-)) can be degraded by some pure-culture and mixed-culture bacteria with the addition of hydrogen. This paper describes the isolation of two hydrogen-utilizing perchlorate-degrading bacteria capable of using inorganic carbon for growth. These autotrophic bacteria are within the genus Dechloromonas and are the first Dechloromonas species that are microaerophilic and incapable of growth at atmospheric oxygen concentrations. Dechloromonas sp. JDS5 and Dechloromonas sp. JDS6 are the first perchlorate-degrading autotrophs isolated from a perchlorate-contaminated site. Measured hydrogen thresholds were higher than for other environmentally significant, hydrogen-utilizing, anaerobic bacteria (e.g., halorespirers). The chlorite dismutase activity of these bacteria was greater for autotrophically grown cells than for cells grown heterotrophically on lactate. These bacteria used fumarate as an alternate electron acceptor, which is the first report of growth on an organic electron acceptor by perchlorate-reducing bacteria.

Soil bacteria for remediation of polluted soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Springael, D; Bastiaens, L; Carpels, M; Mergaey, M; Diels, L

1996-09-18

Soil bacteria, specifically adapted to contaminated soils, may be used for the remediation of polluted soils. The Flemish research institute VITO has established a collection of bacteria, which were isolated from contaminated areas. This collection includes microbacteria degrading mineral oils (Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp. and others), microbacteria degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (genera Sphingomonas and Mycobacterium), microbacteria degrading polychlorobiphenyls (genus Ralstonia and strains related to beta-Proteobacteria), and metal resistant bacteria with plasmid borne resistances to Cd, Zn, Ni, Co, Cu, Hg, and Cr. Bench-scale reactors were developed to investigate the industrial feasibility of bioremediation. Batch Stirred Tank Reactors were used to evaluate the efficiency of oil degraders. Soils, contaminated with non-ferrous metals, were treated using a Bacterial Metal Slurry Reactor. It was found that the reduction of the Cd concentration may vary strongly from sample to sample: reduction factors vary from 95 to 50%. Is was shown that Cd contained in metallic sinter and biologically unavailable Cd could not be removed.

In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of selected oxalate-degrading probiotic bacteria: potential applications in the prevention and treatment of hyperoxaluria.

Science.gov (United States)

Giardina, Silvana; Scilironi, Cristina; Michelotti, Angela; Samuele, Alberta; Borella, Fabio; Daglia, Maria; Marzatico, Fulvio

2014-03-01

Oxalate (Ox) is a very common component of the human diet, capable to collect in the renal tissue and bind calcium to form calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals. A supersaturation of CaOx crystal may cause nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis. The inflammation derived from the CaOx crystal accumulation, together with innate or secondary renal alterations, could strongly affect the renal function. In this case a consumption of probiotics with either oxalate-degrading activity at intestinal level and systemic anti-inflammatory activity could be an alternative approach to treat the subjects with excess of urinary oxalate excretion. 11 strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria), already included in the list of bacteria safe for the human use, were investigated for their capability to degrade oxalate by mean of RP-HPLC-UV method and modulate inflammation in an in vitro model system based on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Four promising bacterial strains (Lactobacillus plantarum PBS067, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-14, Bifidobacterium breve PBS077, Bifidobacterium longum PBS078) were identified as innovative biological tools for the prevention and the therapeutic treatment of hyperoxaluria and the inflammatory events associated to the Ox accumulation. The oxalate-degrading activity of some probiotics and their capability to modulate the release of inflammation mediators could be exploited as a new nutraceutical and therapeutic approach for the treatment of oxalate accumulation and the related inflammatory state. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Evaluation of microbially-influenced degradation of massive concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, M.A.; Rogers, R.D.; Zolynski, M.; Veeh, R.

1996-01-01

Many low level waste disposal vaults, both above and below ground, are constructed of concrete. One potential contributing agent to the destruction of concrete structures is microbially-influenced degradation (MID). Three groups of bacteria are known to create conditions that are conducive to destroying concrete integrity. They are sulfur oxidizing bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, and heterotrophic bacteria. Research is being conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to assess the extent of naturally occurring microbially influenced degradation (MID) and its contribution to the deterioration of massive concrete structures. The preliminary steps to understanding the extent of MID, require assessing the microbial communities present on degrading concrete surfaces. Ultimately such information can be used to develop guidelines for preventive or corrective treatments for MID and aid in formulation of new materials to resist corrosion. An environmental study was conducted to determine the presence and activity of potential MID bacteria on degrading concrete surfaces of massive concrete structures. Scanning electron microscopy detected bacteria on the surfaces of concrete structures such as bridges and dams, where corrosion was evident. Enumeration of sulfur oxidizing thiobacilli and nitrogen oxidizing Nitrosomonas sp. and Nitrobacter sp. from surface samples was conducted. Bacterial community composition varied between sampling locations, and generally the presence of either sulfur oxidizers or nitrifiers dominated, although instances of both types of bacteria occurring together were encountered. No clear correlation between bacterial numbers and degree of degradation was exhibited

Interactions of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and PAH-degrading bacteria (Acinetobacter sp.) on enhanced dissipation of spiked phenanthrene and pyrene in waterlogged soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Y; Yu, X Z; Wu, S C; Cheung, K C; Tam, N F Y; Qian, P Y; Wong, M H

2006-12-15

The effects of cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and PAH-degrading bacteria (Acinetobacter sp.) separately, and in combination, on the dissipation of spiked phenanthrene and pyrene (0, 50+50, 100+100, 200+200 mg kg(-1)) in waterlogged soil were studied using pot trials. The population of introduced PAH-degrading bacteria remained at 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry soil after 20 days of treatment with Acinetobacter sp. only, but increased to 10(6) when planted with rice simultaneously. Shoot and root biomass of rice when grown alone was adversely affected by spiked PAHs, but significantly increased by 2-55% and 8-409%, respectively, when inoculated with Acinetobacter sp.. Phenanthrene and pyrene concentrations in roots ranged from 1-27 and 20-98 mg kg(-1), respectively, while their concentrations in shoots were generally lower than 0.2 mg kg(-1). The dissipation of phenanthrene was mainly due to abiotic loss as 70-78% phenanthrene was lost from the control soil at the end of 80 days, while removal of 86-87% phenanthrene had been achieved after 40 days in the treatment co-cultivated with Acinetobacter sp. and rice. Compared with the control where only 6-15% of pyrene was removed from soil, a much higher dissipation of pyrene (43-62%) was attained for the treatments co-cultivated with Acinetobacter sp. and rice at the end of 80 days. The results demonstrated that co-cultivation of rice and PAH-degrading bacteria may have a great potential to accelerate the bioremediation process of PAH-contaminated soil under waterlogged conditions.

Plant n-alkane production from litterfall altered the diversity and community structure of alkane degrading bacteria in litter layer in lowland subtropical rainforest in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Tung-Yi; Hsu, Bing-Mu; Chao, Wei-Chun; Fan, Cheng-Wei

2018-03-01

n-Alkane and alkane-degrading bacteria have long been used as crucial biological indicators of paleoecology, petroleum pollution, and oil and gas prospecting. However, the relationship between n-alkane and alkane-degrading bacteria in natural forests is still poorly understood. In this study, long-chain n-alkane (C14-C35) concentrations in litterfall, litter layer, and topsoil as well as the diversity and abundance of n-alkane-degrading bacterial communities in litter layers were investigated in three habitats across a lowland subtropical rainforest in southern Taiwan: ravine, windward, and leeward habitats in Nanjenshan. Our results demonstrate that the litterfall yield and productivity of long-chain n-alkane were highest in the ravine habitats. However, long-chain n-alkane concentrations in all habitats were decreased drastically to a similar low level from the litterfall to the bulk soil, suggesting a higher rate of long-chain n-alkane degradation in the ravine habitat. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) analysis using next-generation sequencing data revealed that the relative abundances of microbial communities in the windward and leeward habitats were similar and different from that in the ravine habitat. Data mining of community amplicon sequencing using the NCBI database revealed that alkB-gene-associated bacteria (95 % DNA sequence similarity to alkB-containing bacteria) were most abundant in the ravine habitat. Empirical testing of litter layer samples using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction for determining alkB gene levels confirmed that the ravine habitat had higher alkB gene levels than the windward and leeward habitats. Heat map analysis revealed parallels in pattern color between the plant and microbial species compositions of the habitats, suggesting a causal relationship between the plant n-alkane production and microbial community diversity. This finding indicates that the diversity and relative abundance of microbial communities in the

RNases and Helicases in Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Durand, Sylvain; Condon, Ciaran

2018-04-01

RNases are key enzymes involved in RNA maturation and degradation. Although they play a crucial role in all domains of life, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes have evolved with their own sets of RNases and proteins modulating their activities. In bacteria, these enzymes allow modulation of gene expression to adapt to rapidly changing environments. Today, >20 RNases have been identified in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis , the paradigms of the Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. However, only a handful of these enzymes are common to these two organisms and some of them are essential to only one. Moreover, although sets of RNases can be very similar in closely related bacteria such as the Firmicutes Staphylococcus aureus and B. subtilis , the relative importance of individual enzymes in posttranscriptional regulation in these organisms varies. In this review, we detail the role of the main RNases involved in RNA maturation and degradation in Gram-positive bacteria, with an emphasis on the roles of RNase J1, RNase III, and RNase Y. We also discuss how other proteins such as helicases can modulate the RNA-degradation activities of these enzymes.

EVENT, Explosive Transients in Flow Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrae, R.W.; Tang, P.K.; Bolstad, J.W.; Gregory, W.S.

1985-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: A major concern of the chemical, nuclear, and mining industries is the occurrence of an explosion in one part of a facility and subsequent transmission of explosive effects through the ventilation system. An explosive event can cause performance degradation of the ventilation system or even structural failures. A more serious consequence is the release of hazardous materials to the environment if vital protective devices such as air filters, are damaged. EVENT was developed to investigate the effects of explosive transients through fluid-flow networks. Using the principles of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, governing equations for the conservation of mass, energy, and momentum are formulated. These equations are applied to the complete network subdivided into two general components: nodes and branches. The nodes represent boundaries and internal junctions where the conservation of mass and energy applies. The branches can be ducts, valves, blowers, or filters. Since in EVENT the effect of the explosion, not the characteristics of the explosion itself, is of interest, the transient is simulated in the simplest possible way. A rapid addition of mass and energy to the system at certain locations is used. This representation is adequate for all of the network except the region where the explosion actually occurs. EVENT84 is a modification of EVENT which includes a new explosion chamber model subroutine based on the NOL BLAST program developed at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Silver Spring, Maryland. This subroutine calculates the confined explosion near-field parameters and supplies the time functions of energy and mass injection. Solid-phase or TNT-equivalent explosions (which simulate 'point source' explosions in nuclear facilities) as well as explosions in gas-air mixtures can be simulated. The four types of explosions EVENT84 simulates are TNT, hydrogen in air, acetylene in air, and tributyl phosphate (TBP or 'red oil

Characterization of carbofuran-degrading bacteria isolated from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Workstation

Key words: Pesticides, carbofuran, methomyl, biodegradation, bacteria. INTRODUCTION .... polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and partial sequence analysis of ..... Beutel KK (1986). Chlorinated hydrocarbon, In W. Gerhartz (ed.),.

Degradation of riverine dissolved organic matter by seawater bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rochelle-Newall, E.J.; Pizay, M-D.; Middelburg, J.J.; Boschker, H.T.S.; Gattuso, J.P.

2004-01-01

The functional response of a seawater bacterial community transplanted into freshwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) was investigated together with the response of natural populations of bacteria to size-fractioned natural source water. Seawater bacteria were incubated over a period of 8 d in

Explosive simulants for testing explosive detection systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kury, John W.; Anderson, Brian L.

1999-09-28

Explosives simulants that include non-explosive components are disclosed that facilitate testing of equipment designed to remotely detect explosives. The simulants are non-explosive, non-hazardous materials that can be safely handled without any significant precautions. The simulants imitate real explosives in terms of mass density, effective atomic number, x-ray transmission properties, and physical form, including moldable plastics and emulsions/gels.

Prevent the degradation of algicidal ability in Scenedesmus-lysing bacteria using optimized cryopreservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Chunli; Liu, Xiaobo

2016-03-01

With the anthropogenic nutrient loading increasing, the frequency and impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) have intensified in recent years. To biocontrol HABs, many corresponding algal-lysing bacteria have been exploited successively. However, there are few studies on an effective algal-lysing culture collection to prevent cells from death and particularly the degradation of algicidal ability to their hosts. An optimized cryopreservation was developed and experiments on the validation of this method on preventing algicidal degradation and effects of this optimized cryopreservation on the survival rate of Scenedesmus-lysing bacterium, Enterobacter NP23, isolated from Scenedesmus sp. community, China, on the algicidal dynamic of Scenedesmus wuhanensis was investigated. The optimized cryoprotectant composition consists of 30.0 g/L gelatin, 48.5 g/L sucrose, and 28.4 g/L glycerol, respectively. Using this approach, the survival rate of NP23 cells can still maintain above 90 % and the algal-lysing rate only decline 4 % after the 18-month cryoprotection. Moreover, the 16 generations' passage experiment showed a significant (p < 0.05) genetic stability of algicidal capacity after 18 months. The growth dynamic of S. wuhanensis was investigated in a 5-L bioreactor during 132 h in the absence or presence of NP23. As a result, NP23 has a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition to S. wuhanensis growth when injected into algal culture in the exponential phase at 60th hour. In addition, S. wuhanensis culture initially with NP23 exhibited a slow growth, performing a prolonged lag phase without a clear stationary phase and then rapidly decreased. Our findings, combined with the capacity of preventing the degradation of algicidal ability collectively suggest that the use of this opitimized cryopreservation may be a promising strategy for maintaining algicidal cells.

Characterization of poly(L-lactide)-degrading enzyme produced by thermophilic filamentous bacteria Laceyella sacchari LP175.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanphakphoom, Srisuda; Maneewong, Narisara; Sukkhum, Sukhumaporn; Tokuyama, Shinji; Kitpreechavanich, Vichien

2014-01-01

Eleven strains of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)-degrading thermophilic bacteria were isolated from forest soils and selected based on clear zone formation on an emulsified PLLA agar plate at 50°C. Among the isolates, strain LP175 showed the highest PLLA-degrading ability. It was closely related to Laceyella sacchari, with 99.9% similarity based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The PLLA-degrading enzyme produced by the strain was purified to homogeneity by 48.1% yield and specific activity of 328 U·mg-protein-1 with a 15.3-fold purity increase. The purified enzyme was strongly active against specific substrates such as casein and gelatin and weakly active against Suc-(Ala)₃-pNA. Optimum enzyme activity was exhibited at a temperature of 60°C with thermal stability up to 50°C and a pH of 9.0 with pH stability in a range of 8.5-10.5. Molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 28.0 kDa, as determined by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. The inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), and ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) strongly inhibited enzyme activity, but the activity was not inhibited by 1 mM 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-phen). The N-terminal amino acid sequences had 100% homology with thermostable serine protease (thermitase) from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. The results obtained suggest that the PLLA-degrading enzyme produced by L. sacchari strain LP175 is serine protease.

Crude oil degradation by phosphate-solubilizing bacteria

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

DeSouza, M.J.B.D.; Nair, S.; David, J.J.; Chandramohan, D.

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria were isolated from tropical areas around the Indian peninsula. Two of the isolates showed high phosphatase activity. The isolates were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus pumilus, and they showed high...

Research topics in explosives - a look at explosives behaviors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maienschein, J L

2014-01-01

The behaviors of explosives under many conditions - e.g., sensitivity to inadvertent reactions, explosion, detonation - are controlled by the chemical and physical properties of the explosive materials. Several properties are considered for a range of improvised and conventional explosives. Here I compare these properties across a wide range of explosives to develop an understanding of explosive behaviors. For improvised explosives, which are generally heterogeneous mixtures of ingredients, a range of studies is identified as needed to more fully understand their behavior and properties. For conventional explosives, which are generally comprised of crystalline explosive molecules held together with a binder, I identify key material properties that determine overall sensitivity, including the extremely safe behavior of Insensitive High Explosives, and discuss an approach to predicting the sensitivity or insensitivity of an explosive.

Explosion risks linked to red oils in the spent fuels reprocessing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-06-01

This paper presents the risk of explosion associated with reactions between tributyl phosphate (TBP) and its degradation products and nitrates from nitric acid or associated with heavy metals (uranium and plutonium); These reactions may lead to the formation of unstable compounds known as 'red oils'. The feedback explosions linked to the formation of such compounds occurring in spent fuel reprocessing plants round the world, is briefly discussed. The main measures to control these risks, implemented in French factories concerned are also presented. (N.C.)

Cyanide utilization and degradation by microorganisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, C J

1988-01-01

Various microorganisms can produce (cyanogenesis) or degrade cyanide. They degrade cyanide either to detoxify it, or to use it as a source of nitrogen for growth. Significant amounts of cyanide are formed as a secondary metabolite by a wide range of fungi and a few bacteria by decarboxylation of glycine. When cyanide has been formed by the snow mould fungus it is degraded by conversion to carbon dioxide and ammonia via an unknown pathway. In contrast, cyanogenic bacteria either do not further catabolize cyanide or they convert it into beta-cyanoalanine by addition to cysteine or O-acetylserine. Several non-cyanogenic fungi that are pathogens of cyanogenic plants are known to degrade cyanide by hydration to formamide by the enzyme cyanide hydratase. Such fungi can be immobilized and used in packed-cell columns to continuously detoxify cyanide. ICI Biological Products Business market a preparation of spray-dried fungal mycelia, 'CYCLEAR', to detoxify industrial wastes. Novo Industri have also introduced a cyanidase preparation to convert cyanide directly into formate and ammonia. Bacteria have been isolated that use cyanide as a source of nitrogen for growth. Because cyanide, as KCN or NaCN, is toxic for growth, the bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) have to be grown in fed-batch culture with cyanide as the limiting nutrient. Cyanide is converted to carbon dioxide and ammonia (which is then assimilated) by an NADH-linked cyanide oxygenase system.

Biodegradation of mixtures of pesticides by bacteria and white rot fungi

OpenAIRE

Gouma, Sofia

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the potential for degradation of mixtures of pesticides (chlorpyrifos, linuron, metribuzin) by a range of bacteria and fungi and to relate this capability to enzyme production and quantify the rates of degradation of the components of the mixture of xenobiotic compounds. Overall, although bacteria (19 Bacillus and 4 Pseudomonas species) exhibited tolerance to the individual and micture of pesticides actual degradation was not eviden...

New Mix Explosives for Explosive Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Andreevskikh, Leonid

2011-06-01

Suggested and tested were some mix explosives--powder mixtures of a brisant high explosive (HE = RDX, PETN) and an inert diluent (baking soda)--for use in explosive welding. RDX and PETN were selected in view of their high throwing ability and low critical diameter. Since the decomposition of baking soda yields a huge amount of gaseous products, its presence ensures (even at a low HE percentage) a throwing speed that is sufficient for realization of explosive welding, at a reduced brisant action of charge. Mix chargers containing 30-70 wt % HE (the rest baking soda) have been tested experimentally and optimized. For study of possibility to reduce critical diameter of HE mixture, the mixture was prepared where HE crystal sizes did not exceed 10 μm. The tests, which were performed with this HE, revealed that the mixture detonated stably with the velocity D ~ 2 km/s, if the layer thickness was d = 2 mm. The above explosives afford to markedly diminish deformations within the oblique impact zone and thus to carry out explosive welding of hollow items and thin metallic foils.

Isolation of amoebic-bacterial consortia capable of degrading trichloroethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyndall, R.L.; Ironside, K.; Little, C.D.; Katz, S.; Kennedy, J.

1990-01-01

Groundwater from a waste disposal site contaminated with chlorinated alkenes was examined for the presence of amoebic-bacterial consortia capable of degrading the suspected carcinogen, trichloroethylene (TCE). Consortia were readily isolated from all of four test wells. They contained free-living amoebae, and heterotrophic and methylotrophic bacteria. Electron microscopic examination showed bacteria localized throughout the amoebic cytoplasm and an abundance of hyphomicrobium, but not Type I methanotrophs. The presence of Type II methanotrophs was indirectly indicated by lipid analysis of one consortium. The consortia have been passaged for over two years on mineral salts media in a methane atmosphere, which would not be expected to maintain the heterotrophs or amoebae separately. The methanotrophic bacteria apparently provided a stable nutrient source, allowing the persistence of the various genera. By use of 14 C-radiotracer techniques, the degradation of TCE by the consortia was observed with 14 C eventuating predominantly in CO 2 and water-soluble products. In a more detailed examination of one consortia, the amoebae and heterotrohic components did not degrade TCE, while a mixed culture of heterotrophs and methanotrophs did degrade TCE, suggesting the latter component was the primary cause for the consortium's ability to degrade TCE. Amoebic-bacterial consortia may play a role in stabilizing and preserving methylotrophic bacteria in hostile environments

Influence of compost amendments on the diversity of alkane degrading bacteria in hydrocarbon contaminated soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eSchloter

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Alkane degrading microorganisms play an important role for bioremediation of petrogenic contaminated environments. In this study, we investigated the effects of compost addition on the diversity of alkane monooxygenase gene (alkB harboring bacteria in oil-contaminated soil originated from an industrial zone in Celje, Slovenia, to improve our understanding about the bacterial community involved in alkane degradation and the effects of amendments. Soil without any amendments (control soil and soil amended with compost of different maturation stages, i 1 year and ii 2 weeks, were incubated under controlled conditions in a microcosm experiment and sampled after 0, 6, 12 and 36 weeks of incubation. By using quantitative real-time PCR higher number of alkB genes could be detected in soil samples with compost compared to the control soil after 6, 12 and 36 weeks mainly if the less maturated compost was added. To get an insight into the composition of the alkB harboring microbial communities, we performed next generation sequencing of alkB gene fragment amplicons. Richness and diversity of alkB gene harboring prokaryotes was higher in soil mixed with compost compared to control soil after 6, 12 and 36 weeks again with stronger effects of the less maturated compost. Comparison of communities detected in different samples and time points based on principle component analysis revealed that the addition of compost in general stimulated the abundance of alkB harboring Actinobacteria during the experiment independent from the maturation stage of the compost compared to the control soils. In addition alkB harboring proteobacteria like Shewanella or Hydrocarboniphaga as well as proteobacteria of the genus Agrobacterium responded positively to the addition of compost to soil The amendment of the less maturated compost resulted in addition in a large increase of alkB harboring bacteria of the Cytophaga group (Microscilla mainly at the early sampling

The effect of explosive percentage on underwater explosion energy release of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane and octogen based aluminized explosives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingjie Jiao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To control the explosion energy output by optimizing explosive components is a key requirement in a number of different application areas. The effect of different Al/O Ratio on underwater explosion of aluminized explosives has been studied detailedly. However, the effect of explosive percentage in the same Al/O Ratio is rarely researched, especially for Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20 based aluminized explosives. In this study, we performed the underwater explosion experiments with 1.2-kilogram explosives in order to investigate the explosion energy released from CL-20 and Octogen (HMX based aluminized explosives. The percentage of the explosive varied from 5% to 30% and it is shown that: the shockwave peak pressure (pm grows gradually; shock wave energy (Es continues increasing, bubble energy (Eb increases then decreases peaking at 15% for both formulas, and the total energy (E and energy release rate (η peak at 20% for CL-20 and 15% for HMX. This paper outlines the physical mechanism of Eb change under the influence of an aluminium initial reaction temperature and reaction active detonation product percentage coupling. The result shows that CL-20 is superior as a new high explosive and has promising application prospects in the regulation of explosive energy output for underwater explosives.

The effect of explosive percentage on underwater explosion energy release of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane and octogen based aluminized explosives

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Qingjie; Wang, Qiushi; Nie, Jianxin; Guo, Xueyong; Zhang, Wei; Fan, Wenqi

2018-03-01

To control the explosion energy output by optimizing explosive components is a key requirement in a number of different application areas. The effect of different Al/O Ratio on underwater explosion of aluminized explosives has been studied detailedly. However, the effect of explosive percentage in the same Al/O Ratio is rarely researched, especially for Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) based aluminized explosives. In this study, we performed the underwater explosion experiments with 1.2-kilogram explosives in order to investigate the explosion energy released from CL-20 and Octogen (HMX) based aluminized explosives. The percentage of the explosive varied from 5% to 30% and it is shown that: the shockwave peak pressure (pm) grows gradually; shock wave energy (Es) continues increasing, bubble energy (Eb) increases then decreases peaking at 15% for both formulas, and the total energy (E) and energy release rate (η) peak at 20% for CL-20 and 15% for HMX. This paper outlines the physical mechanism of Eb change under the influence of an aluminium initial reaction temperature and reaction active detonation product percentage coupling. The result shows that CL-20 is superior as a new high explosive and has promising application prospects in the regulation of explosive energy output for underwater explosives.

78 FR 64246 - Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosives Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-28

..., including non-cap sensitive slurry and water gel explosives. Blasting caps. Blasting gelatin. Blasting.... Explosive conitrates. Explosive gelatins. Explosive liquids. Explosive mixtures containing oxygen-releasing... powder. [[Page 64247

The effect of explosive percentage on underwater explosion energy release of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane and octogen based aluminized explosives

OpenAIRE

Qingjie Jiao; Qiushi Wang; Jianxin Nie; Xueyong Guo; Wei Zhang; Wenqi Fan

2018-01-01

To control the explosion energy output by optimizing explosive components is a key requirement in a number of different application areas. The effect of different Al/O Ratio on underwater explosion of aluminized explosives has been studied detailedly. However, the effect of explosive percentage in the same Al/O Ratio is rarely researched, especially for Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) based aluminized explosives. In this study, we performed the underwater explosion experiments with 1.2-...

Bacterial degradation of naphtha and its influence on corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajasekar, A.; Maruthamuthu, S.; Muthukumar, N.; Mohanan, S.; Subramanian, P.; Palaniswamy, N.

2005-01-01

The degradation problem of naphtha arises since hydrocarbon acts as an excellent food source for a wide variety of microorganisms. Microbial activity leads to unacceptable level of turbidity, corrosion of pipeline and souring of stored product. In the present study, biodegradation of naphtha in the storage tank and its influence on corrosion was studied. The corrosion studies were carried out by gravimetric method. Uniform corrosion was observed from the weight loss coupons in naphtha (0.024 mm/yr) whereas in presence of naphtha with water, blisters (1.2052 mm/yr) were noticed. The naphtha degradation by microbes was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). IR study reveals the formation of primary alcohol during degradation process. It was found that microbes degrade (CH 2 -CH 2 ) n to R-CH 3 . Iron bacteria, manganese oxidizing bacteria, acid producers, and heterotrophic bacteria were enumerated and identified in the pipeline. SRB could not be noticed. Since water stratifies in the pipeline, the naphtha-degraded product may adsorb on pipeline, which would enhance the rate of microbial corrosion. On the basis of degradation and corrosion data, a hypothesis for microbial corrosion has been proposed

Biochemical activities of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) degrading bacteria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Five indigenous DCA degrading bacterial isolates capable of completely degrading DCA under aerobic conditions recently isolated from South African waste water treatment facilities, were found to belong to the genus Ancylobacter. The specific activities of the enzymes in DCA catabolism were compared with previously ...

Endophytic bacteria: prospects and applications for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Afzal, Muhammad; Khan, Qaiser M; Sessitsch, Angela

2014-12-01

Recently, there has been an increased effort to enhance the efficacy of phytoremediation of contaminated environments by exploiting plant-microbe interactions. The combined use of plants and endophytic bacteria is an emerging approach for the clean-up of soil and water polluted with organic compounds. In plant-endophyte partnerships, plants provide the habitat as well as nutrients to their associated endophytic bacteria. In response, endophytic bacteria with appropriate degradation pathways and metabolic activities enhance degradation of organic pollutants, and diminish phytotoxicity and evapotranspiration of organic pollutants. Moreover, endophytic bacteria possessing plant growth-promoting activities enhance the plant's adaptation and growth in soil and water contaminated with organic pollutants. Overall, the application of endophytic bacteria gives new insights into novel protocols to improve phytoremediation efficiency. However, successful application of plant-endophyte partnerships for the clean-up of an environment contaminated with organic compounds depends on the abundance and activity of the degrading endophyte in different plant compartments. Although many endophytic bacteria have the potential to degrade organic pollutants and improve plant growth, their contribution to enhance phytoremediation efficiency is still underestimated. A better knowledge of plant-endophyte interactions could be utilized to increase the remediation of polluted soil environments and to protect the foodstuff by decreasing agrochemical residues in food crops. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant-bacteria partnership: phytoremediation of hydrocarbons contaminated soil and expression of catabolic genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamna Saleem

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Petroleum hydrocarbons are harmful to living organisms when they are exposed in natural environment. Once they come in contact, it is not an easy to remove them because many of their constituents are persistent in nature. To achieve this target, different approaches have been exploited by using plants, bacteria, and plant-bacteria together. Among them, combined use of plants and bacteria has gained tremendous attention as bacteria possess set of catabolic genes which produce catabolic enzymes to decontaminate hydrocarbons. In return, plant ooze out root exudates containing nutrients and necessary metabolites which facilitate the microbial colonization in plant rhizosphere. This results into high gene abundance and gene expression in the rhizosphere and, thus, leads to enhanced degradation. Moreover, high proportions of beneficial bacteria helps plant to gain more biomass due to their plant growth promoting activities and production of phytohromones. This review focuses functioning and mechanisms of catabolic genes responsible for degradation of straight chain and aromatic hydrocarbons with their potential of degradation in bioremediation. With the understanding of expression mechanisms, rate of degradation can be enhanced by adjusting environmental factors and acclimatizing plant associated bacteria in plant rhizosphere.

Studies on degradation of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2007-06-04

Jun 4, 2007 ... chlorobenzene to study the kinetics of degradation of chlorobenzene. The rate of decomposition of ... hydraulic fluids, biocides, herbicides, plastics, degree- ..... degradation by bacteria isolated from contaminated groundwater.

Restoration of Degraded Soil in the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest with Native Tree Species: Effect of Indigenous Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Andimuthu; Radhapriya, Parthasarathy

Restoration of a highly degraded forest, which had lost its natural capacity for regeneration, was attempted in the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest in Eastern Ghats of India. In field experiment, 12 native tree species were planted. The restoration included inoculation with a consortium of 5 native plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), with the addition of small amounts of compost and a chemical fertilizer (NPK). The experimental fields were maintained for 1080 days. The growth and biomass varied depending on the plant species. All native plants responded well to the supplementation with the native PGPB. The plants such as Pongamia pinnata, Tamarindus indica, Gmelina arborea, Wrightia tinctoria, Syzygium cumini, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia bellirica, and Azadirachta indica performed well in the native soil. This study demonstrated, by using native trees and PGPB, a possibility to restore the degraded forest.

Restoration of Degraded Soil in the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest with Native Tree Species: Effect of Indigenous Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andimuthu Ramachandran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Restoration of a highly degraded forest, which had lost its natural capacity for regeneration, was attempted in the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest in Eastern Ghats of India. In field experiment, 12 native tree species were planted. The restoration included inoculation with a consortium of 5 native plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB, with the addition of small amounts of compost and a chemical fertilizer (NPK. The experimental fields were maintained for 1080 days. The growth and biomass varied depending on the plant species. All native plants responded well to the supplementation with the native PGPB. The plants such as Pongamia pinnata, Tamarindus indica, Gmelina arborea, Wrightia tinctoria, Syzygium cumini, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia bellirica, and Azadirachta indica performed well in the native soil. This study demonstrated, by using native trees and PGPB, a possibility to restore the degraded forest.

Primary explosives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matyas, Robert; Pachman, Jiri [Pardubice Univ. (Czech Republic). Faculty of Chemical Technology

2013-06-01

The first chapter provides background such as the basics of initiation and differences between requirements on primary explosives used in detonators and igniters. The authors then clarify the influence of physical characteristics on explosive properties, focusing on those properties required for primary explosives. Furthermore, the issue of sensitivity is discussed. All the chapters on particular groups of primary explosives are structured in the same way, including introduction, physical and chemical properties, explosive properties, preparation and documented use.

Microbial Enzymatic Degradation of Biodegradable Plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Roohi; Bano, Kulsoom; Kuddus, Mohammed; Zaheer, Mohammed R; Zia, Qamar; Khan, Mohammed F; Ashraf, Ghulam Md; Gupta, Anamika; Aliev, Gjumrakch

2017-01-01

The renewable feedstock derived biodegradable plastics are important in various industries such as packaging, agricultural, paper coating, garbage bags and biomedical implants. The increasing water and waste pollution due to the available decomposition methods of plastic degradation have led to the emergence of biodegradable plastics and biological degradation with microbial (bacteria and fungi) extracellular enzymes. The microbes utilize biodegradable polymers as the substrate under starvation and in unavailability of microbial nutrients. Microbial enzymatic degradation is suitable from bioremediation point of view as no waste accumulation occurs. It is important to understand the microbial interaction and mechanism involved in the enzymatic degradation of biodegradable plastics under the influence of several environmental factors such as applied pH, thermo-stability, substrate molecular weight and/or complexity. To study the surface erosion of polymer film is another approach for hydrolytic degradation characteristion. The degradation of biopolymer is associated with the production of low molecular weight monomer and generation of carbon dioxide, methane and water molecule. This review reported the degradation study of various existing biodegradable plastics along with the potent degrading microbes (bacteria and fungi). Patents available on plastic biodegradation with biotechnological significance is also summarized in this paper. This paper assesses that new disposal technique should be adopted for the degradation of polymers and further research is required for the economical production of biodegradable plastics along with their enzymatic degradation. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Extracellular deoxyribonuclease production by periodontal bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, L J; Chapple, I L C; Wright, H J; Roberts, A; Cooper, P R

2012-08-01

Whilst certain bacteria have long been known to secrete extracellular deoxyribonuclease (DNase), the purpose in microbial physiology was unclear. Recently, however, this enzyme has been demonstrated to confer enhanced virulence, enabling bacteria to evade the host's immune defence of extruded DNA/chromatin filaments, termed neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). As NETs have recently been identified in infected periodontal tissue, the aim of this study was to screen periodontal bacteria for extracellular DNase activity. To determine whether DNase activity was membrane bound or secreted, 34 periodontal bacteria were cultured in broth and on agar plates. Pelleted bacteria and supernatants from broth cultures were analysed for their ability to degrade DNA, with relative activity levels determined using an agarose gel electrophoresis assay. Following culture on DNA-supplemented agar, expression was determined by the presence of a zone of hydrolysis and DNase activity related to colony size. Twenty-seven bacteria, including red and orange complex members Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella intermedia, Streptococcus constellatus, Campylobacter rectus and Prevotella nigrescens, were observed to express extracellular DNase activity. Differences in DNase activity were noted, however, when bacteria were assayed in different culture states. Analysis of the activity of secreted DNase from bacterial broth cultures confirmed their ability to degrade NETs. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that DNase activity is a relatively common property of bacteria associated with advanced periodontal disease. Further work is required to determine the importance of this bacterial DNase activity in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Enrichment and Characterization of PCB-Degrading Bacteria as Potential Seed Cultures for Bioremediation of Contaminated Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dubravka Hršak

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of our study was to obtain seed cultures for enhancing the transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs in contaminated soil of the transformer station in Zadar, Croatia, damaged during warfare activities in 1991. For enrichment, six soil samples were collected from different polluted areas and microcosm approach, stimulating the growth of biphenyl-degrading bacteria, was employed. Enrichment experiments resulted in the selection of two fast growing mixed cultures TSZ7 and AIR1, originating from the soil of the transformer station and the airport area, respectively. Both cultures showed significant PCB-degrading activity (56 to 60 % of PCB50 mixture was reduced after a two-week cultivation. Furthermore, the cultures displayed similar PCB-degrading competence and reduced di-to tetrachlorobiphenyls more effectively than penta- to hepta-chlorobiphenyls. Strain Z6, identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis, was found to be the only culture member showing PCB-transformation potential similar to that of the mixed culture TSZ7, from which it was isolated. Based on the metabolites identified in the assay with the single congener 2,4,4’-chlorobiphenyl, we proposed that the strain Z6 was able to use both the 2,3-and 3,4-dioxygenase pathways. Furthermore, the identified metabolites suggested that beside these pathways another unidentified pathway might also be active in strain Z6. Based on the obtained results, the culture TSZ7 and the strain Z6 were designated as potential seed cultures for bioremediation of the contaminated soil.

[Screening of harmine tolerance/degrading bacteria from camel rumen].

Science.gov (United States)

An, Dengdi; Zhu, Yanlei; Tang, Jing; Ye, Yongxia; Zeng, Xianchun

2010-08-01

Peganum harmala, a famous traditional Chinese drug, contains a variety of alkaloids and toxic for many animals. Camels mainly live in desert or semi-desert areas, with the robust gastrointestine system in digesting various feed including toxic plants without disease symptoms. Camel rumen content was used as the inoculant to inoculate medium M98-5 which contains 100 mg x L(-1) harmin and cultivated for 5 days. Upto 5 subculturings, strains that could degrading or tolerant harmine were isolated. Their conversion activity was determined by thin-layer chromatography. The taxonomic position of the strains were identified based on 16S rRNA sequences analysis. 15 out of the 29 isolates have harmine degrading activity. Most of the isolates are identified as the members of the Genera Lactobacillus (16 strains, 55%), Shigella (7 strains, 24%) and Bacillus (4 strains, 13.8%). Only one strain belong to genus Enterococcus and one belong to genus Megasphaera. The results indicated that the harmine tolerance/degrading communities of camel rumen are limited and only Lactobacillus have harmine-degrading activity.

Hydrocarbon Degradation Potentials of Bacteria Isolated from Spent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

chemical nature of the compounds within the petroleum mixture and ... are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic (Clemente et al., 2001). ... Hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in the soil sample ... paper (Whatman No.1) saturated with sterile spent oil.

Fungal–bacterial consortia increase diuron degradation in water-unsaturated systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Knudsen, Berith Elkær; Johansen, Anders

2014-01-01

organism. In addition, fungal hyphae may function as transport vectors for bacteria, thereby facilitating a more effective spreading of degrader organisms in the soil. A more rapid mineralization of the phenylurea herbicide diuron was found in sand with added microbial consortia consisting of both...... degrading bacteria and fungi. Facilitated transport of bacteria by fungal hyphae was demonstrated using a system where herbicide-spiked sand was separated from the consortium by a layer of sterile glass beads. Several fungal–bacterial consortia were investigated by combining different diuron...

Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a laboratory aquifer column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billowits, M.; Whyte, L.; Greer, C.; Ramsay, J.

1998-01-01

One of the primary mechanisms for eliminating hydrocarbon pollutants from the environment is degradation of hydrocarbons by indigenous microorganisms. This report describes a study in which samples from a petroleum polluted shallow aquifer in the Yukon were used which contained a hundred times greater concentration of psychrotropic bacteria than mesophilic bacteria. Results showed a maximum degradation of 47 per cent of the total petroleum hydrocarbon in columns which simulated the aquifer conditions and to which nutrients were added. It was concluded that although in this case bioaugmentation of the columns with a psychrotropic hydrocarbon-degrading consortium increased microbial numbers, total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation was not much greater than could be achieved by remediation with nutrients alone

Naringenin degradation by the endophytic diazotroph Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1.

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, A M; Souza, E M; Pedrosa, F O; Souza, L M; Sassaki, G L; Baura, V A; Yates, M G; Wassem, R; Monteiro, R A

2013-01-01

Several bacteria are able to degrade flavonoids either to use them as carbon sources or as a detoxification mechanism. Degradation pathways have been proposed for several bacteria, but the genes responsible are not known. We identified in the genome of the endophyte Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 an operon potentially associated with the degradation of aromatic compounds. We show that this operon is involved in naringenin degradation and that its expression is induced by naringenin and chrysin, two closely related flavonoids. Mutation of fdeA, the first gene of the operon, and fdeR, its transcriptional activator, abolished the ability of H. seropedicae to degrade naringenin.

Simultaneous photocatalytic and microbial degradation of dye-containing wastewater by a novel g-C3N4-P25/photosynthetic bacteria composite.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinying Zhang

Full Text Available Azo dyes are very resistant to light-induced fading and biodegradation. Existing advanced oxidative pre-treatment methods based on the generation of non-selective radicals cannot efficiently remove these dyes from wastewater streams, and post-treatment oxidative dye removal is problematic because it may leave many byproducts with unknown toxicity profiles in the outgoing water, or cause expensive complete mineralization. These problems could potentially be overcome by combining photocatalysis and biodegradation. A novel visible-light-responsive hybrid dye removal agent featuring both photocatalysts (g-C3N4-P25 and photosynthetic bacteria encapsulated in calcium alginate beads was prepared by self-assembly. This system achieved a removal efficiency of 94% for the dye reactive brilliant red X-3b and also reduced the COD of synthetic wastewater samples by 84.7%, successfully decolorized synthetic dye-contaminated wastewater and reduced its COD, demonstrating the advantages of combining photocatalysis and biocatalysis for wastewater purification. The composite apparently degrades X-3b by initially converting the dye into aniline and phenol derivatives whose aryl moieties are then attacked by free radicals to form alkyl derivatives, preventing the accumulation of aromatic hydrocarbons that might suppress microbial activity. These alkyl intermediates are finally degraded by the photosynthetic bacteria.

Bacteria Provide Cleanup of Oil Spills, Wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with Marshall Space Flight Center, Micro-Bac International Inc., of Round Rock, Texas, developed a phototrophic cell for water purification in space. Inside the cell: millions of photosynthetic bacteria. Micro-Bac proceeded to commercialize the bacterial formulation it developed for the SBIR project. The formulation is now used for the remediation of wastewater systems and waste from livestock farms and food manufacturers. Strains of the SBIR-derived bacteria also feature in microbial solutions that treat environmentally damaging oil spills, such as that resulting from the catastrophic 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.

degrading bacteria isolated from South African waste water

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Al

2011-09-21

Sep 21, 2011 ... biodiversity in which microorganisms co-exist as a dyna- mic community with ... elemental chlorine or chlorine oxide making this industry a major source of ... This two stage procedure ensured the selection of bacteria only ...

Biodegradation Capability of Some Bacteria Isolates to Use Lubricant Oil in Vitro

Science.gov (United States)

Ahda, Y.; Azhar, M.; Fitri, L.; Afnida, A.; Adha, G. S.; Alifa, W. N.; Handayani, D.; Putri, D. H.; Irdawati, I.; Chatri, M.

2018-04-01

Our previous study identified three species of bacteria, i.e. Alcaligenes sp., Bacillus spl, and Bacillus sp2 isolated from using lubricant oil-contaminated soil in a Padang’s workshop. However, its ability to degrade hydrocarbon were not known yet. In this extension study, we explore a wider area to find more hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria and examined its capability to degrade hydrocarbon in vitro. Seventeen isolates were characterized its capability using NA + used lubricant oil + tween + neutral red medium. Isolates A1, B2, D1 and D4 shows the high degradation index, whereas isolates A2, A3, A5, D2, B1, B3 and isolates A4, B4, D3 have medium and low degradation index, respectively. These potential hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria need in situ characterization to know their actual activities for bioremediation.

Isolation and characterization of onion degrading bacteria from onion waste produced in South Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinland, María Emilia; Gómez, Marisa Anahí

2015-03-01

Onion production in Argentina generates a significant amount of waste. Finding an effective method to recycle it is a matter of environmental concern. Among organic waste reuse techniques, anaerobic digestion could be a valuable alternative to current practices. Substrate inoculation with appropriate bacterial strains enhances the rate-limiting step (hydrolysis) of anaerobic digestion of biomass wastes. Selection of indigenous bacteria with the ability to degrade onion waste could be a good approach to find a suitable bioaugmentation or pretreatment agent. We isolated bacterial strains from onion waste in different degradation stages and from different localities. In order to characterize and select the best candidates, we analyzed the growth patterns of the isolates in a medium prepared with onion juice as the main source of nutrients and we evaluated carbon source utilization. Nine strains were selected to test their ability to grow using onion tissue and the five most remarkable ones were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains belonged to the genera Pseudoxanthomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus and Pseudomonas. Two strains, Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtillis MB2-62 and Pseudomonas poae VE-74 have characteristics that make them promising candidates for bioaugmentation or pretreatment purposes.

Limnobacter spp. as newly detected phenol-degraders among Baltic Sea surface water bacteria characterised by comparative analysis of catabolic genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vedler, Eve; Heinaru, Eeva; Jutkina, Jekaterina; Viggor, Signe; Koressaar, Triinu; Remm, Maido; Heinaru, Ain

2013-12-01

A set of phenol-degrading strains of a collection of bacteria isolated from Baltic Sea surface water was screened for the presence of two key catabolic genes coding for phenol hydroxylases and catechol 2,3-dioxygenases. The multicomponent phenol hydroxylase (LmPH) gene was detected in 70 out of 92 strains studied, and 41 strains among these LmPH(+) phenol-degraders were found to exhibit catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) activity. Comparative phylogenetic analyses of LmPH and C23O sequences from 56 representative strains were performed. The studied strains were mostly affiliated to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. However, the study also widened the range of phenol-degraders by including the genus Limnobacter. Furthermore, using a next generation sequencing approach, the LmPH genes of Limnobacter strains were found to be the most prevalent ones in the microbial community of the Baltic Sea surface water. Four different Limnobacter strains having almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences (99%) and similar physiological properties formed separate phylogenetic clusters of LmPH and C23O genes in the respective phylogenetic trees. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Nucleases from Prevotella intermedia can degrade neutrophil extracellular traps.

Science.gov (United States)

Doke, M; Fukamachi, H; Morisaki, H; Arimoto, T; Kataoka, H; Kuwata, H

2017-08-01

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by periodontal bacteria in subgingival plaque. These bacteria are able to colonize the periodontal region by evading the host immune response. Neutrophils, the host's first line of defense against infection, use various strategies to kill invading pathogens, including neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These are extracellular net-like fibers comprising DNA and antimicrobial components such as histones, LL-37, defensins, myeloperoxidase, and neutrophil elastase from neutrophils that disarm and kill bacteria extracellularly. Bacterial nuclease degrades the NETs to escape NET killing. It has now been shown that extracellular nucleases enable bacteria to evade this host antimicrobial mechanism, leading to increased pathogenicity. Here, we compared the DNA degradation activity of major Gram-negative periodontopathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. We found that Pr. intermedia showed the highest DNA degradation activity. A genome search of Pr. intermedia revealed the presence of two genes, nucA and nucD, putatively encoding secreted nucleases, although their enzymatic and biological activities are unknown. We cloned nucA- and nucD-encoding nucleases from Pr. intermedia ATCC 25611 and characterized their gene products. Recombinant NucA and NucD digested DNA and RNA, which required both Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ for optimal activity. In addition, NucA and NucD were able to degrade the DNA matrix comprising NETs. © 2016 The Authors Molecular Oral Microbiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria isolation and surfactant influence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hydrocarbons are substantially insoluble in water, often remaining partitioned in the non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL). However, there had been little or no attempts to advance the bioavailability of hydrocarbons through the use of surfactants. This study was conducted based on the need to isolate hydrocarbon degrading ...

Bioremediation of Phenanthrene by Monocultures and Mixed Culture Bacteria Isolated from Contaminated Soil

OpenAIRE

A. Fazilah; I. Darah; I. Noraznawati

2016-01-01

Three different bacteria capable of degrading phenanthrene were isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated site. In this study, the phenanthrene-degrading activity by defined monoculture was determined and mixed culture was identified as Acinetobacter sp. P3d, Bacillus sp. P4a and Pseudomonas sp. P6. All bacteria were able to grow in a minimal salt medium saturated with phenanthrene as the sole source of carbon and energy. Phenanthrene degradation efficiencies by different combinations (consortia...

Steam explosion pretreatment for enhancing biogas production of late harvested hay.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Alexander; Lizasoain, Javier; Theuretzbacher, Franz; Agger, Jane W; Rincón, María; Menardo, Simona; Saylor, Molly K; Enguídanos, Ramón; Nielsen, Paal J; Potthast, Antje; Zweckmair, Thomas; Gronauer, Andreas; Horn, Svein J

2014-08-01

Grasslands are often abandoned due to lack of profitability. Extensively cultivating grassland for utilization in a biogas-based biorefinery concept could mend this problem. Efficient bioconversion of this lignocellulosic biomass requires a pretreatment step. In this study the effect of different steam explosion conditions on hay digestibility have been investigated. Increasing severity in the pretreatment induced degradation of the hemicellulose, which at the same time led to the production of inhibitors and formation of pseudo-lignin. Enzymatic hydrolysis showed that the maximum glucose yields were obtained under pretreatment at 220 °C for 15 min, while higher xylose yields were obtained at 175 °C for 10 min. Pretreatment of hay by steam explosion enhanced 15.9% the methane yield in comparison to the untreated hay. Results indicate that hay can be effectively converted to methane after steam explosion pretreatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Degrading Bacteria in the Desert Soil of Kuwait

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Gounaim, M.; Diab, A.; Al-Hilali, A.; Abu-Shady, A. Sattar

2005-01-01

Soil samples of different levels of oil pollutants were collected from Kuwait's Burgan Oil Field, near an oil lake. The samples represented, highly polluted (8.0% w/w), moderately polluted (2.1%-3.4%) and slightly polluted (2.1%-3.4%) and slightly polluted (0.5- 0.8%). The aromatic fractions of the collected samples were in the range of (0.21-2.57g/100g) soil. (GC) analysis of the aromatic fractions of the resolution of the different individual (PAHs) revealed the presence of (16) different (PAHs) resolved from the aromatic fraction of the highly polluted sample (S3). (15), (14) and (13) individual (PAHs) were identified soil samples (S5), (S2) and (S1, S4, S6) respectively. The most frequent (PAH) was indeno (1, 2, 3-c, d) pyrene (22.5%-45.11%) followed chrysene (13.6%-19.48%). Eight carcinogenic (PAHs) were resolved from the aromatic fractions of the polluted samples. Total carcinogenic (PAHs) recorded in this study were in this study were in the range of (11.53) (forS4) - (510.98) (for S3) ppm. The counts of (CFU) of aromatic degraders (AD) were in the range of (3x10) - (110x 10) (CFU/g) soil (with a percent of (2.2%-69.6%)). The results show that, higher counts of (AD) were recorded from a highly polluted sample (S3), followed by the moderately polluted samples; total of (51) bacteria, that gave presumptive positive biodegradation activities, were isolated and identified (45.1%) of them were isolated and identified. (45.1%) of them were isolated from the highly polluted sample (S3). Total of (13) different species were identified of which Micrococcus luteus was more frequent (23.5) followed by Bacillus licheniformis (19.6%) and Bacillus subtilis (11.8%). The three Pseudomonas species collectively were presented by (11.8%). Five different species proved to be of good activities, they are: Bacillus brevis, Bacillus lichenoformis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas flourescens. The ability of five species and their mixture was

Construction and applications of DNA probes for detection of polychlorinated biphenyl-degrading genotypes in toxic organic-contaminated soil environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walia, S.; Khan, A.; Rosenthal, N.

1990-01-01

Several DNA probes for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading genotypes were constructed from PCB-degrading bacteria. These laboratory-engineered DNA probes were used for the detection, enumeration, and isolation of specific bacteria degrading PCBs. Dot blot analysis of purified DNA from toxic organic chemical-contaminated soil bacterial communities showed positive DNA-DNA hybridization with a 32P-labeled DNA probe (pAW6194, cbpABCD). Less than 1% of bacterial colonies isolated from garden topsoil and greater than 80% of bacteria isolated from PCB-contaminated soils showed DNA homologies with 32P-labeled DNA probes. Some of the PCB-degrading bacterial isolates detected by the DNA probe method did not show biphenyl clearance. The DNA probe method was found to detect additional organisms with greater genetic potential to degrade PCBs than the biphenyl clearance method did. Results from this study demonstrate the usefulness of DNA probes in detecting specific PCB-degrading bacteria, abundance of PCB-degrading genotypes, and genotypic diversity among PCB-degrading bacteria in toxic chemical-polluted soil environments. We suggest that the DNA probe should be used with caution for accurate assessment of PCB-degradative capacity within soils and further recommend that a combination of DNA probe and biodegradation assay be used to determine the abundance of PCB-degrading bacteria in the soil bacterial community

Diazotrophic Bacterial Community of Degraded Pastures

OpenAIRE

João Tiago Correia Oliveira; Everthon Fernandes Figueredo; Williane Patrícia da Silva Diniz; Lucianne Ferreira Paes de Oliveira; Pedro Avelino Maia de Andrade; Fernando Dini Andreote; Júlia Kuklinsky-Sobral; Danúbia Ramos de Lima; Fernando José Freire

2017-01-01

Pasture degradation can cause changes in diazotrophic bacterial communities. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the culturable and total diazotrophic bacterial community, associated with regions of the rhizosphere and roots of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures in different stages of degradation. Samples of roots and rhizospheric soil were collected from slightly, partially, and highly degraded pastures. McCrady’s table was used to obtain the Most Probable Number (MPN) of bacteria per gram ...

Gas explosion in domestic buildings. The vented gas explosion[sub][/sub

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz Chyży

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the basic information, related to the so-called vented gas explosion, has been presented. The vented explosion it is an explosion, during which the destruction of the weakest elements of the structure occurs. Through the resulting holes (decompressing surfaces can flow both combustion products and non-burned gas mixture. In consequence, reduction of the maximum explosion pressure[i] P[sub]red [/sub][/i] may be significant. Often, a gas explosion occurs inside residential buildings. In this case, natural vents are window and door openings.[b]Keywords[/b]: gas, explosion, combustion, explosion vents

Assessing the hydrocarbon degrading potential of indigenous bacteria isolated from crude oil tank bottom sludge and hydrocarbon-contaminated soil of Azzawiya oil refinery, Libya.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansur, Abdulatif A; Adetutu, Eric M; Kadali, Krishna K; Morrison, Paul D; Nurulita, Yuana; Ball, Andrew S

2014-09-01

The disposal of hazardous crude oil tank bottom sludge (COTBS) represents a significant waste management burden for South Mediterranean countries. Currently, the application of biological systems (bioremediation) for the treatment of COTBS is not widely practiced in these countries. Therefore, this study aims to develop the potential for bioremediation in this region through assessment of the abilities of indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms from Libyan Hamada COTBS for the biotreatment of Libyan COTBS-contaminated environments. Bacteria were isolated from COTBS, COTBS-contaminated soil, treated COTBS-contaminated soil, and uncontaminated soil using Bushnell Hass medium amended with Hamada crude oil (1 %) as the main carbon source. Overall, 49 bacterial phenotypes were detected, and their individual abilities to degrade Hamada crude and selected COBTS fractions (naphthalene, phenanthrene, eicosane, octadecane and hexane) were evaluated using MT2 Biolog plates. Analyses using average well colour development showed that ~90 % of bacterial isolates were capable of utilizing representative aromatic fractions compared to 51 % utilization of representative aliphatics. Interestingly, more hydrocarbonoclastic isolates were obtained from treated contaminated soils (42.9 %) than from COTBS (26.5 %) or COTBS-contaminated (30.6 %) and control (0 %) soils. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) separated the isolates into two clusters with microorganisms in cluster 2 being 1.7- to 5-fold better at hydrocarbon degradation than those in cluster 1. Cluster 2 isolates belonged to the putative hydrocarbon-degrading genera; Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Arthrobacter and Brevundimonas with 57 % of these isolates being obtained from treated COTBS-contaminated soil. Overall, this study demonstrates that the potential for PAH degradation exists for the bioremediation of Hamada COTBS-contaminated environments in Libya. This represents the first report on the isolation of

Inducible secretion of phytate-degrading enzymes from bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

More than 320 bacteria were isolated from the soil (Rhizosphere, endophyte, flowers and leaves) of Rosa damascena cv. Taifi and screened for phytase activity. Phytase activity was checked for 24 isolates in Bacillus broth media supplemented with and without rice bran. Twelve (12) isolates were found with detectable ...

Microbial surface displayed enzymes based biofuel cell utilizing degradation products of lignocellulosic biomass for direct electrical energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Shuqin; Hou, Chuantao; Liang, Bo; Feng, Ruirui; Liu, Aihua

2015-09-01

In this work, a bacterial surface displaying enzyme based two-compartment biofuel cell for the direct electrical energy conversion from degradation products of lignocellulosic biomass is reported. Considering that the main degradation products of the lignocellulose are glucose and xylose, xylose dehydrogenase (XDH) displayed bacteria (XDH-bacteria) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) displayed bacteria (GDH-bacteria) were used as anode catalysts in anode chamber with methylene blue as electron transfer mediator. While the cathode chamber was constructed with laccase/multi-walled-carbon nanotube/glassy-carbon-electrode. XDH-bacteria exhibited 1.75 times higher catalytic efficiency than GDH-bacteria. This assembled enzymatic fuel cell exhibited a high open-circuit potential of 0.80 V, acceptable stability and energy conversion efficiency. Moreover, the maximum power density of the cell could reach 53 μW cm(-2) when fueled with degradation products of corn stalk. Thus, this finding holds great potential to directly convert degradation products of biomass into electrical energy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Synthesis and degradation of hyaluronic acid by bacteria of Streptococcus genus].

Science.gov (United States)

Beloded, A V; Samoĭlenko, I I; Tsepilov, R N

2010-01-01

Modern data on metabolism of hyaluronic acid by bacteria from Streptococcus genus are presented. Several species of bacteria forming capsule from hyaluronic acid, which is analogous to glycosaminoglycan of vertebrates, are considered. Different aspects of hyaluronic acid synthesis are described: biochemical synthesis pathway, genetic basis, regulation of expression of genes belonging to hyaluronic acid synthesis operon. Biological role and physiologic importance of hyaluronic acid for bacteria, including its role in overcoming immune barrier by pathogenic species, are discussed. Process of depolymerization of hyaluronic acid in presence of hyaluronatlyases secreted by certain streptococci is considered. Characteristic of streptococcal enzyme hyaluronatlyase, its mechanism of catalytic effect, and biological function are presented.

Inducible secretion of phytate-degrading enzymes from bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aghomotsegin

2015-02-04

Feb 4, 2015 ... Key words: Bacillus sp., phytase activities, soil bacteria, Bacillus broth, Bacillus broth. INTRODUCTION ... Penicillium) enzymes conquered many applications in ... U/(g×h)] than in (SSF) Solid State Fermentation [1.2. U/(g×h)] ... mM (from Loba Chemie Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai), and liquid nitrogen (from. Air liquid ...

Characterization of Explosives Processing Waste Decomposition Due to Composting. Phase 2

Science.gov (United States)

1992-11-01

first was a group of static compost piles with 7, 10, 20, 30, and 40 volume percent of explosives-contaminated lagoon soil. The main variable thus was...piles and day 44 for the mechanical composters) venus the 100% contaminated soil which was removed from the lagoon for treatment. Percentage decreases...would become integrated into the soil by plants, soil bacteria and fungi, micro- and macroinvertebrates (e.g., arthropods, earthworms) and small

Cr-resistant rhizo- and endophytic bacteria associated with Prosopis juliflora and their potential as phytoremediation enhancing agents in metal-degraded soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Umar Khan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Prosopis juliflora is characterized by distinct and profuse growth even in nutritionally poor soil and environmentally stressed conditions and is believed to harbor some novel heavy metal-resistant bacteria in the rhizosphere and endosphere. This study was performed to isolate and characterize Cr-resistant bacteria from the rhizosphere and endosphere of P. juliflora growing on the tannery effluent contaminated soil. A total of 5 and 21 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere and endosphere, respectively, could tolerate Cr up to 3000 mg l-1. These isolates also exhibited tolerance to other toxic heavy metals such as, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, and high concentration (174 g l-1 of NaCl. Moreover, most of the isolated bacterial strains showed one or more plant growth-promoting activities. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated a higher and wider range of population of Cr-resistant bacteria in the endosphere than rhizosphere and the predominant species included Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Aerococcus. As far as we know, this is the first report detecting rhizo- and endophytic bacterial population associated with P. juliflora growing on the tannery effluent contaminated soil. The inoculation of three isolates to ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L. improved plant growth and heavy metal removal from the tannery effluent contaminated soil suggesting that these bacteria could enhance the establishment of the plant in contaminated soil and also improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of heavy metal-degraded soils.

General phenomenology of underground nuclear explosions; Phenomenologie generale des explosions nucleaires souterraines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Derlich, S; Supiot, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France). Centre d' Etudes

1969-07-01

An essentially qualitatively description is given of the phenomena related to underground nuclear explosions (explosion of a single unit, of several units in line, and simultaneous explosions). In the first chapter are described the phenomena which are common to contained explosions and to explosions forming craters (formation and propagation of a shock-wave causing the vaporization, the fusion and the fracturing of the medium). The second chapter describes the phenomena related to contained explosions (formation of a cavity with a chimney). The third chapter is devoted to the phenomenology of test explosions which form a crater; it describes in particular the mechanism of formation and the different types of craters as a function of the depth of the explosion and of the nature of the ground. The aerial phenomena connected with explosions which form a crater: shock wave in the air and focussing at a large distance, and dust clouds, are also dealt with. (authors) [French] On donne une description essentiellement qualitative des phenomenes lies aux explosions nucleaires souterraines (explosion d'un seul engin, d'engins en ligne et explosions simultanees). Dans un premier chapitre sont decrits les phenomenes communs aux explosions contenues et aux explosions formant un cratere (formation et propagation d'une onde de choc provoquant la vaporisation, la fusion et la fracturation du milieu). Le deuxieme chapitre decrit les phenomenes lies aux tirs contenus (formation d'une cavite et d'une cheminee). Le troisieme chapitre est consacre a la phenomenologie des tirs formant un cratere et decrit notamment le mecanisme de formation et les differents types de crateres en fonction de la profondeur d'explosion et de la nature du terrain. Les phenomenes aeriens lies aux explosions formant un cratere: onde de pression aerienne et focalisation a grande distance, nuages de poussieres, sont egalement abordes. (auteurs)

The fast kinetics of the action of ionizing radiation in bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrop, H.A.

1980-06-01

The application of a fast-mixing and irradiation method, the gas explosion technique, to observe processes involved in the action of ionising radiation on bacteria is described. The decay of oxygen-dependent damage appears to be consistent with competition between chemical repair and fixation of radiation-induced lesions. (author)

Bacteria from Wheat and Cucurbit Plant Roots Metabolize PAHs and Aromatic Root Exudates: Implications for Rhizodegradation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ely, Cairn S; Smets, Barth F.

2017-01-01

The chemical interaction between plants and bacteria in the root zone can lead to soil decontamination. Bacteria which degrade PAHs have been isolated from the rhizospheres of plant species with varied biological traits, however, it is not known what phytochemicals promote contaminant degradation...

Computer simulation of explosion crater in dams with different buried depths of explosive

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhichao; Ye, Longzhen

2018-04-01

Based on multi-material ALE method, this paper conducted a computer simulation on the explosion crater in dams with different buried depths of explosive using LS-DYNA program. The results turn out that the crater size increases with the increase of buried depth of explosive at first, but closed explosion cavity rather than a visible crater is formed when the buried depth of explosive increases to some extent. The soil in the explosion cavity is taken away by the explosion products and the soil under the explosion cavity is compressed with its density increased. The research can provide some reference for the anti-explosion design of dams in the future.

Microbial Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Characterization of Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Tikilili, P. V.; Chirwa, E. M. N.

2010-01-01

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was studied. Naphthalene was used as a model compound to represent these compounds. Low initial concentrations of naphthalene in a range of 30-60 mg/L were completely degraded after incubation for 15 hrs by consortia from a landfill soil while consortia from minewater took more that 29 hrs to reach complete degradation.

Assessment of steam explosion impact on KNGR plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Moon Kyu; Park, Soo Yong; Park, Ik Kyu

1999-03-01

In present day light water reactors, if complete and prolonged failure of normal and emergency coolant flow occurs, fission product decay heat could cause melting of the reactor fuel. If the molten fuel mass accumulates it may relocate into reactor lower plenum and if the lower head fails it may eventually be brought into the reactor cavity. In such course of core melt relocation, the opportunity for fuel-coolant interactions (FCI) arises as the core melt relocates into water pool in reactor vessel as well as in reactor cavity and also, as a consequence of implementing accident management strategies involving water addition to a degraded or molten core. This report presents the methodologies and their results for assessment of steam explosion impact on KNGR plant integrity. Both in-vessel and ex-vessel phenomena are addressed. For in-vessel steam explosion, TRACER-II code is used for assessment of pressure load, while bounding calculations are applied for ex-vessel analysis. Analysis shows that the integrity of reactor pressure vessel lower head is preserved during the in-vessel event and the probability that the containment integrity is challenged is very low, even when ex-vessel steam explosion is allowed due to reactor vessel failure. (Author). 15 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs.

Assessment of steam explosion impact on KNGR plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Moon Kyu; Park, Soo Yong; Park, Ik Kyu

1999-03-01

In present day light water reactors, if complete and prolonged failure of normal and emergency coolant flow occurs, fission product decay heat could cause melting of the reactor fuel. If the molten fuel mass accumulates it may relocate into reactor lower plenum and if the lower head fails it may eventually be brought into the reactor cavity. In such course of core melt relocation, the opportunity for fuel-coolant interactions (FCI) arises as the core melt relocates into water pool in reactor vessel as well as in reactor cavity and also, as a consequence of implementing accident management strategies involving water addition to a degraded or molten core. This report presents the methodologies and their results for assessment of steam explosion impact on KNGR plant integrity. Both in-vessel and ex-vessel phenomena are addressed. For in-vessel steam explosion, TRACER-II code is used for assessment of pressure load, while bounding calculations are applied for ex-vessel analysis. Analysis shows that the integrity of reactor pressure vessel lower head is preserved during the in-vessel event and the probability that the containment integrity is challenged is very low, even when ex-vessel steam explosion is allowed due to reactor vessel failure. (Author). 15 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs

Isolation and characterization of diuron-degrading bacteria from lotic surface water.

Science.gov (United States)

Batisson, Isabelle; Pesce, Stéphane; Besse-Hoggan, Pascale; Sancelme, Martine; Bohatier, Jacques

2007-11-01

The bacterial community structure of a diuron-degrading enrichment culture from lotic surface water samples was analyzed and the diuron-degrading strains were selected using a series of techniques combining temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) of 16 S rDNA gene V1-V3 variable regions, isolation of strains on agar plates, colony hybridization methods, and biodegradation assays. The TTGE fingerprints revealed that diuron had a strong impact on bacterial community structure and highlighted both diuron-sensitive and diuron-adapted bacterial strains. Two bacterial strains, designated IB78 and IB93 and identified as belonging to Pseudomonas sp. and Stenotrophomonas sp., were isolated and shown to degrade diuron in pure resting cells in a first-order kinetic reaction during the first 24 h of incubation with no 3,4-DCA detected. The percentages of degradation varied from 25% to 60% for IB78 and 20% to 65% for IB93 and for a diuron concentration range from 20 mg/L to 2 mg/L, respectively. It is interesting to note that diuron was less degraded by single isolates than by mixed resting cells, thereby underlining a cumulative effect between these two strains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of diuron-degrading strains isolated from lotic surface water.

Studies of action of heavy metals on caffeine degradation by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Caffeine is an important naturally occurring compound that can be degraded by bacteria. Excessive caffeine consumption is known to have some adverse problems. Previously, Leifsonia sp. strain SIU capable of degrading caffeine was isolated from agricultural soil. The bacterium was tested for its ability to degrade caffeine ...

Synergistic degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons with microorganisms and zero valent iron

Science.gov (United States)

Schöftner, Philipp; Summer, Dorothea; Leitner, Simon; Watzinger, Andrea; Wimmer, Bernhard; Reichenauer, Thomas

2016-04-01

Sites contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) are located mainly within build-up regions. Therefore in most cases only in-situ technologies without excavation of soil material can be used for remediation. This project examines a novel in-situ remediation method, in which the biotic degradation via bacteria is combined with abiotic degradation via zero-valent iron particles (ZVI). ZVI particles are injected into the aquifer where CHC-molecules are reductively dechlorinated. However Fe0 is also oxidized by reaction with water leading to generation of H2 without any CHC degradation. To achieve biotic degradation often strictly anaerobic strains of the bacteria Dehalococcoides are used. These bacteria can dechlorinate CHC by utilizing H2. By combining these processes the H2, produced during the anaerobic corrosion of Fe0, could be used by bacteria for further CHC degradation. Therefore the amount of used Fe0 and as a consequence also remediation costs could be reduced. Additionally the continuous supply of H2 could make the bacterial degradation more controllable. Different Fe0 particles (nano- and micro-scale) were tested for their perchloroethene (PCE) degradation rate and H2 production rate in microcosms. PCE-degradation rate by different bacterial cultures was investigated in the same microcosm system. In course of these experiments the 13C enrichment factors of the PCE degradation of the different particles and cultures were determined to enable the differentiation of biotic and abiotic degradation. Preliminary results showed, that the nano-scale particles reacted faster with PCE and water than their micro-scaled counterparts. The PCE degradation via micro-scaled particles lead to 13C enrichment factors in the range of -3,6 ‰ ± 0,6 to -9,5 ‰ ± 0,2. With one of the examined bacterial cultures a fast reduction of PCE to ethene was observed. Although PCE and TCE were completely degraded by this culture the metabolites DCE and VC could still be detected

Photochemical Production and Behavior of Hydroperoxyacids in Heterotrophic Bacteria Attached to Senescent Phytoplanktonic Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Vaultier

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The photooxidation of cellular monounsaturated fatty acids was investigated in senescent phytoplanktonic cells (Emiliania huxleyi and in their attached bacteria under laboratory controlled conditions. Our results indicated that UV-visible irradiation of phytodetritus induced the photooxidation of oleic (produced by phytoplankton and bacteria and cis-vaccenic (specifically produced by bacteria acids. These experiments confirmed the involvement of a substantial singlet oxygen transfer from senescent phytoplanktonic cells to attached bacteria, and revealed a significant correlation between the concentration of chlorophyll, a photosensitizer, in the phytodetritus and the photodegradation state of bacteria. Hydroperoxyacids (fatty acid photoproducts appeared to be quickly degraded to ketoacids and hydroxyacids in bacteria and in phytoplanktonic cells. This degradation involves homolytic cleavage (most likely induced by UV and/or transition metal ions and peroxygenase activity (yielding epoxy acids.

Biodegradation of the High Explosive Hexanitrohexaazaiso-wurtzitane (CL-20

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steve Nicolich

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The aerobic biodegradability of the high explosive CL-20 by activated sludge and the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been investigated. Although activated sludge is not effective in degrading CL-20 directly, it can mineralize the alkaline hydrolysis products. Phanerochaete chrysosporium degrades CL-20 in the presence of supplementary carbon and nitrogen sources. Biodegradation studies were conducted using various nutrient media under diverse conditions. Variables included the CL-20 concentration; levels of carbon (as glycerol and ammonium sulfate and yeast extract as sources of nitrogen. Cultures that received CL-20 at the time of inoculation transformed CL-20 completely under all nutrient conditions studied. When CL-20 was added to pre-grown cultures, degradation was limited. The extent of mineralization was monitored by the 14CO2 time evolution; up to 51% mineralization was achieved when the fungus was incubated with [14C]-CL-20. The kinetics of CL-20 biodegradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium follows the logistic kinetic growth model.

Relating BTEX degradation to the biogeochemistry of an anaerobic aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toze, S.G.; Power, T.R.; Davis, G.B.

1995-01-01

Trends in chemical and microbiological parameters in a petroleum hydrocarbon plume within anaerobic groundwater have been studied. Previously, microbial degradation of the hydrocarbon compounds had been substantiated by the use of deuterated hydrocarbons to determine natural (intrinsic) degradation rates within the contaminant plume. Here, sulfate concentration decreases, Eh decreases, and hydrogen sulfide and bicarbonate concentration increases are shown to be associated with the contaminant plume. These trends indicate microbial degradation of the benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Stoichiometry indicates that other consortia of bacteria play a role in the degradation of the hydrocarbons. Total microbial cell numbers were higher within the plume than in the uncontaminated groundwater. There is, however, no direct correlation between total microbial cell numbers, and BTEX, sulfate, bicarbonate, and hydrogen sulfide concentrations within the plume

Response of resident bacteria in a tropical detergent effluent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bacteria were isolated from a tropical detergent-polluted stream, and their responses to linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) were investigated. The responses of the resident bacteria were assessed in terms of their ability or failure to grow in the presence of LAS and of their potential to degrade the surfactant. Eighteen ...

Understanding vented gas explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lautkaski, R. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Systems

1997-12-31

The report is an introduction to vented gas explosions for nonspecialists, particularly designers of plants for flammable gases and liquids. The phenomena leading to pressure generation in vented gas explosions in empty and congested rooms are reviewed. The four peak model of vented gas explosions is presented with simple methods to predict the values of the individual peaks. Experimental data on the external explosion of dust and gas explosions is discussed. The empirical equation relating the internal and external peak pressures in vented dust explosions is shown to be valid for gas explosion tests in 30 m{sup 3} and 550 m{sup 3} chambers. However, the difficulty of predicting the internal peak pressure in large chambers remains. Methods of explosion relief panel design and principles of vent and equipment layout to reduce explosion overpressures are reviewed. (orig.) 65 refs.

Understanding vented gas explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lautkaski, R [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Systems

1998-12-31

The report is an introduction to vented gas explosions for nonspecialists, particularly designers of plants for flammable gases and liquids. The phenomena leading to pressure generation in vented gas explosions in empty and congested rooms are reviewed. The four peak model of vented gas explosions is presented with simple methods to predict the values of the individual peaks. Experimental data on the external explosion of dust and gas explosions is discussed. The empirical equation relating the internal and external peak pressures in vented dust explosions is shown to be valid for gas explosion tests in 30 m{sup 3} and 550 m{sup 3} chambers. However, the difficulty of predicting the internal peak pressure in large chambers remains. Methods of explosion relief panel design and principles of vent and equipment layout to reduce explosion overpressures are reviewed. (orig.) 65 refs.

Effect of feeding tannin-degrading bacteria Streptococcus gallolyticus strain TDGB 406 on meat quality of goats fed with Quercus semicarpifolia leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Kaushalendra; Chaudhary, L C; Agarwal, Neeta; Kamra, D N

2016-10-01

The effect of feeding tannin-degrading bacteria (Streptococcus gallolyticus strain TDGB 406) on carcass characteristics of goats fed with oak (Quercus semicarpifolia) leaves was studied on 18 male goats (4 months old, average body weight 9.50 ± 1.50 kg), distributed into three groups of six animals each. The animals of group 1 served as control, while the animals of groups 2 and 3 were given (at 5 ml/kg live weight) autoclaved and live culture of isolate TDGB 406 (10(6) cells/ml), respectively. The animals were fed with oak leaves as a basal roughage source and maize hay along with fixed quantity of concentrate mixture. After 4 months of feeding, the animals were slaughtered for carcass studies. The feeding of live culture of isolate TDGB 406 did not cause any effect (P > 0.05) on pre-slaughter weight, empty body weight, carcass weight, dressing percent, and yield of wholesale cuts (neck, rack, shoulder, breast, shank, loin, leg, and flank) of the goat meat. The chemical composition of longissimus dorsi muscle was comparable (P > 0.05) among the groups. The organoleptic evaluation of pressure-cooked meat in terms of tenderness and overall palatability was increased significantly (P meat of group 3 where live culture was supplemented. The other attributes were similar among the groups. It was concluded that supplementation of tannin-degrading bacteria S. gallolyticus strain TDGB 406 to goats fed with oak leaves did not affect the carcass characteristics and meat quality.

Endophytic Bacteria Associated with Hieracium piloselloides: Their Potential for Hydrocarbon-Utilizing and Plant Growth-Promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlik, Małgorzata; Piotrowska-Seget, Zofia

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of 18 crude-oil-degrading endophytic bacteria for removal of hydrocarbons and promotion of plant growth. Strains were isolated from Hieracium piloselloides (tall hawkweed), which grows in soil heavily polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons. Bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas were abundant among the isolates. The potential for hydrocarbon degradation was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses of the genes alkB, alkH, C23O, P450, and pah. It was found that 88.89% of the endophytic bacteria contained gene-encoding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) initial dioxygenase, 61% possessed the 2,3-catechol dioxygenase gene, and 39% of strains that were tested had the cytochrome P-450 hydroxylase gene. All isolates were capable of producing indole-3-acetic acid (1.8-76.4 μg/ml). Only 17% of them were able to produce siderophores, excrete cellulase, and solubilize phosphate. Hydrogen cyanide synthesis occurred in 33% of endophytic bacteria. The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity in isolates that were screened was in the range of 2.6 to 74.1 μmol α-ketobutyrate/mg/h. This feature of the bacteria indicated that isolates may enhance the phytoremediation process. Data suggest that crude-oil-degrading endophytic bacteria possess potential to be promising candidates for enhancement of phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Further evaluation of these bacteria is needed in order to assess the role played in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Culture-dependent characterization of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EARNEST

Hydrocarbons interact with the environment and micro- organisms determining the .... it is pertinent to study the community dynamics of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria ... Chikere CB (2013). Application of molecular microbiology techniques in.

Explosive material treatment in particular the explosive compaction of powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruemmer, R.

1985-01-01

The constructive use of explosives in the last decades has led to new procedures in manufacturing techniques. The most important of these are explosive forming and cladding, the latter especially for the production of compound materials. The method of explosive compaction has the highest potential for further innovation. Almost theoretical densities are achievable in the green compacts as the pressure released by detonating explosives are very high. Also, the production of new conditions of materials (metastable high pressure phases) is possible. (orig.) [de

Production and transformation of dissolved neutral sugars and amino acids by bacteria in seawater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Linda; Lechtenfeld, O.J.; Benner, R.

2014-01-01

production and degradation processes. This study provides insight into the bioavailability of biomolecules as well as the chemical composition of DOM produced by bacteria. The molecular compositions of combined neutral sugars and amino acids were investigated in DOM produced by bacteria and in DOM remaining...... degradation are not strongly influenced by the initial substrate or bacterial community. The molecular composition of neutral sugars released by bacteria was characterized by a high glucose content (47 mol %) and heterogeneous contributions from other neutral sugars (3–14 mol %). DOM remaining after bacterial...... degradation was characterized by a high galactose content (33 mol %), followed by glucose (22 mol %) and the remaining neutral sugars (7–11 mol %). The ratio of D-amino acids to L-amino acids increased during the experiments as a response to bacterial degradation, and after 32 days, the D/L ratios of aspartic...

Electrochemically Obtained TiO2/CuxOy Nanotube Arrays Presenting a Photocatalytic Response in Processes of Pollutants Degradation and Bacteria Inactivation in Aqueous Phase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magda Kozak

2018-06-01

Full Text Available TiO2/CuxOy nanotube (NT arrays were synthesized using the anodization method in the presence of ethylene glycol and different parameters applied. The presence, morphology, and chemical character of the obtained structures was characterized using a variety of methods—SEM (scanning electron microscopy, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray crystallography, PL (photoluminescence, and EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A p-n mixed oxide heterojunction of Ti-Cu was created with a proved response to the visible light range and the stable form that were in contact with Ti. TiO2/CuxOy NTs presented the appearance of both Cu2O (mainly and CuO components influencing the dimensions of the NTs (1.1–1.3 µm. Additionally, changes in voltage have been proven to affect the NTs’ length, which reached a value of 3.5 µm for Ti90Cu10_50V. Degradation of phenol in the aqueous phase was observed in 16% of Ti85Cu15_30V after 1 h of visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm. Scavenger tests for phenol degradation process in presence of NT samples exposed the responsibility of superoxide radicals for degradation of organic compounds in Vis light region. Inactivation of bacteria strains Escherichia coli (E. coli, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis, and Clostridium sp. in presence of obtained TiO2/CuxOy NT photocatalysts, and Vis light has been studied showing a great improvement in inactivation efficiency with a response rate of 97% inactivation for E. coli and 98% for Clostridium sp. in 60 min. Evidently, TEM (transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the bacteria cells’ damage.

Influence of bacteria on degradation of bioplastics

Science.gov (United States)

Blinková, M.; Boturová, K.

2017-10-01

The degradation rate of bioplastic in soil is closely related to the diversity of soil microbiota. To investigate the effect of soil bacterial on biodegradation, 4 bacterial strains of soil - Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Kocuria rosea, Cupriavidus necator and Bacillus cereus, were used to accelerate the decomposition of bioplastics manufactured from Polylactid acid (PLA) by direct action during 250 days. The best results were obtained with bacterial strains Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas chlororaphis that were isolated of lagoons with anthropogenic sediments.

The endophytic bacterium Serratia sp. PW7 degrades pyrene in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xuezhu; Wang, Wanqing; Crowley, David E; Sun, Kai; Hao, Shupeng; Waigi, Michael Gatheru; Gao, Yanzheng

2017-03-01

This research was conducted to isolate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading (PAH-degrading) endophytic bacteria and investigate their potential in protecting plants against PAH contamination. Pyrene-degrading endophytic bacteria were isolated from plants grown in PAH-contaminated soil. Among these endophytic bacteria, strain PW7 (Serratia sp.) isolated from Plantago asiatica was selected to investigate the suppression of pyrene accumulation in Triticum aestivum L. In the in vitro tests, strain PW7 degraded 51.2% of the pyrene in the media within 14 days. The optimal biodegradation conditions were pH 7.0, 30 °C, and MS medium supplemented with additional glucose, maltose, sucrose, and peptones. In the in vivo tests, strain PW7 successfully colonized the roots and shoots of inoculated (E + ) wheat plants, and its colonization decreased pyrene accumulation and pyrene transportation from roots to shoots. Remarkably, the concentration of pyrene in shoots decreased much more than that in roots, suggesting that strain PW7 has the potential for protecting wheat against pyrene contamination and mitigating the threat of pyrene to human health via food consumption.

Dynamics of Phenol Degrading-Iron ReducingBacteria{1mm in Intensive Rice Cropping System

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate theeffects of cropping season, nitrogen fertilizer input and aeratedfallow on the dynamics of phenol degrading-iron reducingbacteria (PD-IRB) in tropical irrigated rice ({ Oryza sativa L.)systems. The PD-IRB population density was monitored at different stagesof rice growth in two cropping seasons (dry and early wet) in acontinuous annual triple rice cropping system under irrigated condition.In this system, the high nitrogen input (195 and 135 kg N ha-1 indry and wet seasons, respectively) plots and control plots receiving noN fertilizer were compared to investigate the effect of nitrogen rate onpopulation size. The phenol degrading-iron reducing bacteria (PD-IRB)were abundant in soils under cropping systems of tropical irrigatedrice. However, density of the bacterial populations varied with ricegrowth stages. Cropping seasons, rhizosphere, and aerated fallow couldaffect the dynamics of PD-IRB. In the field trial, viable counts ofPD-IRB in the topsoil layer (15 cm) ranged between 102 and 108cells per gram of dry soil. A steep increase in viable counts during thesecond half of the cropping season suggested that the population densityof PD-IRB increased at advanced crop-growth stages. Population growth ofPD-IRB was accelerated during the dry season compared to the wet season.In the greenhouse experiment, the adjacent aerated fallow revealed 1-2orders of magnitude higher in most probable number (MPN) of PD-IRB thanthe wet fallow treated plots. As a prominent group of Fe reducingbacteria, PD-IRB predominated in the rhizosphere of rice, since maximumMPN of PD-IRB (2.62108 g-1 soil) was found in rhizospheresoil. Mineral N fertilizer rates showed no significant effect on PD-IRBpopulation density.

Physiological aspects of mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) grown in microcosms with oil-degrading bacteria and oil contaminated sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodré, Vanessa; Caetano, Vanessa S.; Rocha, Renata M.; Carmo, Flávia L.; Medici, Leonardo O.; Peixoto, Raquel S.; Rosado, Alexandre S.

2013-01-01

To assess the severity of oil spills on mangroves, diagnosis of the vegetation health is crucial. Some aspects of photosynthesis such as photochemical efficiency and leaf pigment composition together with the level of oxidative stress may constitute reliable indicators for vegetation health. To test this approach 14 month old Laguncularia racemosa were contaminated with 5 L m −2 of the marine fuel oil MF-380 and treated with an oil degrading bacterial consortium in microcosms. Contamination resulted in a 20% decrease in shoot dry weight after 128 days. Photochemical efficiency, pigment content, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase remained unchanged. Multivariate ordination of DGGE microbial community fingerprints revealed a pronounced separation between the oil contaminated and the non-contaminated samples. Further studies are necessary before physiological parameters can be recommended as indicators for plant's health in oil polluted mangroves. - Highlights: ► L. racemosa growth rate was reduced by 20% in response to a simulated oil spill of 5 L m −2 in a microcosm. ► Photochemistry was not directly affected by the oil contamination during the 128-day experiment. ► Oil contamination changed the rhizobacterial community. ► The oil degrading bacteria consortium did not affect plant growth. - Despite the need to establish methods to diagnose the health status of mangroves little is known about the impacts of petrochemicals on mangrove plants and associated rhizosphere microorganisms.

Application of 13C-stable isotope probing to identify RDX-degrading microorganisms in groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Kun-Ching; Lee, Do Gyun; Roh, HyungKeun; Fuller, Mark E.; Hatzinger, Paul B.; Chu, Kung-Hui

2013-01-01

We employed stable isotope probing (SIP) with 13 C-labeled hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) to identify active microorganisms responsible for RDX biodegradation in groundwater microcosms. Sixteen different 16S rRNA gene sequences were derived from microcosms receiving 13 C-labeled RDX, suggesting the presence of microorganisms able to incorporate carbon from RDX or its breakdown products. The clones, residing in Bacteroidia, Clostridia, α-, β- and δ-Proteobacteria, and Spirochaetes, were different from previously described RDX degraders. A parallel set of microcosms was amended with cheese whey and RDX to evaluate the influence of this co-substrate on the RDX-degrading microbial community. Cheese whey stimulated RDX biotransformation, altered the types of RDX-degrading bacteria, and decreased microbial community diversity. Results of this study suggest that RDX-degrading microorganisms in groundwater are more phylogenetically diverse than what has been inferred from studies with RDX-degrading isolates. Highlights: •SIP identified sixteen groundwater bacteria capable of using RDX and/or its metabolites as a carbon source. •The RDX degraders in groundwater are phylogenetically diverse and different from known RDX degraders. •Cheese whey induced community shift and altered diversity of the RDX-degrading microorganisms over time. -- RDX-degrading bacteria in contaminated groundwater, identified by SIP with 13 C-labeled RDX, are phylogenetically diverse and different from known RDX degraders

An Insect Herbivore Microbiome with High Plant Biomass-Degrading Capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suen, Garret; Barry, Kerrie; Goodwin, Lynne; Scott, Jarrod; Aylward, Frank; Adams, Sandra; Pinto-Tomas, Adrian; Foster, Clifton; Pauly, Markus; Weimer, Paul; Bouffard, Pascal; Li, Lewyn; Osterberger, Jolene; Harkins, Timothy; Slater, Steven; Donohue, Timothy; Currie, Cameron; Tringe, Susannah G.

2010-09-23

Herbivores can gain indirect access to recalcitrant carbon present in plant cell walls through symbiotic associations with lignocellulolytic microbes. A paradigmatic example is the leaf-cutter ant (Tribe: Attini), which uses fresh leaves to cultivate a fungus for food in specialized gardens. Using a combination of sugar composition analyses, metagenomics, and whole-genome sequencing, we reveal that the fungus garden microbiome of leaf-cutter ants is composed of a diverse community of bacteria with high plant biomass-degrading capacity. Comparison of this microbiome?s predicted carbohydrate-degrading enzyme profile with other metagenomes shows closest similarity to the bovine rumen, indicating evolutionary convergence of plant biomass degrading potential between two important herbivorous animals. Genomic and physiological characterization of two dominant bacteria in the fungus garden microbiome provides evidence of their capacity to degrade cellulose. Given the recent interest in cellulosic biofuels, understanding how large-scale and rapid plant biomass degradation occurs in a highly evolved insect herbivore is of particular relevance for bioenergy.

An insect herbivore microbiome with high plant biomass-degrading capacity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garret Suen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Herbivores can gain indirect access to recalcitrant carbon present in plant cell walls through symbiotic associations with lignocellulolytic microbes. A paradigmatic example is the leaf-cutter ant (Tribe: Attini, which uses fresh leaves to cultivate a fungus for food in specialized gardens. Using a combination of sugar composition analyses, metagenomics, and whole-genome sequencing, we reveal that the fungus garden microbiome of leaf-cutter ants is composed of a diverse community of bacteria with high plant biomass-degrading capacity. Comparison of this microbiome's predicted carbohydrate-degrading enzyme profile with other metagenomes shows closest similarity to the bovine rumen, indicating evolutionary convergence of plant biomass degrading potential between two important herbivorous animals. Genomic and physiological characterization of two dominant bacteria in the fungus garden microbiome provides evidence of their capacity to degrade cellulose. Given the recent interest in cellulosic biofuels, understanding how large-scale and rapid plant biomass degradation occurs in a highly evolved insect herbivore is of particular relevance for bioenergy.

Explosive coalescence of magnetic islands and explosive particle acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.; Sakai, J.I.

1985-07-01

An explosive reconnection process associated with the nonlinear evolution of the coalescence instability is found through studies of the electromagnetic particle simulation and the magnetohydrodynamic particle simulation. The explosive coalescence is a process of magnetic collapse, in which we find the magnetic and electrostatic field energies and temperatures (ion temperature in the coalescing direction, in particular) explode toward the explosion time t 0 as (t 0 - t)/sup -8/3/, (t 0 - t) -4 , and (t 0 - t)/sup -8/3/, respectively for a canonical case. Single-peak, double-peak, and triple-peak structures of magnetic energy, temperature, and electrostatic energy, respectively, are observed on the simulation as overshoot amplitude oscillations and are theoretically explained. The heuristic model of Brunel and Tajima is extended to this explosive coalescence in order to extract the basic process. Since the explosive coalescence exhibits self-similarity, a temporal universality, we theoretically search for a self-similar solution to the two-fluid plasma equations

Endo- and exoglucanase activities in bacteria from mangrove sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares Júnior, Fábio Lino; Dias, Armando Cavalcante Franco; Fasanella, Cristiane Cipola; Taketani, Rodrigo Gouvêa; de Souza Lima, André Oliveira; Melo, Itamar Soares; Andreote, Fernando Dini

2013-01-01

The mangrove ecosystem is an unexplored source for biotechnological applications. In this unique environment, endemic bacteria have the ability to thrive in the harsh environmental conditions (salinity and anaerobiosis), and act in the degradation of organic matter, promoting nutrient cycles. Thus, this study aimed to assess the cellulolytic activities of bacterial groups present in the sediment from a mangrove located in Ilha do Cardoso (SP, Brazil). To optimize the isolation of cellulolytic bacteria, enrichments in two types of culture media (tryptone broth and minimum salt medium), both supplemented with 5% NaCl and 1% of cellulose, were performed. Tests conducted with the obtained colonies showed a higher occurrence of endoglycolytic activity (33 isolates) than exoglycolytic (19 isolates), and the degradation activity was shown to be modulated by the presence of NaCl. The isolated bacteria were clustered by BOX-PCR and further classified on the basis of partial 16S rRNA sequences as Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes or Bacteroidetes. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of studies focusing on the endemic species found in mangroves to exploit them as novel biotechnological tools for the degradation of cellulose.

Biological Potential of Chitinolytic Marine Bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paulsen, Sara Skøtt; Andersen, Birgitte; Gram, Lone

2016-01-01

Chitinolytic microorganisms secrete a range of chitin modifying enzymes, which can be exploited for production of chitin derived products or as fungal or pest control agents. Here, we explored the potential of 11 marine bacteria (Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Vibrionaceae) for chitin degradation using...

75 FR 1085 - Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosive Materials (2009R-18T)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-08

... sensitive slurry and water gel explosives. Blasting caps. Blasting gelatin. Blasting powder. BTNEC [bis.... Explosive conitrates. Explosive gelatins. Explosive liquids. Explosive mixtures containing oxygen-releasing... powder. Fulminate of mercury. Fulminate of silver. Fulminating gold. Fulminating mercury. Fulminating...

75 FR 70291 - Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosive Materials (2010R-27T)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

..., including non-cap sensitive slurry and water gel explosives. Blasting caps. Blasting gelatin. Blasting.... Explosive conitrates. Explosive gelatins. Explosive liquids. Explosive mixtures containing oxygen-releasing... powder. Fulminate of mercury. Fulminate of silver. Fulminating gold. Fulminating mercury. Fulminating...

Fate of CL-20 in sandy soils: Degradation products as potential markers of natural attenuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteil-Rivera, Fanny; Halasz, Annamaria; Manno, Dominic; Kuperman, Roman G.; Thiboutot, Sonia; Ampleman, Guy; Hawari, Jalal

2009-01-01

Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) is an emerging explosive that may replace the currently used explosives such as RDX and HMX, but little is known about its fate in soil. The present study was conducted to determine degradation products of CL-20 in two sandy soils under abiotic and biotic anaerobic conditions. Biotic degradation was prevalent in the slightly acidic VT soil, which contained a greater organic C content, while the slightly alkaline SAC soil favored hydrolysis. CL-20 degradation was accompanied by the formation of formate, glyoxal, nitrite, ammonium, and nitrous oxide. Biotic degradation of CL-20 occurred through the formation of its denitrohydrogenated derivative (m/z 393 Da) while hydrolysis occurred through the formation of a ring cleavage product (m/z 156 Da) that was tentatively identified as CH 2 =N-C(=N-NO 2 )-CH=N-CHO or its isomer N(NO 2 )=CH-CH=N-CO-CH=NH. Due to their chemical specificity, these two intermediates may be considered as markers of in situ attenuation of CL-20 in soil. - Two key intermediates of CL-20 degradation are potential markers of its natural attenuation in soil

Cr-resistant rhizo- and endophytic bacteria associated with Prosopis juliflora and their potential as phytoremediation enhancing agents in metal-degraded soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad U; Sessitsch, Angela; Harris, Muhammad; Fatima, Kaneez; Imran, Asma; Arslan, Muhammad; Shabir, Ghulam; Khan, Qaiser M; Afzal, Muhammad

2014-01-01

Prosopis juliflora is characterized by distinct and profuse growth even in nutritionally poor soil and environmentally stressed conditions and is believed to harbor some novel heavy metal-resistant bacteria in the rhizosphere and endosphere. This study was performed to isolate and characterize Cr-resistant bacteria from the rhizosphere and endosphere of P. juliflora growing on the tannery effluent contaminated soil. A total of 5 and 21 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere and endosphere, respectively, and were shown to tolerate Cr up to 3000 mg l(-1). These isolates also exhibited tolerance to other toxic heavy metals such as, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, and high concentration (174 g l(-1)) of NaCl. Moreover, most of the isolated bacterial strains showed one or more plant growth-promoting activities. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that the predominant species included Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Aerococcus. As far as we know, this is the first report analyzing rhizo- and endophytic bacterial communities associated with P. juliflora growing on the tannery effluent contaminated soil. The inoculation of three isolates to ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) improved plant growth and heavy metal removal from the tannery effluent contaminated soil suggesting that these bacteria could enhance the establishment of the plant in contaminated soil and also improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of heavy metal-degraded soils.

Insight into Dominant Cellulolytic Bacteria from Two Biogas Digesters and Their Glycoside Hydrolase Genes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Lei; Geng, Alei; Liu, Fanghua; Zhao, Guoping; Wang, Shengyue; Zhou, Zhihua; Yan, Xing

2015-01-01

Diverse cellulolytic bacteria are essential for maintaining high lignocellulose degradation ability in biogas digesters. However, little was known about functional genes and gene clusters of dominant cellulolytic bacteria in biogas digesters. This is the foundation to understand lignocellulose degradation mechanisms of biogas digesters and apply these gene resource for optimizing biofuel production. A combination of metagenomic and 16S rRNA gene clone library methods was used to investigate the dominant cellulolytic bacteria and their glycoside hydrolase (GH) genes in two biogas digesters. The 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the dominant cellulolytic bacteria were strains closely related to Clostridium straminisolvens and an uncultured cellulolytic bacterium designated BG-1. To recover GH genes from cellulolytic bacteria in general, and BG-1 in particular, a refined assembly approach developed in this study was used to assemble GH genes from metagenomic reads; 163 GH-containing contigs ≥ 1 kb in length were obtained. Six recovered GH5 genes that were expressed in E. coli demonstrated multiple lignocellulase activities and one had high mannanase activity (1255 U/mg). Eleven fosmid clones harboring the recovered GH-containing contigs were sequenced and assembled into 10 fosmid contigs. The composition of GH genes in the 163 assembled metagenomic contigs and 10 fosmid contigs indicated that diverse GHs and lignocellulose degradation mechanisms were present in the biogas digesters. In particular, a small portion of BG-1 genome information was recovered by PhyloPythiaS analysis. The lignocellulase gene clusters in BG-1 suggested that it might use a possible novel lignocellulose degradation mechanism to efficiently degrade lignocellulose. Dominant cellulolytic bacteria of biogas digester possess diverse GH genes, not only in sequences but also in their functions, which may be applied for production of biofuel in the future. PMID:26070087

Characteristic Assessment of Diesel-degrading Bacteria Immobilized on Natural Organic Carriers in Marine Environment: the Degradation Activity and Nutrient.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Jianliang; Wu, Yanan; Liu, Zhixiu; Li, Menglu; Sun, Xiyu; Wang, Huajun; Liu, Bing

2017-08-17

Oil spill has led to severe environmental and ecological problems. Due to the harsh environmental conditions, the bioremediation technology is not successfully used to remedy the oil spill in marine environment. In this study, immobilization technology was used to immobilize bacteria on natural organic carriers (i.e., wood chips and maize straw). The higher surface area of in wood chips leads to larger biomass density (0.0242 gVSS/g) than that of maize straw of 0.0097 gVSS/g carrier. Compared with biodegradation efficiency of free bacteria (44.79%), the immobilized bacteria on wood chips and maize straw reached to 73.39% and 52.28%, respectively. The high biological activity of the immobilized bacteria can be also explained by nutrients, such as TN (total nitrogen) and TP (total phosphorus), released from wood chips and maize straw, which was 8.83 mg/g and 5.53 mg/g, 0.0624 mg/g and 0.0099 mg/g, respectively.

Pesticide Degrading Bacteria in Aquatic Environment: Bioprospecting and Evaluation of Biotechnological Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Rodrigues dos Santos

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Pesticides play an important role in the increase of productivity in agro-industry and the extensive use of these substances cause environmental, economic and social damage in time. Microbial activity is an essential part in the dynamics and the destination of pesticides in the environment. This research focuses in prospecting and characterizing bacterial strains which are potentially able to degrade/tolerate Atrazine, Chlorpyrifos, Methyl parathion and Picloram. Bacteria were isolated from water samples collected according to the degree of salinity along the Pacoti River's estuary (Ceara, located in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. A total of 49 bacterial strains were isolated, all of which tolerated/ downgraded concentrations up to 200mg/L of picloram, atrazine and methyl parathion. Tested in pesticide mixtures, the percentage and tolerance level showed that 73% grew in concentrations up to 200mg/L, 17,4% tolerated/ downgraded up to 150ml/L and the remainder only grew in concentrations under 100ml/L. The strains which had the best performance against pesticides, by points, were P1 (13Db e 14D; P2 (10E; P3 (2M, 9M, 10M, 12Mb, 14M, 17M 18Mp 19M e 20M. A high percentage of isolates (67% expressed luminescence when exposed to the pesticides atrazine and methyl parathion in concentrations between 150 and 200ml/L. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v8i4.748

Characterization of N-acylhomoserine lactone-degrading bacteria associated with the Zingiber officinale (ginger rhizosphere: Co-existence of quorum quenching and quorum sensing in Acinetobacter and Burkholderia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chhabra Siri

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing (QS co-ordinates bacterial behaviour at a population level. Consequently the behaviour of a natural multi-species community is likely to depend at least in part on co-existing QS and quorum quenching (QQ activities. Here we sought to discover novel N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL-dependent QS and QQ strains by investigating a bacterial community associated with the rhizosphere of ginger (Zingiber officinale growing in the Malaysian rainforest. Results By using a basal growth medium containing N-(3-oxohexanoylhomoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen, the ginger rhizosphere associated bacteria were enriched for strains with AHL-degrading capabilities. Three isolates belonging to the genera Acinetobacter (GG2, Burkholderia (GG4 and Klebsiella (Se14 were identified and selected for further study. Strains GG2 and Se14 exhibited the broadest spectrum of AHL-degrading activities via lactonolysis while GG4 reduced 3-oxo-AHLs to the corresponding 3-hydroxy compounds. In GG2 and GG4, QQ was found to co-exist with AHL-dependent QS and GG2 was shown to inactivate both self-generated and exogenously supplied AHLs. GG2, GG4 and Se14 were each able to attenuate virulence factor production in both human and plant pathogens. Conclusions Collectively our data show that ginger rhizosphere bacteria which make and degrade a wide range of AHLs are likely to play a collective role in determining the QS-dependent phenotype of a polymicrobial community.

Occurrence, diversity and community structure of culturable atrazine degraders in industrial and agricultural soils exposed to the herbicide in Shandong Province, P.R. China

OpenAIRE

Bazhanov, Dmitry P.; Li, Chengyun; Li, Hongmei; Li, Jishun; Zhang, Xinjian; Chen, Xiangfeng; Yang, Hetong

2016-01-01

Background Soil populations of bacteria rapidly degrading atrazine are critical to the environmental fate of the herbicide. An enrichment bias from the routine isolation procedure prevents studying the diversity of atrazine degraders. In the present work, we analyzed the occurrence, diversity and community structure of soil atrazine-degrading bacteria based on their direct isolation. Methods Atrazine-degrading bacteria were isolated by direct plating on a specially developed SM agar. The atra...

Degradation of Dehydrodivanillin by Anaerobic Bacteria from Cow Rumen Fluid

OpenAIRE

Chen, Wei; Ohmiya, Kunio; Shimizu, Shoichi; Kawakami, Hidekuni

1985-01-01

Dehydrodivanillin (DDV; 0.15 g/liter) was biodegradable at 37°C under strictly anaerobic conditions by microflora from cow rumen fluid to the extent of 25% within 2 days in a yeast extract medium. The anaerobes were acclimated on DDV for 2 weeks, leading to DDV-degrading microflora with rates of degradation eight times higher than those initially. Dehydrodivanillic acid and vanillic acid were detected in an ethylacetate extract of a DDV-enriched culture broth by thin-layer, gas, and high-perf...

Liquid explosives

CERN Document Server

Liu, Jiping

2015-01-01

The book drawing on the author's nearly half a century of energetic materials research experience intends to systematically review the global researches on liquid explosives. The book focuses on the study of the conception, explosion mechanism, properties and preparation of liquid explosives. It provides a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical examples in a reader-friendly style. The book is likely to be interest of university researchers and graduate students in the fields of energetic materials, blasting engineering and mining.

Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by oil field isolated bacterial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A mixed consortium was prepared with 15 bacteria isolated by enrichment technique from the sample collected from an oil contaminated site. This consortium was incubated with crude oil to investigate the metabolic capability of bacteria. The degradation efficiency of the isolates in consortium was checked with 2% crude oil ...

Isolation and selection of new biosurfactant producing bacteria from degraded palm kernel cake under liquid state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamal, Parveen; Mir, Shajrat; Alam, Md Zahangir; Wan Nawawi, Wan M Fazli

2014-01-01

Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds produced by different microorganisms. The aim of this study was to introduce palm kernel cake (PKC) as a novel substrate for biosurfactant production using a potent bacterial strain under liquid state fermentation. This study was primarily based on the isolation and identification of biosurfactant-producing bacteria that could utilize palm kernel cake as a new major substrate. Potential bacterial strains were isolated from degraded PKC and screened for biosurfactant production with the help of the drop collapse assay and by analyzing the surface tension activity. From the screened isolates, a new strain, SM03, showed the best and most consistent results, and was therefore selected as the most potent biosurfactant-producing bacterial strain. The new strain was identified as Providencia alcalifaciens SM03 using the Gen III MicroPlate Biolog Microbial Identification System. The yield of the produced biosurfactant was 8.3 g/L.

Steam explosion pretreatment of softwood: the effect of the explosive decompression on enzymatic digestibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Pielhop, Thomas; Amgarten, Janick; von Rohr, Philipp Rudolf; Studer, Michael H

2016-01-01

Steam explosion pretreatment has been examined in many studies for enhancing the enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass and is currently the most common pretreatment method in commercial biorefineries. The information available about the effect of the explosive decompression on the biochemical conversion is, however, very limited, and no studies prove that the latter is actually enhanced by the explosion. Hence, it is of great value to discern between the effect of the explosion on the one hand and the steaming on the other hand, to identify their particular influences on enzymatic digestibility. The effect of the explosive decompression in the steam explosion pretreatment of spruce wood chips on their enzymatic cellulose digestibility was studied systematically. The explosion had a high influence on digestibility, improving it by up to 90 % compared to a steam pretreatment without explosion. Two factors were identified to be essentially responsible for the effect of the explosion on enzymatic digestibility: pretreatment severity and pressure difference of the explosion. A higher pretreatment severity can soften up and weaken the lignocellulose structure more, so that the explosion can better break up the biomass and decrease its particle size, which enhances its digestibility. In particular, increasing the pressure difference of the explosion leads to more defibration, a smaller particle size and a better digestibility. Though differences were found in the micro- and nanostructure of exploded and non-exploded biomass, the only influence of the explosion on digestibility was found to be the macroscopic particle size reduction. Steam explosion treatments with a high severity and a high pressure difference of the explosion lead to a comparatively high cellulose digestibility of the-typically very recalcitrant-softwood biomass. This is the first study to show that explosion can enhance the enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass. If the

Metabolic and spatio-taxonomic response of uncultivated seafloor bacteria following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Handley, K. M.; Piceno, Y. M.; Hu, P.; Tom, L. M.; Mason, O. U.; Andersen, G. L.; Jansson, J. K.; Gilbert, J. A.

2017-08-04

The release of 700 million liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a few months in 2010 produced dramatic changes in the microbial ecology of the water and sediment. Here, we reconstructed the genomes of 57 widespread uncultivated bacteria from post-spill deep-sea sediments, and recovered their gene expression pattern across the seafloor. These genomes comprised a common collection of bacteria that were enriched in heavily affected sediments around the wellhead. Although rare in distal sediments, some members were still detectable at sites up to 60 km away. Many of these genomes exhibited phylogenetic clustering indicative of common trait selection by the environment, and within half we identified 264 genes associated with hydrocarbon degradation. Alkane degradation ability was near ubiquitous among candidate hydrocarbon degraders, whereas just three harbored elaborate gene inventories for the degradation of alkanes and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Differential gene expression profiles revealed a spill-promoted microbial sulfur cycle alongside gene upregulation associated with PAH degradation. Gene expression associated with alkane degradation was widespread, although active alkane degrader identities changed along the pollution gradient. Analyses suggest that a broad metabolic capacity to respond to oil inputs exists across a large array of usually rare indigenous deep-sea bacteria.

Bioremediation of oil sludge using a type of nitrogen source and the consortium of bacteria with composting method

Science.gov (United States)

Fitri, Inayah; Ni'matuzahroh, Surtiningsih, Tini

2017-06-01

The purpose of this research are to know the effect of addition of different nitrogen source, consortium of bacteria, incubation time and the interaction between those variables to the total number of bacteria (CFU/g-soil) and the percentage of degradation (%) in the bioremediation of oil sludge contaminated soil; as well as degraded hydrocarbon components at the best treatment on 6th week. The experiments carried out by mixing the materials and placed them in each bath with and without adding different nitrogen source and bacterial consortium. pH and moisture were measured for every week. An increase in total number of bacteria and percent of maximum degradation recorded at treatment with the addition of NPK+Azotobacter+bacteria consortium; with the TPC value was 14.24 log CFU/g, percent degradation was 77.8%, organic C content was 10.91%, total N was 0.12% and organic matter content was 18.87%, respectively.

Biodegradation of ortho-Cresol by a Mixed Culture of Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria Growing On Toluene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, John; Jørgensen, Claus; Arvin, Erik

1993-01-01

A mixed culture of nitrate-reducing bacteria degraded o-cresol in the presence of toluene as a primary growth substrate. No degradation of o-cresol was observed in the absence of toluene or when the culture grew on p-cresol and 2,4-dimethylphenol. In batch cultures, the degradation of o-cresol st......A mixed culture of nitrate-reducing bacteria degraded o-cresol in the presence of toluene as a primary growth substrate. No degradation of o-cresol was observed in the absence of toluene or when the culture grew on p-cresol and 2,4-dimethylphenol. In batch cultures, the degradation of o...... of toluene metabolized, with an average yield of 0.47 mg of o-cresol degraded per mg of toluene metabolized. Experiments with (ring-U-14C)o-cresol indicated that about 73% of the carbon from degraded o-cresol was mineralized to CO-2 and about 23% was assimilated into biomass after the transient accumulation...

Studies of the laser-induced fluorescence of explosives and explosive compositions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hargis, Philip Joseph, Jr. (,; .); Thorne, Lawrence R.; Phifer, Carol Celeste; Parmeter, John Ethan; Schmitt, Randal L.

2006-10-01

Continuing use of explosives by terrorists throughout the world has led to great interest in explosives detection technology, especially in technologies that have potential for standoff detection. This LDRD was undertaken in order to investigate the possible detection of explosive particulates at safe standoff distances in an attempt to identify vehicles that might contain large vehicle bombs (LVBs). The explosives investigated have included the common homogeneous or molecular explosives, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), cyclonite or hexogen (RDX), octogen (HMX), and the heterogeneous explosive, ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO), and its components. We have investigated standard excited/dispersed fluorescence, laser-excited prompt and delayed dispersed fluorescence using excitation wavelengths of 266 and 355 nm, the effects of polarization of the laser excitation light, and fluorescence imaging microscopy using 365- and 470-nm excitation. The four nitro-based, homogeneous explosives (TNT, PETN, RDX, and HMX) exhibit virtually no native fluorescence, but do exhibit quenching effects of varying magnitude when adsorbed on fluorescing surfaces. Ammonium nitrate and fuel oil mixtures fluoresce primarily due to the fuel oil, and, in some cases, due to the presence of hydrophobic coatings on ammonium nitrate prill or impurities in the ammonium nitrate itself. Pure ammonium nitrate shows no detectable fluorescence. These results are of scientific interest, but they provide little hope for the use of UV-excited fluorescence as a technique to perform safe standoff detection of adsorbed explosive particulates under real-world conditions with a useful degree of reliability.

Bacteria from Wheat and Cucurbit Plant Roots Metabolize PAHs and Aromatic Root Exudates: Implications for Rhizodegradation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ely, Cairn S; Smets, Barth F.

2017-01-01

The chemical interaction between plants and bacteria in the root zone can lead to soil decontamination. Bacteria which degrade PAHs have been isolated from the rhizospheres of plant species with varied biological traits, however, it is not known what phytochemicals promote contaminant degradation....... One monocot and two dicotyledon plants were grown in PAH-contaminated soil from a manufactured gas plant (MGP) site. A phytotoxicity assay confirmed greater soil decontamination in rhizospheres when compared to bulk soil controls. Bacteria were isolated from plant roots (rhizobacteria) and selected...

76 FR 64974 - Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosive Materials (2011R-18T)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-19

... slurry and water gel explosives. Blasting caps. Blasting gelatin. Blasting powder. BTNEC [bis.... Esters of nitro-substituted alcohols. Ethyl-tetryl. Explosive conitrates. Explosive gelatins. Explosive... silver. Fulminating gold. Fulminating mercury. Fulminating platinum. Fulminating silver. G Gelatinized...

Microbial Diversity of a Heavily Polluted Microbial Mat and Its Community Changes following Degradation of Petroleum Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Abed, Raeid M. M.; Safi, Nimer M. D.; Köster, Jürgen; de Beer, Dirk; El-Nahhal, Yasser; Rullkötter, Jürgen; Garcia-Pichel, Ferran

2002-01-01

We studied the microbial diversity of benthic cyanobacterial mats inhabiting a heavily polluted site in a coastal stream (Wadi Gaza) and monitored the microbial community response induced by exposure to and degradation of four model petroleum compounds in the laboratory. Phormidium- and Oscillatoria-like cyanobacterial morphotypes were dominant in the field. Bacteria belonging to different groups, mainly the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteriodes group, the γ and β subclasses of the class Proteobacteria, and the green nonsulfur bacteria, were also detected. In slurry experiments, these communities efficiently degraded phenanthrene and dibenzothiophene completely in 7 days both in the light and in the dark. n-Octadecane and pristane were degraded to 25 and 34% of their original levels, respectively, within 7 days, but there was no further degradation until 40 days. Both cyanobacterial and bacterial communities exhibited noticeable changes concomitant with degradation of the compounds. The populations enriched by exposure to petroleum compounds included a cyanobacterium affiliated phylogenetically with Halomicronema. Bacteria enriched both in the light and in the dark, but not bacteria enriched in any of the controls, belonged to the newly described Holophaga-Geothrix-Acidobacterium phylum. In addition, another bacterial population, found to be a member of green nonsulfur bacteria, was detected only in the bacteria treated in the light. All or some of the populations may play a significant role in metabolizing the petroleum compounds. We concluded that the microbial mats from Wadi Gaza are rich in microorganisms with high biodegradative potential. PMID:11916684

Occurrence, diversity and community structure of culturable atrazine degraders in industrial and agricultural soils exposed to the herbicide in Shandong Province, P.R. China.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazhanov, Dmitry P; Li, Chengyun; Li, Hongmei; Li, Jishun; Zhang, Xinjian; Chen, Xiangfeng; Yang, Hetong

2016-11-08

Soil populations of bacteria rapidly degrading atrazine are critical to the environmental fate of the herbicide. An enrichment bias from the routine isolation procedure prevents studying the diversity of atrazine degraders. In the present work, we analyzed the occurrence, diversity and community structure of soil atrazine-degrading bacteria based on their direct isolation. Atrazine-degrading bacteria were isolated by direct plating on a specially developed SM agar. The atrazine degradation genes trzN and atzABC were detected by multiplex PCR. The diversity of atrazine degraders was characterized by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR) genotyping followed by 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. The occurrence of atrazine-degrading bacteria was also assessed by conventional PCR targeting trzN and atzABC in soil DNA. A total of 116 atrazine-degrading isolates were recovered from bulk and rhizosphere soils sampled near an atrazine factory and from geographically distant maize fields. Fifteen genotypes were distinguished among 56 industrial isolates, with 13 of them representing eight phylogenetic groups of the genus Arthrobacter. The remaining two were closely related to Pseudomonas alcaliphila and Gulosibacter molinativorax and constituted major components of the atrazine-degrading community in the most heavily contaminated industrial plantless soil. All isolates from the adjacent sites inhabited by cogon grass or common reed were various Arthrobacter spp. with a strong prevalence of A. aurescens group. Only three genotypes were distinguished among 60 agricultural strains. Genetically similar Arthrobacter ureafaciens bacteria which occurred as minor inhabitants of cogon grass roots in the industrial soil were ubiquitous and predominant atrazine degraders in the maize rhizosphere. The other two genotypes represented two distant Nocardioides spp. that were specific to their geographic origins. Direct plating on SM agar enabled rapid isolation

Uptake of americium-241 by algae and bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geisy, J P; Paine, D

1978-01-01

Algae and bacteria are important factors in the transport and mobilization of elements in the biosphere. These factors may be involved in trophic biomagnification, resulting in a potential human hazard or environmental degradation. Although americium, one of the most toxic elements known, is not required for plant growth, it may be concentrated by algae and bacteria. Therefore, the availability of americium-241 to algae and bacteria was studied to determine their role in the ultimate fate of this element released into the environment. Both algae and bacteria concentrated americium-241 to a high degree, making them important parts of the biomagnification process. The ability to concentrate americium-241 makes algae and bacteria potentially significant factors in cycling this element in the water column. (4 graphs, numerous references, 3 tables)

Cadmium (II) distribution in complex aquatic systems containing ferrihydrite, bacteria and an organic ligand: The effect of bioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Yantao; Swift, Simon; Swedlund, Peter J.; Singhal, Naresh

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Cd 2+ and ferrihydrite did not inhibit H 2 L p degradation by Comamonas spp. → In systems lacking ferrihydrite, Cd 2+ sorption onto live bacteria exceeded dead bacteria for pH > 6. → With ferrihydrite present, no difference in Cd 2+ sorption to live and dead bacteria was observed. → Cd 2+ sorption to ferrihydrite and bacterial was successfully modeled by neglecting H 2 L p degradation. - Abstract: The distribution of Cd 2+ in the presence of phthalic acid (H 2 L p ), ferrihydrite and bacteria (Comamonas spp.) was investigated in biologically active systems involving H 2 L p biodegradation. Tests showed that Cd 2+ sorption onto bacteria, ferrihydrite and bacteria-ferrihydrite mixture increased with pH in all systems, irrespective of H 2 L p degradation or not. The use of bacterial growth medium, Bushnell Hass Broth modified for low phosphate, had negligible effect on Cd sorption. In the presence of ferrihydrite, no difference was observed between Cd 2+ sorption in the ferrihydrite-live bacteria and in the ferrihydrite-dead bacteria systems as ferrihydrite proved to be the dominant sorption phase. Cadmium sorption to ferrihydrite and to bacterial cells was described using the diffuse layer model and a nonelectrostatic 4-site model, respectively, which were developed for systems lacking H 2 L p degradation. For systems experiencing H 2 L p degradation this modeling approach predicted the general trend of Cd 2+ sorption-edge shift and gave good fits to the observed sorption data. The results obtained demonstrate that Cd 2+ sorption in the biologically active system was reasonably estimated by a model developed for biologically inactive systems, although uncertainty exists due to processes involving H 2 L p biodegradation products and changes in the bacterial population.

77 FR 58410 - Commerce in Explosives; List of Explosive Materials (2012R-10T)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-20

... sensitive slurry and water gel explosives. Blasting caps. Blasting gelatin. Blasting powder. BTNEC [bis.... Esters of nitro-substituted alcohols. Ethyl-tetryl. Explosive conitrates. Explosive gelatins. Explosive.... Fulminate of silver. Fulminating gold. Fulminating mercury. Fulminating platinum. Fulminating silver. G...

Quorum Sensing Disruption in Vibrio harveyi Bacteria by Clay Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, Sajo P; Scholin, Jonathon; Ching, San; Chi, Fang; Herpfer, Marc

2018-01-10

This work describes the use of clay minerals as catalysts for the degradation of quorum sensing molecule N-(3-oxooctanoyl)-dl-homoserine lactone. Certain clay minerals as a result of their surface properties and porosity can catalytically degrade the quorum sensing molecule into smaller fragments. The disruption of quorum sensing by clay in a growing Gram-negative Vibrio harveyi bacteria culture was also studied by monitoring luminescence and population density of the bacteria, wherein quenching of bacterial quorum sensing activity was observed by means of luminescence reduction. The results of this study show that food-grade clays can be used as biocatalysts in disrupting bacterial activity in various media.

[Predominant strains of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading consortia from deep sea of the Middle Atlantic Ridge].

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Zhisong; Shao, Zongze

2009-07-01

In order to identify the predominant strains of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading consortia harboring in sea water and surface sediment collected from deep sea of the Middle Atlantic Ridge. We employed enrichment method and spread-plate method to isolate cultivable bacteria and PAHs degraders from deep sea samples. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the bacteria. Then we analyzed the dominant bacteria in the PAHs-degrading consortia by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) combined with DNA sequencing. Altogether 16 cultivable bacteria were obtained, including one PAHs degrader Novosphingobium sp. 4D. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strains closely related to Alcanivorax dieselolei NO1A (5/16) and Tistrella mobilis TISTR 1108T (5/16) constituted two biggest groups among the cultivable bacteria. DGGE analysis showed that strain 4L (also 4M and 4N, Alcanivorax dieselolei NO1A, 99.21%), 4D (Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1(T), 97.07%) and 4B (also 4E, 4H and 4K, Tistrella mobilis TISTR 1108T, > 99%) dominated the consortium MC2D. While in consortium MC3CO, the predominant strains were strain 5C (also 5H, Alcanivorax dieselolei NO1A, > 99%), uncultivable strain represented by band 5-8 (Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM 12444T, 99.41%), 5J (Tistrella mobilis TISTR 1108T, 99.52%) and 5F (also 5G, Thalassospira lucentensis DSM 14000T, degrading consortia in sea water and surface sediment of Middle Atlantic Ridge deep sea, with Novosphingobium spp. as their main PAHs degraders.

Endophytic degrader bacteria for improving phytoremediation of organic xenobiotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlson, U.; Trapp, Stefan; Lelie, D, van der

2003-01-01

This project represented a completely new approach towards improving the technology of phytoremediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with water soluble and volatile compounds. It endeavoured to tackle the problem of inefficient degradation of these compounds during phytoremediation by imp...

Bacteria associated with oak and ash on a TCE-contaminated site: characterization of isolates with potential to avoid evapotranspiration of TCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Weyens, Nele; Taghavi, Safiyh; Barac, Tanja; van der Lelie, Daniel; Boulet, Jana; Artois, Tom; Carleer, Robert; Vangronsveld, Jaco

2009-11-01

Along transects under a mixed woodland of English Oak (Quercus robur) and Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) growing on a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated groundwater plume, sharp decreases in TCE concentrations were observed, while transects outside the planted area did not show this remarkable decrease. This suggested a possibly active role of the trees and their associated bacteria in the remediation process. Therefore, the cultivable bacterial communities associated with both tree species growing on this TCE-contaminated groundwater plume were investigated in order to assess the possibilities and practical aspects of using these common native tree species and their associated bacteria for phytoremediation. In this study, only the cultivable bacteria were characterized because the final aim was to isolate TCE-degrading, heavy metal resistant bacteria that might be used as traceable inocula to enhance bioremediation. Cultivable bacteria isolated from bulk soil, rhizosphere, root, stem, and leaf were genotypically characterized by amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) of their 16S rRNA gene and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacteria that displayed distinct ARDRA patterns were screened for heavy metal resistance, as well as TCE tolerance and degradation, as preparation for possible future in situ inoculation experiments. Furthermore, in situ evapotranspiration measurements were performed to investigate if the degradation capacity of the associated bacteria is enough to prevent TCE evapotranspiration to the air. Between both tree species, the associated populations of cultivable bacteria clearly differed in composition. In English Oak, more species-specific, most likely obligate endophytes were found. The majority of the isolated bacteria showed increased tolerance to TCE, and TCE degradation capacity was observed in some of the strains. However, in situ evapotranspiration measurements revealed that a significant amount of TCE and its metabolites

Screening and Optimization of Bio surfactant Production by the Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ainon Hamzah; Noramiza Sabturani; Shahidan Radiman

2013-01-01

Bio surfactants are amphiphilic compounds produced by microorganisms as secondary metabolite. The unique properties of bio surfactants make them possible to replace or to be added to synthetic surfactants which are mainly used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and in environmental applications. In this study twenty hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were screened for bio surfactant production. All of the bacterial isolates were grown in mineral salt medium (MSM) with addition of 1 % (v/v) Tapis crude oil as carbon source. The presence of bio surfactant was determined by the drop-collapse test, microplate analysis, oil spreading technique, emulsification index (%EI24) and surface tension measurement. Only one isolate, Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP14T, was found to be positive for all the qualitative tests and reducing the surface tension of the medium to 49.5 dynes/ with emulsification index of 25.29 %. This isolate produced bio surfactant optimally at pH 9.0 and incubation temperature of 37 degree Celsius. Furthermore, P. aeruginosa UKMP14T when grown in MSM with addition of 1 % (v/v) glycerol and 1.3 g/ L ammonium sulphate with C/N ratio 14:1 produced bio surfactant with percentage of surface tension reduction at 55 % or 30.6 dynes/ cm with %EI24 of 43 %. This percentage of surface tension reduction represents an increasing reduction in surface tension of medium by 39 % over the value before optimization. This study showed that P. aeruginosa UKMP14T has the ability to biodegrade hydrocarbon and concurrently produce bio surfactant. (author)

6-Oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl-coenzyme A hydrolases from obligately anaerobic bacteria: characterization and identification of its gene as a functional marker for aromatic compounds degrading anaerobes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuntze, Kevin; Shinoda, Yoshifumi; Moutakki, Housna; McInerney, Michael J; Vogt, Carsten; Richnow, Hans-Hermann; Boll, Matthias

2008-06-01

In anaerobic bacteria, most aromatic growth substrates are channelled into the benzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) degradation pathway where the aromatic ring is dearomatized and cleaved into an aliphatic thiol ester. The initial step of this pathway is catalysed by dearomatizing benzoyl-CoA reductases yielding the two electron-reduction product, cyclohexa-1,5-diene-1-carbonyl-CoA, to which water is subsequently added by a hydratase. The next two steps have so far only been studied in facultative anaerobes and comprise the oxidation of the 6-hydroxyl-group to 6-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl-CoA (6-OCH-CoA), the addition of water and hydrolytic ring cleavage yielding 3-hydroxypimelyl-CoA. In this work, two benzoate-induced genes from the obligately anaerobic bacteria, Geobacter metallireducens (bamA(Geo)) and Syntrophus aciditrophicus (bamA(Syn)), were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized as 6-OCH-CoA hydrolases. Both enzymes consisted of a single 43 kDa subunit. Some properties of the enzymes are presented and compared with homologues from facultative anaerobes. An alignment of the nucleotide sequences of bamA(Geo) and bamA(Syn) with the corresponding genes from facultative anaerobes identified highly conserved DNA regions, which enabled the discrimination of genes coding for 6-OCH-CoA hydrolases from those coding for related enzymes. A degenerate oligonucleotide primer pair was deduced from conserved regions and applied in polymerase chain reaction reactions. Using these primers, the expected DNA fragment of the 6-OCH-CoA hydrolase genes was specifically amplified from the DNA of nearly all known facultative and obligate anaerobes that use aromatic growth substrates. The only exception was the aromatic compound-degrading Rhodopseudomonas palustris, which uniquely uses a modified benzoyl-CoA degradation pathway. Using the oligonucleotide primers, the expected DNA fragment was also amplified in a toluene-degrading and a m-xylene-degrading

Underground nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, Gary H.

1970-01-01

In the Third Plowshare Symposium, held in 1964, data from a number of nuclear explosions were presented. At that time the basic elements of the nuclear explosion appeared to be well understood and relationships for predicting the gross nuclear effects were presented. Since that time, additional work has been done and many of the concepts have been extended. For example, nuclear explosions have been conducted at greater depths and with much greater yields. The physical and chemical properties of the material in which the explosions occur have been more accurately measured and related to explosion effects. Interpretation of the new information seems to indicate that the earlier relationships are valid over the ranges of energy and depths for which data is available but that effects relating to cavity and chimney sizes or fracturing had been overestimated at great depths of burst and higher yields. (author)

Underground nuclear explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higgins, Gary H [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA (United States)

1970-05-01

In the Third Plowshare Symposium, held in 1964, data from a number of nuclear explosions were presented. At that time the basic elements of the nuclear explosion appeared to be well understood and relationships for predicting the gross nuclear effects were presented. Since that time, additional work has been done and many of the concepts have been extended. For example, nuclear explosions have been conducted at greater depths and with much greater yields. The physical and chemical properties of the material in which the explosions occur have been more accurately measured and related to explosion effects. Interpretation of the new information seems to indicate that the earlier relationships are valid over the ranges of energy and depths for which data is available but that effects relating to cavity and chimney sizes or fracturing had been overestimated at great depths of burst and higher yields. (author)

Flue-gas desulfurization gypsum effects on urea-degrading bacteria and ammonia volatilization from broiler litter.

Science.gov (United States)

Burt, Christopher D; Cabrera, Miguel L; Rothrock, Michael J; Kissel, D E

2017-08-01

A major concern of the broiler industry is the volatilization of ammonia (NH3) from the mixture of bedding material and broiler excretion that covers the floor of broiler houses. Gypsum has been proposed as a litter amendment to reduce NH3 volatilization, but reports of NH3 abatement vary among studies and the mechanism responsible for decreasing NH3 volatilization is not well understood. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding 20 or 40% flue-gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) to broiler litter on pH, electrical conductivity (EC), water potential, urea-degrading bacteria abundance, NH3 and carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution, and nitrogen (N) mineralization in several 21-d experiments. The addition of FGDG to broiler litter increased EC by 24 to 33% (P mineralization by 10 to 11% (P = 0.0001) as compared to litters not amended with FGDG. Furthermore, the addition of FGDG to broiler litter decreased NH3 volatilization by 18 to 28% (P litter pH values compared to un-amended litter (P litter with 20% FGDG can decrease NH3 volatilization and increase the fertlizer value of broiler litter. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

3D printing of bacteria into functional complex materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffner, Manuel; Rühs, Patrick A; Coulter, Fergal; Kilcher, Samuel; Studart, André R

2017-12-01

Despite recent advances to control the spatial composition and dynamic functionalities of bacteria embedded in materials, bacterial localization into complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries remains a major challenge. We demonstrate a 3D printing approach to create bacteria-derived functional materials by combining the natural diverse metabolism of bacteria with the shape design freedom of additive manufacturing. To achieve this, we embedded bacteria in a biocompatible and functionalized 3D printing ink and printed two types of "living materials" capable of degrading pollutants and of producing medically relevant bacterial cellulose. With this versatile bacteria-printing platform, complex materials displaying spatially specific compositions, geometry, and properties not accessed by standard technologies can be assembled from bottom up for new biotechnological and biomedical applications.

Comparison of gamma irradiation and steam explosion pretreatment for ethanol production from agricultural residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ke-qin; Xiong, Xing-yao; Chen, Jing-ping; Chen, Liang; Su, Xiaojun; Liu, Yun

2012-01-01

It was evaluated the influence of gamma irradiation and steam explosion pretreatment on the components and the water-soluble sugars of rice straw. Compared with the steam explosion pretreated rice straw, cellucose, hemicellucose and lignin for irradiation pretreated rice sample were much more greatly degraded and the relative content of glucose was significantly enhanced from 6.58% to 47.44%. Interestingly, no glucuronide acid was detected in irradiation pretreated rice straw, while glucuronide acid with the content from 8.5 mg/g to 9.2 mg/g was obtained in steam explosion pretreated sample. Followed by enzymatic hydrolysis, higher concentration of reducing sugars (including glucose and xylose) of irradiation pretreated rice sample (90.3 mg/g) was obtained, which was approximately 2.4- and 1.1- fold higher of the unpretreated (37.2 mg/g) and of steam explosion pretreated sample (85.4 mg/g). To further verify the effectiveness of irradiation pretreatment, characterizations of rice straw, corn stalk and bagasse by an integrated process of dilute acid/enzymatic hydrolysis and irradiation pretreatment were also investigated. -- Highlights: ► We compare irradiation and steam explosion pretreatments for bioethanol production. ► We examine changes in compositions of the components and the water-soluble sugars. ► No glucuronide acid was detected in gamma irradiation pretreated rice straw. ► We evaluate an integrated method of acid/enzyme-hydrolyzed irradiation pretreatment.

Isolation and Characterization of Polyacrylamide-Degrading Bacteria from Dewatered Sludge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Yu

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Polyacrylamide (PAM is a water-soluble polymer that is widely used as a flocculant in sewage treatment. The accumulation of PAM affects the formation of dewatered sludge and potentially produces hazardous monomers. In the present study, the bacterial strain HI47 was isolated from dewatered sludge. This strain could metabolize PAM as its sole nutrient source and was subsequently identified as Pseudomonas putida. The efficiency of PAM degradation was 31.1% in 7 days and exceeded 45% under optimum culture condition (pH 7.2, 39 °C and 100 rpm. The addition of yeast extract and glucose improved the bacterial growth and PAM degradation. The degraded PAM samples were analyzed by gel-filtration chromatography, Fourier transform infrared and high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that high-molecular-weight PAM was partly cleaved to small molecular oligomer derivatives and part of the amide groups of PAM had been converted to carboxyl groups. The biodegradation did not accumulate acrylamide monomers. Based on the SDS-PAGE and N-terminal sequencing results, the PAM amide groups were converted into carboxyl groups by a PAM-induced extracellular enzyme from the aliphatic amidase family.

Stellar explosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suraud, E.

1987-01-01

What is the energy source and which physical processes are powerful enough to generate this explosion which scatters the star. The knowledge progress of very dense matter allows the scenario reconstitution. An instability in the star core which is developing during milliseconds is the cause of this explosion [fr

Steam explosion studies review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Moon Kyu; Kim, Hee Dong

1999-03-01

When a cold liquid is brought into contact with a molten material with a temperature significantly higher than the liquid boiling point, an explosive interaction due to sudden fragmentation of the melt and rapid evaporation of the liquid may take place. This phenomenon is referred to as a steam explosion or vapor explosion. Depending upon the amount of the melt and the liquid involved, the mechanical energy released during a vapor explosion can be large enough to cause serious destruction. In hypothetical severe accidents which involve fuel melt down, subsequent interactions between the molten fuel and coolant may cause steam explosion. This process has been studied by many investigators in an effort to assess the likelihood of containment failure which leads to large scale release of radioactive materials to the environment. In an effort to understand the phenomenology of steam explosion, extensive studies has been performed so far. The report presents both experimental and analytical studies on steam explosion. As for the experimental studies, both small scale tests which involve usually less than 20 g of high temperature melt and medium/large scale tests which more than 1 kg of melt is used are reviewed. For the modelling part of steam explosions, mechanistic modelling as well as thermodynamic modelling is reviewed. (author)

Current Status on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Microbial Degradation of Nicotine

Science.gov (United States)

Gurusamy, Raman; Natarajan, Sakthivel

2013-01-01

Bioremediation is one of the most promising methods to clean up polluted environments using highly efficient potent microbes. Microbes with specific enzymes and biochemical pathways are capable of degrading the tobacco alkaloids including highly toxic heterocyclic compound, nicotine. After the metabolic conversion, these nicotinophilic microbes use nicotine as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source for their growth. Various nicotine degradation pathways such as demethylation pathway in fungi, pyridine pathway in Gram-positive bacteria, pyrrolidine pathway, and variant of pyridine and pyrrolidine pathways in Gram-negative bacteria have been reported. In this review, we discussed the nicotine-degrading pathways of microbes and their enzymes and biotechnological applications of nicotine intermediate metabolites. PMID:24470788

Effect of phenolic compounds released during degradation of Coir ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MICHAEL

www.bioline.org.br/ja. Effect of phenolic compounds released during degradation of Coir pith by ... of the culture filtrate appears to be non toxic in the tested animals @ JASEM. Coir pith is a highly ... degradation of coir pith by fungi and bacteria were already reported, ... no.1 filter paper and used as feed for the experimental ...

Fire and explosion hazards to flora and fauna from explosives.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrifield, R

2000-06-30

Deliberate or accidental initiation of explosives can produce a range of potentially damaging fire and explosion effects. Quantification of the consequences of such effects upon the surroundings, particularly on people and structures, has always been of paramount importance. Information on the effects on flora and fauna, however, is limited, with probably the weakest area lying with fragmentation of buildings and their effects on different small mammals. Information has been used here to gain an appreciation of the likely magnitude of the potential fire and explosion effects on flora and fauna. This is based on a number of broad assumptions and a variety of data sources including World War II bomb damage, experiments performed with animals 30-40 years ago, and more recent field trials on building break-up under explosive loading.

Biodiversity of Bacteria Isolated from Different Soils

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Fatma YAMAN

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the biodiversity of PHB producing bacteria isolated from soils where fruit and vegetable are cultivated (onion, grape, olive, mulberry and plum in Aydın providence. Morphological, cultural, biochemical, and molecular methods were used for bacteria identification. These isolated bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and using BLAST. The following bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (6, Bacillus cereus (8, Bacillus anthrachis (1, Bacillus circulans (1, Bacillus weihenstephanensis (1, Pseudomonas putida (1, Azotobacter chroococcum (1, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans (1, Burkholderia sp. (1, Staphylococcus epidermidis (1, Streptomyces exfoliatus (1, Variovorax paradoxus (1 were found. The Maximum Likelihood method was used to produce a molecular phylogenetic analysis and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. These bacteria can produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB which is an organic polymer with commercial potential as a biodegradable thermoplastic. PHB can be used instead of petrol derivated non-degradable plastics. For this reason, PHB producing microorganisms are substantial in industry.

Soil bacteria showing a potential of chlorpyrifos degradation and plant growth enhancement

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Shamsa Akbar

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background: Since 1960s, the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos has been widely used for the purpose of pest control. However, given its persistence and toxicity towards life forms, the elimination of chlorpyrifos from contaminated sites has become an urgent issue. For this process bioremediation is the method of choice. Results: Two bacterial strains, JCp4 and FCp1, exhibiting chlorpyrifos-degradation potential were isolated from pesticide contaminated agricultural fields. These isolates were able to degrade 84.4% and 78.6% of the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos (100 mg L-1 within a period of only 10 days. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis, these strains were identified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans (JCp4 and Ochrobactrum sp. (FCp1. These strains exhibited the ability to degrade chlorpyrifos in sterilized as well as non-sterilized soils, and were able to degrade 93-100% of the input concentration (200 mg kg-1 within 42 days. The rate of degradation in inoculated soils ranged from 4.40 to 4.76 mg-1 kg-1 d-1 with rate constants varying between 0.047 and 0.069 d-1. These strains also displayed substantial plant growth promoting traits such as phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid production and ammonia production both in absence as well as in the presence of chlorpyrifos. However, presence of chlorpyrifos (100 and 200 mg L-1 was found to have a negative effect on indole acetic acid production and phosphate solubilization with percentage reduction values ranging between 2.65-10.6% and 4.5-17.6%, respectively. Plant growth experiment demonstrated that chlorpyrifos has a negative effect on plant growth and causes a decrease in parameters such as percentage germination, plant height and biomass. Inoculation of soil with chlorpyrifos-degrading strains was found to enhance plant growth significantly in terms of plant length and weight. Moreover, it was noted that these strains degraded chlorpyrifos at an increased rate (5

Soil bacteria showing a potential of chlorpyrifos degradation and plant growth enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbar, Shamsa; Sultan, Sikander

2016-01-01

Since 1960s, the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos has been widely used for the purpose of pest control. However, given its persistence and toxicity towards life forms, the elimination of chlorpyrifos from contaminated sites has become an urgent issue. For this process bioremediation is the method of choice. Two bacterial strains, JCp4 and FCp1, exhibiting chlorpyrifos-degradation potential were isolated from pesticide contaminated agricultural fields. These isolates were able to degrade 84.4% and 78.6% of the initial concentration of chlorpyrifos (100mgL(-1)) within a period of only 10 days. Based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis, these strains were identified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans (JCp4) and Ochrobactrum sp. (FCp1). These strains exhibited the ability to degrade chlorpyrifos in sterilized as well as non-sterilized soils, and were able to degrade 93-100% of the input concentration (200mgkg(-1)) within 42 days. The rate of degradation in inoculated soils ranged from 4.40 to 4.76mg(-1)kg(-1)d(-1) with rate constants varying between 0.047 and 0.069d(-1). These strains also displayed substantial plant growth promoting traits such as phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid production and ammonia production both in absence as well as in the presence of chlorpyrifos. However, presence of chlorpyrifos (100 and 200mgL(-1)) was found to have a negative effect on indole acetic acid production and phosphate solubilization with percentage reduction values ranging between 2.65-10.6% and 4.5-17.6%, respectively. Plant growth experiment demonstrated that chlorpyrifos has a negative effect on plant growth and causes a decrease in parameters such as percentage germination, plant height and biomass. Inoculation of soil with chlorpyrifos-degrading strains was found to enhance plant growth significantly in terms of plant length and weight. Moreover, it was noted that these strains degraded chlorpyrifos at an increased rate (5.69mg(-1)kg(-1)d(-1)) in planted soil. The

Detection of the spectroscopic signatures of explosives and their degradation products

Science.gov (United States)

Florian, Vivian; Cabanzo, Andrea; Baez, Bibiana; Correa, Sandra; Irrazabal, Maik; Briano, Julio G.; Castro, Miguel E.; Hernandez-Rivera, Samuel P.

2005-06-01

Detection and removal of antipersonnel and antitank landmines is a great challenge and a worldwide enviromental and humanitarian problem. Sensors tuned on the spectroscopic signature of the chemicals released from mines are a potential solution. Enviromental factors (temperature, relative humidity, rainfall precipitation, wind, sun irradiation, pressure, etc.) as well as soil characteristics (water content, compaction, porosity, chemical composition, particle size distribution, topography, vegetation, etc), have a direct impact on the fate and transport of the chemicals released from landmines. Chemicals such as TNT, DNT and their degradation products, are semi-volatile, and somewhat soluble in water. Also, they may adsorb strongly to soil particles, and are susceptible to degradation by microorganisms, light, or chemical agents. Here we show an experimental procedure to quantify the effect of the above variables on the spectroscopic signature. A number of soil tanks under controlled conditions are used to study the effect of temperature, water content, relative humidity and light radiation.

Polythene and Plastics-degrading microbes from the mangrove soil

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K Kathiresan

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Biodegradation of polythene bags and plastic cups was analyzed after 2, 4, 6, and 9 months of incubation in the mangrove soil. The biodegradation of polythene bags was significantly higher (up to 4.21% in 9 months than that of plastic cups (up to 0.25% in 9 months. Microbial counts in the degrading materials were recorded up to 79.67 x 10 4 per gram for total heterotrophic bacteria, and up to 55.33 x 10 2 per gram for fungi. The microbial species found associated with the degrading materials were identified as five Gram positive and two Gram negative bacteria, and eight fungal species of Aspergillus. The species that were predominant were Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus (Gram +ve, Moraxella, and Pseudomonas (Gram -ve and two species of fungi (Aspergillus glaucus and A. niger. Efficacy of the microbial species in degradation of plastics and polythene was analyzed in shaker cultures. Among the bacteria, Pseudomonas species degraded 20.54% of polythene and 8.16% of plastics in one-month period. Among the fungal species, Aspergillus glaucus degraded 28.80% of polythene and 7.26% of plastics in one-month period. This work reveals that the mangrove soil is a good source of microbes capable of degrading polythene and plasticsLa biodegradación de las bolsas de polietileno y vasos de plástico fue analizada después de 2, 4, 6 y 9 meses de incubación en suelo de manglar. La biodegradación de las bolsas fue significativamente más alta (hasta 4.21% en 9 meses que los vasos plásticos (hasta 0.25% en 9 meses. Los conteos microbianos en los materiales degradados mostraron hasta 79.67 x 10(4 por gramo para las bacterias heterotroficas totales, y hasta 55.33 x 10² por gramo para los hongos. Se identificó 5 especies microbianas Gram positivas, 2 Gram negativas, y 8 especies de hongos del género Aspergillus en asociación con materiales degradados. Las especies predominantes fueron Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus (Gram +, Moraxella

Optical detection of explosives: spectral signatures for the explosive bouquet

Science.gov (United States)

Osborn, Tabetha; Kaimal, Sindhu; Causey, Jason; Burns, William; Reeve, Scott

2009-05-01

Research with canines suggests that sniffer dogs alert not on the odor from a pure explosive, but rather on a set of far more volatile species present in an explosive as impurities. Following the explosive trained canine example, we have begun examining the vapor signatures for many of these volatile impurities utilizing high resolution spectroscopic techniques in several molecular fingerprint regions. Here we will describe some of these high resolution measurements and discuss strategies for selecting useful spectral signature regions for individual molecular markers of interest.

Lindane Bioremediation Capability of Bacteria Associated with the Demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis

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Stabili Loredana

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide belonging to persistent organic pollutants (POPs that has been widely used to treat agricultural pests. It is of particular concern because of its toxicity, persistence and tendency to bioaccumulate in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In this context, we assessed the role of bacteria associated with the sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis in lindane degradation. Seven bacteria isolates were characterized and identified. These isolates showed a remarkable capacity to utilize lindane as a sole carbon source leading to a percentage of residual lindane ranging from 3% to 13% after 12 days of incubation with the pesticide. The lindane metabolite, 1,3–6-pentachloro-cyclohexene, was identified as result of lindane degradation and determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS. The bacteria capable of lindane degradation were identified on the basis of the phenotypic characterization by morphological, biochemical and cultural tests, completed with 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and assigned to Mameliella phaeodactyli, Pseudovibrio ascidiaceicola, Oceanicaulis stylophorae, Ruegeria atlantica and to three new uncharacterized species. The results obtained are a prelude to the development of future strategies for the in situ bioremediation of lindane.

Optimal Cultivation Time for Yeast and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Milk and Effects of Fermented Soybean Meal on Rumen Degradability Using Nylon Bag Technique

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S. Polyorach

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to determine an optimal cultivation time for populations of yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB co-cultured in fermented milk and effects of soybean meal fermented milk (SBMFM supplementation on rumen degradability in beef cattle using nylon bag technique. The study on an optimal cultivation time for yeast and LAB growth in fermented milk was determined at 0, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-cultivation. After fermenting for 4 days, an optimal cultivation time of yeast and LAB in fermented milk was selected and used for making the SBMFM product to study nylon bag technique. Two ruminal fistulated beef cattle (410±10 kg were used to study on the effect of SBMFM supplementation (0%, 3%, and 5% of total concentrate substrate on rumen degradability using in situ method at incubation times of 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h according to a Completely randomized design. The results revealed that the highest yeast and LAB population culture in fermented milk was found at 72 h-post cultivation. From in situ study, the soluble fractions at time zero (a, potential degradability (a+b and effective degradability of dry matter (EDDM linearly (p<0.01 increased with the increasing supplemental levels and the highest was in the 5% SBMFM supplemented group. However, there was no effect of SBMFM supplement on insoluble degradability fractions (b and rate of degradation (c. In conclusion, the optimal fermented time for fermented milk with yeast and LAB was at 72 h-post cultivation and supplementation of SBMFM at 5% of total concentrate substrate could improve rumen degradability of beef cattle. However, further research on effect of SBMFM on rumen ecology and production performance in meat and milk should be conducted using in vivo both digestion and feeding trials.

The control and prevention of dust explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-01-01

Papers presented discussed: explosion characteristics and hybrid mixtures explosion characteristics and influencing factors, propagation of dust explosions in ducts, prevention of dust explosions, desensitization, explosion-proof type of construction, explosion pressure relief, optical flame barriers, slide-valves for explosion protection, Ventex explosion barrier valves, grinding and mixing plants, spray driers, dust explosions in silos, and explosion-proof bucket elevators. One paper has been abstracted separately.

Phytoremediation of explosives for laboratory to real application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanek, T.; Vavrikova, Z.; Podlipna, R. [Inst. of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Plant Tissue Cultures; Gerth, A. [BioPlanta GmbH, Leipzig (Germany)

2006-07-01

This paper discussed the phytoremediation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) contaminated soil at former ammunition factories in the Czech Republic and Germany. The uptake, degradation, and distribution of the compounds in various plants were evaluated. Characterization and identification of TNT degradation products is difficult due to the insoluble fractions bound in the plant cells. Rheum palmatum culture was supplemented with naphthaleneacetic acid and casein hydrolysate. The plant species Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia were cultivated and supplemented with vitamins. Roots were induced on the hormone-free medium during a 4 to 5 week cultivation period. 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, glyceroltrinitrate and pentaerytritoltetranitrate were obtained from an ammunition factory. Explosives were added into the cultivation medium at a concentration of 50 mg/l during the first part of the experiment, as well as repeatedly at 10 and 50 mg/l during the second part of the experiment. The uptake of TNT by R. palmatum was determined over 24 hours. The initial concentration of TNT decreased to 50 per cent within half an hour. No TNT could be detected after 6 hours. At least 90 per cent of TNT was taken up by the plant species Phragmites, Typha and Juncus in 10 days. Faster uptake was determined in plants with roots. Phragmites australis was recommended as the best candidate for practical application as it forms a prolific biomass necessary for efficient biodegradation and is able to grow almost everywhere. A pilot-scale installation of constructed wetland containing nitroester explosives showed that the plants were able to clean water containing 270 mg/l of nitroesters and their by-products over a period of 30 days. 38 refs., 8 figs.

Chernobyl explosion bombshell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, S.; Arnott, D.

1988-01-01

It is suggested that the explosion at the Chernobyl-4 reactor in April 1986 was a nuclear explosion. The evidence for this is examined. The sequence of events at Chernobyl is looked at to see if the effects were like those from a nuclear explosion. The question of whether a United Kingdom reactor could go prompt critical is discussed. It is concluded that prompt criticality excursions are possible, but the specific Chernobyl sequence is impossible. (UK)

A study on vapor explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagi, N.; Shoji, M.

1979-01-01

An experimental study was carried out for vapor explosions of molten tin falling in water. For various initial metal temperatures and subcooling of water, transient pressure of the explosions, relative frequency of the explosions and the position where the explosions occur were measured in detail. The influence of ambient pressure was also investigated. From the results, it was concluded that the vapor explosion is closely related to the collapse of a vapor film around the molten metal. (author)

Aspects regarding explosion risk assessment

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Părăian Mihaela

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Explosive risk occurs in all activities involving flammable substances in the form of gases, vapors, mists or dusts which, in mixture with air, can generate an explosive atmosphere. As explosions can cause human losses and huge material damage, the assessment of the explosion risk and the establishment of appropriate measures to reduce it to acceptable levels according to the standards and standards in force is of particular importance for the safety and health of people and goods.There is no yet a recognized method of assessing the explosion risk, but regardless of the applied method, the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere occurrence has to be determined, together with the occurrence of an efficient ignition source and the magnitude of foreseeable consequences. In assessment processes, consequences analysis has a secondary importance since it’s likely that explosions would always involve considerable damage, starting from important material damages and up to human damages that could lead to death.The purpose of the work is to highlight the important principles and elements to be taken into account for a specific risk assessment. An essential element in assessing the risk of explosion in workplaces where explosive atmospheres may occur is technical installations and personal protective equipment (PPE that must be designed, manufactured, installed and maintained so that they cannot generate a source of ignition. Explosion prevention and protection requirements are governed by specific norms and standards, and a main part of the explosion risk assessment is related to the assessment of the compliance of the equipment / installation with these requirements.

Numerical modelling of the effect of using multi-explosives on the explosive forming of steel cones

OpenAIRE

De Vuyst, T; Kong, K; Djordjevic, N; Vignjevic, R; Campbell, JC; Hughes, K

2016-01-01

Modelling and analysis of underwater explosive forming process by using FEM and SPH formulation is presented in this work. The explosive forming of a steel cone is studied. The model setup includes a low carbon steel plate, plate holder, forming die as well as water and C4 explosive. The effect of multiple explosives on rate of targets deformation has been studied. Four different multi-explosives models have been developed and compared to the single explosive model. The formability of the ste...

Amylase activity of a starch degrading bacteria isolated from soil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-09-17

Sep 17, 2008 ... Key words: Amylase, Bacillus, kitchen waste, starch degrading. INTRODUCTION ... several sources such as plant, animal and microbes. (Kathiresan .... Test. Response of the strain. Gram's staining. +. Shape. Bacilli. Motility. +.

Molecular Identification of Bacteria Involved in Degradation of Crude ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ISSN: 0189 1731. Available online at http://www.ajol.info/index.php/njb/index ... activities is a main cause of water and soil pollution. One of the ... 60% reduction in household food security and were capable of .... isolates to degrade crude oil, mineral salt media was .... to help maintain the cold chain and prevent the DNA ...

Reconditioning of soils degraded through oil contamination using bacteria relating to thiosphaera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakhno, T.V.; Kurashov, V.M.; Kolesnik, A.A.; Morozkin, A.I.; Gavrilov, V.S.

2005-01-01

Bio-preparations based on aerobic bacteria are conventionally used to decontaminate soils of oil. There is a problem of no effect in oil decomposing by using conventional bio-preparations in soils where the depth of oil penetration into the soil exceeds 60 cm in the case of oil outflow. At deep oil penetration into the soil, the efficiency of oil biodegradation with aerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing microorganisms is limited by the factor of oxygen accessibility (oxygen limit). We used Thiosphaera pantotropha as a mono-culture and together with a culture of Pseudomonas putida to solve this problem. Pseudomonas putida being aerobes decompose oil effectively at oil concentration up to 25 g of oil in 1 kg of soil and at the depth of oil penetration into the soil up to 25-30 cm. At a deeper level of soil, the activity of Pseudomonas putida falls because of oxygen limit. At the depth of 60 cm and deeper, Pseudomonas putida stop oxidize and decompose oil because of the limited oxygen accessibility. Bacteria of Thiosphaera pantotropha being elective anaerobes decompose oil both in the presence and in the absence of oxygen, and at low concentrations of oxygen insufficient for vital functions of obligate aerobic species of bacteria. Thus, bacteria of Thiosphaera pantotropha decompose hydrocarbons independently on the depth of oil penetration into the soil. Due to special features of their metabolism, bacteria of Thiosphaera pantotropha can realize their vital functions and decompose hydrocarbons at high oil concentrations in soils at which conventionally used bio-preparations can not be effective. We found out that Thiosphaera decompose sulfurous closed-ring and aromatic compounds in oil which are chemically and thermally stable and can be hardly decomposed, and possess extremely poisonous properties, as well. The use of microorganisms of Thiosphaera pantotropha allows to purify soils polluted with oil and oil products. The results obtained are applied to the cleaning of

Genetic diversity of culturable bacteria in oil-contaminated rhizosphere of Galega orientalis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jussila, Minna M.; Jurgens, German; Lindstroem, Kristina; Suominen, Leena

2006-01-01

A collection of 50 indigenous meta-toluate tolerating bacteria isolated from oil-contaminated rhizosphere of Galega orientalis on selective medium was characterized and identified by classical and molecular methods. 16S rDNA partial sequencing showed the presence of five major lineages of the Bacteria domain. Gram-positive Rhodococcus, Bacillus and Arthrobacter and gram-negative Pseudomonas were the most abundant genera. Only one-fifth of the strains that tolerated m-toluate also degraded m-toluate. The inoculum Pseudomonas putida PaW85 was not found in the rhizosphere samples. The ability to degrade m-toluate by the TOL plasmid was detected only in species of the genus Pseudomonas. However, a few Rhodococcus erythropolis strains were found which were able to degrade m-toluate. A new finding was that Pseudomonas migulae strains and a few P. oryzihabitans strains were able to grow on m-toluate and most likely contained the TOL plasmid. Because strain specific differences in degradation abilities were found for P. oryzihabitans, separation at the strain level was important. For strain specific separation (GTG) 5 fingerprinting was the best method. A combination of the single locus ribotyping and the whole genomic fingerprinting techniques with the selective partial sequencing formed a practical molecular toolbox for studying genetic diversity of culturable bacteria in oil-contaminated rhizosphere. - Bacterial diversity during rhizoremediation in oil-contaminated soil is characterized by a combination of molecular methods

Heme degrading protein HemS is involved in oxidative stress response of Bartonella henselae.

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MaFeng Liu

Full Text Available Bartonellae are hemotropic bacteria, agents of emerging zoonoses. These bacteria are heme auxotroph Alphaproteobacteria which must import heme for supporting their growth, as they cannot synthesize it. Therefore, Bartonella genome encodes for a complete heme uptake system allowing the transportation of this compound across the outer membrane, the periplasm and the inner membranes. Heme has been proposed to be used as an iron source for Bartonella since these bacteria do not synthesize a complete system required for iron Fe³⁺ uptake. Similarly to other bacteria which use heme as an iron source, Bartonellae must transport this compound into the cytoplasm and degrade it to allow the release of iron from the tetrapyrrole ring. For Bartonella, the gene cluster devoted to the synthesis of the complete heme uptake system also contains a gene encoding for a polypeptide that shares homologies with heme trafficking or degrading enzymes. Using complementation of an E. coli mutant strain impaired in heme degradation, we demonstrated that HemS from Bartonella henselae expressed in E. coli allows the release of iron from heme. Purified HemS from B. henselae binds heme and can degrade it in the presence of a suitable electron donor, ascorbate or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Knocking down the expression of HemS in B. henselae reduces its ability to face H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress.

Bacterial inoculum enhances keratin degradation and biofilm formation in poultry compost.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichida, J M; Krizova, L; LeFevre, C A; Keener, H M; Elwell, D L; Burtt, E H

2001-11-01

Native microbial populations can degrade poultry waste, but the process can be hastened by using feather-degrading bacteria. Strains of Bacillus licheniformis and a Streptomyces sp. isolated from the plumage of wild birds were grown in a liquid basal medium and used to inoculate feathers in compost bioreaction vessels. Control vessels had only basal medium added to the feathers, litter and straw. Temperature, ammonia, carbon and nitrogen were monitored for 4 weeks. Scanning electron microscopy of the feather samples showed more complete keratin-degradation, more structural damage, and earlier microbial biofilm formation on inoculated feathers than on uninoculated feathers. A diverse community of aerobic bacteria and fungi were cultured early, but declined rapidly. Thermophilic B. licheniformis and Streptomyces spp. were abundant throughout. Enteric gram-negative bacteria, (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli) originally found on waste feathers were not recovered after day 4. Vessel temperatures reached 64-71 degrees C within 36 h and stabilized at 50 degrees C. When tumble-mixed at day 14, renewed activity peaked at 59 degrees C and quickly dropped as available carbon was used. Feathers soaked in an inoculum of B. licheniformis and Streptomyces degraded more quickly and more completely than feathers that were not presoaked. Inoculation of feather waste could improve composting of the large volume of feather waste generated every year by poultry farms and processing plants.

Mechanisms of formation of trace decomposition products in complex high explosive mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woodyard, J.D.; Burgess, C.E. [West Texas A and M Univ., Canyon, TX (United States); Rainwater, K.A. [Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)

1999-03-01

A significant concern in the nation`s stockpile surveillance program in prediction of the lifetimes of the high explosives (HE) and their components as the weapons age. The Department of Energy`s Core Surveillance and Enhanced Surveillance programs specifically target issues of degradation of HE, binders, and plastic-bonded explosives (PBX) for determination of component lifetimes and handling procedures. These material science topics are being addressed at the DOE national laboratories and production plants, including Pantex. The principal goal of this project is to identify the mechanisms of decomposition of HE, plasticizers, plastic polymer binders, and radical stabilizers resulting from exposures to ionizing radiation, heat, and humidity. The following reports the work completed for 1998, including a comprehensive literature review about some of the materials examined and the laboratory work completed to date. The materials focused on in the laboratory are TATB, Estane 5301, and Irganox 1010.

Optimization of phenol biodegradation by efficient bacteria isolated from petrochemical effluents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Shahriari Moghadam

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Phenol is an environmental pollutant present in industrial wastewaters such as refineries, coal processing and petrochemicals products. In this study three phenol degrading bacteria from Arak Petrochemical Complex effluent were isolated which consume phenol. Molecular analysis was used to identify bacteria and isolated bacteria were identified as Rhodococcus pyridinivorans (NS1, Advenella faeciporci (NS2 and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (NS3. Among the isolated strains, NS1 had the highest ability to degrade phenol. In order to observe the best yield in phenol biodegradation using NS1, optimization was performed using one factor at a time of experimental design to investigate the effect of four factors, including pH, temperature, phosphate and urea concentration. The optimal biodegradation condition through or tho pathway was pH = 8, urea = 1 g/L, temperature = 30°C and K2HPO4 = 0.5 g/L. Under the suggested condition, a biodegradation efficiency of 100% was achieved. Moreover, NS1 has shown growth and phenol degradation in concentrations between 250 to 2000 mg/L. In a nutshell, the results revealed thatphenol efficiently consumed by NS1 as the sole carbon source. Obviously, the isolate strain may be seen as an important tool in the bioremediation of wastewater effluent, petrochemical complex.

General phenomenology of underground nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Derlich, S.; Supiot, F.

1969-01-01

An essentially qualitatively description is given of the phenomena related to underground nuclear explosions (explosion of a single unit, of several units in line, and simultaneous explosions). In the first chapter are described the phenomena which are common to contained explosions and to explosions forming craters (formation and propagation of a shock-wave causing the vaporization, the fusion and the fracturing of the medium). The second chapter describes the phenomena related to contained explosions (formation of a cavity with a chimney). The third chapter is devoted to the phenomenology of test explosions which form a crater; it describes in particular the mechanism of formation and the different types of craters as a function of the depth of the explosion and of the nature of the ground. The aerial phenomena connected with explosions which form a crater: shock wave in the air and focussing at a large distance, and dust clouds, are also dealt with. (authors) [fr

Characterization of dioxygenases and biosurfactants produced by crude oil degrading soil bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santhakumar Muthukamalam

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Role of microbes in bioremediation of oil spills has become inevitable owing to their eco friendly nature. This study focused on the isolation and characterization of bacterial strains with superior oil degrading potential from crude-oil contaminated soil. Three such bacterial strains were selected and subsequently identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Corynebacterium aurimucosum, Acinetobacter baumannii and Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans respectively. The specific activity of catechol 1,2 dioxygenase (C12O and catechol 2,3 dioxygenase (C23O was determined in these three strains wherein the activity of C12O was more than that of C23O. Among the three strains, Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans exhibited superior crude oil degrading ability as evidenced by its superior growth rate in crude oil enriched medium and enhanced activity of dioxygenases. Also degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH in crude oil was higher with Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans. The three strains also produced biosurfactants of glycolipid nature as indicated d by biochemical, FTIR and GCMS analysis. These findings emphasize that such bacterial strains with superior oil degrading capacity may find their potential application in bioremediation of oil spills and conservation of marine and soil ecosystem.

Biosurfactant and Degradative Enzymes Mediated Crude Oil Degradation by Bacterium Bacillus subtilis A1

Science.gov (United States)

Parthipan, Punniyakotti; Preetham, Elumalai; Machuca, Laura L.; Rahman, Pattanathu K. S. M.; Murugan, Kadarkarai; Rajasekar, Aruliah

2017-01-01

In this work, the biodegradation of the crude oil by the potential biosurfactant producing Bacillus subtilis A1 was investigated. The isolate had the ability to synthesize degradative enzymes such as alkane hydroxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase at the time of biodegradation of hydrocarbon. The biosurfactant producing conditions were optimized as pH 7.0, temperature 40°C, 2% sucrose and 3% of yeast extract as best carbon and nitrogen sources for maximum production of biosurfactant (4.85 g l-1). Specifically, the low molecular weight compounds, i.e., C10–C14 were completely degraded, while C15–C19 were degraded up to 97% from the total hydrocarbon pools. Overall crude oil degradation efficiency of the strain A1 was about 87% within a short period of time (7 days). The accumulated biosurfactant from the biodegradation medium was characterized to be lipopeptide in nature. The strain A1 was found to be more robust than other reported biosurfactant producing bacteria in degradation efficiency of crude oil due to their enzyme production capability and therefore can be used to remove the hydrocarbon pollutants from contaminated environment. PMID:28232826

Predicting where enhanced atrazine degradation will occur based on soil pH and herbicide use history

Science.gov (United States)

Soil bacteria on all continents except Antartica have developed the ability to rapidly degrade the herbicide atrazine, a phenomenon referred to as enhanced degradation. The agronomic significance of enhanced degradation is the potential for reduced residual weed control with atrazine in Corn, Sorgh...

Novel methods for detecting buried explosive devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kercel, S.W.; Burlage, R.S.; Patek, D.R.; Smith, C.M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Hibbs, A.D.; Rayner, T.J. [Quantum Magnetics, Inc., San Diego, CA (United States)

1997-04-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Quantum Magnetics, Inc. (QM) are exploring novel landmine detection technologies. Technologies considered here include bioreporter bacteria, swept acoustic resonance, nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), and semiotic data fusion. Bioreporter bacteria look promising for third-world humanitarian applications; they are inexpensive, and deployment does not require high-tech methods. Swept acoustic resonance may be a useful adjunct to magnetometers in humanitarian demining. For military demining, NQR is a promising method for detecting explosive substances; of 50,000 substances that have been tested, none has an NQR signature that can be mistaken for RDX or TNT. For both military and commercial demining, sensor fusion entails two daunting tasks, identifying fusible features in both present-day and emerging technologies, and devising a fusion algorithm that runs in real-time on cheap hardware. Preliminary research in these areas is encouraging. A bioreporter bacterium for TNT detection is under development. Investigation has just started in swept acoustic resonance as an approach to a cheap mine detector for humanitarian use. Real-time wavelet processing appears to be a key to extending NQR bomb detection into mine detection, including TNT-based mines. Recent discoveries in semiotics may be the breakthrough that will lead to a robust fused detection scheme.

Sensitivities of ionic explosives

Science.gov (United States)

Politzer, Peter; Lane, Pat; Murray, Jane S.

2017-03-01

We have investigated the relevance for ionic explosive sensitivity of three factors that have been demonstrated to be related to the sensitivities of molecular explosives. These are (1) the maximum available heat of detonation, (2) the amount of free space per molecule (or per formula unit) in the crystal lattice and (3) specific features of the electrostatic potential on the molecular or ionic surface. We find that for ionic explosives, just as for molecular ones, there is an overall tendency for impact sensitivity to increase as the maximum detonation heat release is greater. This means that the usual emphasis upon designing explosives with large heats of detonation needs to be tempered somewhat. We also show that a moderate detonation heat release does not preclude a high level of detonation performance for ionic explosives, as was already demonstrated for molecular ones. Relating the free space per formula unit to sensitivity may require a modified procedure for ionic explosives; this will continue to be investigated. Finally, an encouraging start has been made in linking impact sensitivities to the electrostatic potentials on ionic surfaces, although limited so far to ammonium salts.

Catabolism of pyrimidines in yeast: A tool to understand degradation of anticancer drugs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Gorm; Merico, A.; Bjornberg, O.

2006-01-01

The pyrimidine catabolic pathway is of crucial importance in cancer patients because it is involved in degradation of several chemotherapeutic drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil; it also is important in plants, unicellular eukaryotes, and bacteria for the degradation of pyrimidine-based biocides/antib...

Investigation of common fluorophores for the detection of nitrated explosives by fluorescence quenching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meaney, Melissa S.; McGuffin, Victoria L.

2008-01-01

Previous studies have indicated that nitrated explosives may be detected by fluorescence quenching of pyrene and related compounds. The use of pyrene, however, invokes numerous health and waste disposal hazards. In the present study, ten safer fluorophores are identified for quenching detection of target nitrated compounds. Initially, Stern-Volmer constants are measured for each fluorophore with nitrobenzene and 4-nitrotoluene to determine the sensitivity of the quenching interaction. For quenching constants greater than 50 M -1 , sensitivity and selectivity are investigated further using an extended set of target quenchers. Nitromethane, nitrobenzene, 4-nitrotoluene, and 2,6-dinitrotoluene are chosen to represent nitrated explosives and their degradation products; aniline, benzoic acid, and phenol are chosen to represent potential interfering compounds. Among the fluorophores investigated, purpurin, malachite green, and phenol red demonstrate the greatest sensitivity and selectivity for nitrated compounds. Correlation of the quenching rate constants for these fluorophores to Rehm-Weller theory suggests an electron-transfer quenching mechanism. As a result of the large quenching constants, purpurin, malachite green, and phenol red are the most promising for future detection of nitrated explosives via fluorescence quenching

Effects of Biological and Photochemical Degradation on the Optical Properties of CDOM Exported to Coastal Marine Environments

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Moran, Mary

2004-01-01

.... This project quantitatively assessed the ability of coastal ocean bacteria to degrade and produce CDOM and investigated the synergistic interactions between bacterial degradation and photochemical...

Influence of divalent metal ions on degradation of dimethylsulphide ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2007-06-04

Jun 4, 2007 ... Dimethylsulphide degradation by intact cells of Thiobacillus thioparus TK-m was stimulated by the addition of divalent .... plastic vials in ice-cooled water. .... tization of authotrophic sulphur bacteria oxidizing dimethyldisulphide.

Decolourisation and degradation of textile dyes using a sulphate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2008-01-18

Jan 18, 2008 ... Full Length Research Paper ... and microflora that augmented a sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) consortium. ... and degradation of aromatic compounds from the deco- ... ed that aromatic amines are toxic, carcinogenic and.

Cell phone explosion.

Science.gov (United States)

Atreya, Alok; Kanchan, Tanuj; Nepal, Samata; Pandey, Bhuwan Raj

2016-03-01

Cell phone explosions and resultant burn injuries are rarely reported in the scientific literature. We report a case of cell phone explosion that occurred when a young male was listening to music while the mobile was plugged in for charging. © The Author(s) 2015.

Aeromonas veronii, a tributyltin (TBT)-degrading bacterium isolated from an estuarine environment, Ria de Aveiro in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Andreia; Caetano, Tânia; Suzuki, Satoru; Mendo, Sónia

2007-12-01

Organotin compounds are used in a variety of industrial processes therefore their subsequent discharge into the environment is widespread. Bacteria play an important role in biogeochemical transformations acting as natural decontamination agents. Therefore, screening for tributyltin (TBT)-resistant and -degrading bacteria is relevant for the selection of isolates with decontamination ability of these polluted areas. With this purpose, 50 strains were isolated from sediment and water from Ria de Aveiro and their tolerance to TBT, up to 3mM, was evaluated. Generally, occurrence of highly TBT-resistant bacteria was observed, and Gram negative bacteria exhibited more tolerance to TBT than Gram positive bacteria. A memory response was observed when bacteria were progressively exposed to increasingly higher TBT concentrations. One isolate, Aeromonas veronii Av27, highly resistant to TBT (3mM) uses this compound as carbon source and degrades it to less toxic compounds.

Activation of Acetone and Other Simple Ketones in Anaerobic Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Heider, Johann; Schühle, Karola; Frey, Jasmin; Schink, Bernhard

2016-01-01

Acetone and other ketones are activated for subsequent degradation through carboxylation by many nitrate-reducing, phototrophic, and obligately aerobic bacteria. Acetone carboxylation leads to acetoacetate, which is subsequently activated to a thioester and degraded via thiolysis. Two different types of acetone carboxylases have been described, which require either 2 or 4 ATP equivalents as an energy supply for the carboxylation reaction. Both enzymes appear to combine acetone enolphosphate with carbonic phosphate to form acetoacetate. A similar but more complex enzyme is known to carboxylate the aromatic ketone acetophenone, a metabolic intermediate in anaerobic ethylbenzene metabolism in denitrifying bacteria, with simultaneous hydrolysis of 2 ATP to 2 ADP. Obligately anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria activate acetone to a four-carbon compound as well, but via a different process than bicarbonate- or CO2-dependent carboxylation. The present evidence indicates that either carbon monoxide or a formyl residue is used as a cosubstrate, and that the overall ATP expenditure of this pathway is substantially lower than in the known acetone carboxylase reactions. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A structured approach to forensic study of explosions: The TNO Inverse Explosion Analysis tool

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voort, M.M. van der; Wees, R.M.M. van; Brouwer, S.D.; Jagt-Deutekom, M.J. van der; Verreault, J.

2015-01-01

Forensic analysis of explosions consists of determining the point of origin, the explosive substance involved, and the charge mass. Within the EU FP7 project Hyperion, TNO developed the Inverse Explosion Analysis (TNO-IEA) tool to estimate the charge mass and point of origin based on observed damage

Characterization of Carbofuran Degrading Bacteria Obtained from Potato Cultivated Soils with Different Pesticide Application Records / Caracterización de Bacterias Degradadoras de Carbofuran Obtenidas de Suelos Bajo Cultivo de Papa y con Diferente Histor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Castellanos Rozo José

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Eighty-two bacterial isolates with potential Carbofurandegradation activity (Furadan®3SC were obtained from soilscultivated with the potato variety Unica (Solanum tuberosumin Silos, Norte de Santander (Colombia, with different recordsof pesticide application. The bacteria were selected for theirability to grow at 25 °C for 72 h in media containing 200 mgL-1 of analytical Carbofuran as the sole source of carbon and/or nitrogen. The results showed that ten isolates, 12% of those obtained, grew in the culture media. Eight of theses isolates were obtained from soils with a high pesticide exposure (eight years of application, and identified, by macroscopic, microscopic and biochemical characteristics, as Sphingomonas paucimobilis. The other two were obtained from soils with three years and one year of application and were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, respectively. Subsequently, these bacteria were tested for their ability of hydrolytic degradation of Carbofuran; the results show that the pesticide was degraded only by the isolates of Sphingomonas paucimobilis for 72 h. The results obtained in the in vitro tests show the bacterial metabolic capacity for the biodegradation of Carbofuran, highlighting the potential use of the bacteria for future field evaluation tests in places where residues of the pesticide may exist, as an alternative to control the impact that N-methyl carbamate pesticides have on the environment and human health. / Resumen. Ochenta y dos aislamientos bacterianos con actividad potencial de degradación de Carbofuran (Furadan®3SC, fueron obtenidos de suelos, cultivados con papa (Solanum tuberosum variedad Única, del municipio de Silos, Norte de Santander (Colombia con diferente historia de aplicación del plaguicida. Las bacterias fueron seleccionadas por su capacidad para crecer a 25 °C durante 72 h, en medios de cultivo conteniendo 200 mg L-1 de Carbofuran analítico como

Regional analysis of potential polychlorinated biphenyl degrading bacterial strains from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun Shuai

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, the chlorinated derivatives of biphenyl, are one of the most prevalent, highly toxic and persistent groups of contaminants in the environment. The objective of this study was to investigate the biodegradation of PCBs in northeastern (Heilongjiang Province, northern (Shanxi Province and eastern China (Shanghai municipality. From these areas, nine soil samples were screened for PCB-degrading bacteria using a functional complementarity method. The genomic 16S rDNA locus was amplified and the products were sequenced to identify the bacterial genera. Seven Pseudomonas strains were selected to compare the capacity of bacteria from different regions to degrade biphenyl by HPLC. Compared to the biphenyl content in controls of 100%, the biphenyl content went down to 3.7% for strain P9-324, 36.3% for P2-11, and 20.0% for the other five strains. These results indicate that a longer processing time led to more degradation of biphenyl. PCB-degrading bacterial strains are distributed differently in different regions of China.

Degradation characteristics of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in electro-biological system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, JingLi, E-mail: jinglizhangczp@126.com [Tianjin Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science and Technology, Tianjin Institute of Urban Construction, Tianjin 300384 (China); Cao, ZhanPing; Zhang, HongWei [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Zhao, LianMei [Tianjin Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science and Technology, Tianjin Institute of Urban Construction, Tianjin 300384 (China); Sun, XuDong; Mei, Feng [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300387 (China)

2013-11-15

Highlights: • The 2,4-D reductive degradation was studied in an electro-biological system. • The electric auxiliary accelerates 2,4-D microbial degradation. • A electron transfer is achieved between the electrode, bacteria and the pollutants. • The paper provides a promising way for the degradation of persistent organics. -- Abstract: The reductive degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was studied in an electro-biological system, a biological system and an electric catalytic system, respectively. Electrochemical characteristics were monitored by cyclic voltammetry and the intermediate products of 2,4-D degradation were determined by high speed liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that all 2,4-D degradations in the three systems conformed to the kinetics characteristics of one-order reaction, and the degradation kinetics constants were 28.74 × 10{sup −2} h{sup −1}, 19.73 × 10{sup −2} h{sup −1} and 3.54 × 10{sup −2} h{sup −1}, respectively. The kinetics constant in the electro-biological system was higher than the sum in the other two systems by 19%. The electrochemical assistance provided the electrons and accelerated the electron transfer rate in the microbial degradation of 2,4-D. The degradation resulted from the microbial reduction strengthened by the electrochemical assistance. The electron transfer existed between the electrode, cytochrome, NAD and the pollutants. A long-range electron transfer process could be achieved on the multi-phase interfaces between the electrode, bacteria and the pollutants.

Degradation of alkenones by aerobic heterotrophic bacteria: Selective or not ?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rontani, J-F.; Harji, R.; Guasco, S.; Prahl, F.G.; Volkman, J.K.; Bhosle, N.B.; Bonin, P.

-treated algal cells. The observed increases in U sup (k’) sub(37) are equivalent to a +2 degrees C and +3.3 degrees C change in the inferred temperature. Our results clearly show that intense aerobic microbial degradative processes have the potential...

Shock waves & explosions

CERN Document Server

Sachdev, PL

2004-01-01

Understanding the causes and effects of explosions is important to experts in a broad range of disciplines, including the military, industrial and environmental research, aeronautic engineering, and applied mathematics. Offering an introductory review of historic research, Shock Waves and Explosions brings analytic and computational methods to a wide audience in a clear and thorough way. Beginning with an overview of the research on combustion and gas dynamics in the 1970s and 1980s, the author brings you up to date by covering modeling techniques and asymptotic and perturbative methods and ending with a chapter on computational methods.Most of the book deals with the mathematical analysis of explosions, but computational results are also included wherever they are available. Historical perspectives are provided on the advent of nonlinear science, as well as on the mathematical study of the blast wave phenomenon, both when visualized as a point explosion and when simulated as the expansion of a high-pressure ...

Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lut Tamam

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Intermittent explosive disorder is an impulse control disorder characterized by the occurrence of discrete episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in violent assault or destruction of property. Though the prevalence intermittent explosive disorder has been reported to be relatively rare in frontier studies on the field, it is now common opinion that intermittent explosive disorder is far more common than previously thought especially in clinical psychiatry settings. Etiological studies displayed the role of both psychosocial factors like childhood traumas and biological factors like dysfunctional neurotransmitter systems and genetics. In differential diagnosis of the disorder, disorders involving agression as a symptom such as alcohol and drug intoxication, antisocial and borderline personality disorders, personality changes due to general medical conditions and behavioral disorder should be considered. A combination of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches are suggested in the treatment of the disorder. This article briefly reviews the historical background, diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, etiology and treatment of intermittent explosive disorder.

Performance and diversity of polyvinyl alcohol-degrading bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jianping; Yang, Shisu; Zhang, Siqi

2016-11-01

To compare the degradation performance and biodiversity of a polyvinyl alcohol-degrading microbial community under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. An anaerobic-aerobic bioreactor was operated to degrade polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in simulated wastewater. The degradation performance of the bioreactor during sludge cultivation and the microbial communities in each reactor were compared. Both anaerobic and aerobic bioreactors demonstrated high chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies of 87.5 and 83.6 %, respectively. Results of 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that Proteobacteria dominated in both reactors and that the microbial community structures varied significantly under different operating conditions. Both reactors obviously differed in bacterial diversity from the phyla Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Bacteroidetes, and Chloroflexi. Betaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria dominated, respectively, in the anaerobic and aerobic reactors. The anaerobic-aerobic system is suitable for PVA wastewater treatment, and the microbial genetic analysis may serve as a reference for PVA biodegradation.

Free radical explosive composition

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Franklin E.; Wasley, Richard J.

1979-01-01

An improved explosive composition is disclosed and comprises a major portion of an explosive having a detonation velocity between about 1500 and 10,000 meters per second and a minor amount of a getter additive comprising a compound or mixture of compounds capable of capturing or deactivating free radicals or ions under mechanical or electrical shock conditions and which is not an explosive. Exemplary getter additives are isocyanates, olefins and iodine.

Plant-associated bacterial degradation of toxic organic compounds in soil.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McGuinness, Martina

2009-08-01

A number of toxic synthetic organic compounds can contaminate environmental soil through either local (e.g., industrial) or diffuse (e.g., agricultural) contamination. Increased levels of these toxic organic compounds in the environment have been associated with human health risks including cancer. Plant-associated bacteria, such as endophytic bacteria (non-pathogenic bacteria that occur naturally in plants) and rhizospheric bacteria (bacteria that live on and near the roots of plants), have been shown to contribute to biodegradation of toxic organic compounds in contaminated soil and could have potential for improving phytoremediation. Endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial degradation of toxic organic compounds (either naturally occurring or genetically enhanced) in contaminated soil in the environment could have positive implications for human health worldwide and is the subject of this review.

Lignin distribution in waterlogged archaeological Picea abies (L.) Karst degraded by erosion bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Nanna Bjerregaard; Schmitt, Uwe Schmitt; Koch, Gerald

2014-01-01

The lignin distribution in poles of waterlogged archaeological Picea abies (L.) Karst, which was decayed by erosion bacteria (EB) under anoxic conditions for approximately 400 years, was topochemically identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution UV-microspectrophotome......The lignin distribution in poles of waterlogged archaeological Picea abies (L.) Karst, which was decayed by erosion bacteria (EB) under anoxic conditions for approximately 400 years, was topochemically identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution UV...

Considering the Specific Impact of Harsh Conditions and Oil Weathering on Diversity, Adaptation, and Activity of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria in Strategies of Bioremediation of Harsh Oily-Polluted Soils

Science.gov (United States)

Al Disi, Zulfa; Jaoua, Samir; Al-Thani, Dhabia; Al-Meer, Saeed

2017-01-01

Weathering processes change properties and composition of spilled oil, representing the main reason of failure of bioaugmentation strategies. Our purpose was to investigate the metabolic adaptation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria at harsh conditions to be considered to overcome the limitations of bioaugmentation strategies at harsh conditions. Polluted soils, exposed for prolonged periods to weathered oil in harsh soils and weather conditions, were used. Two types of enrichment cultures were employed using 5% and 10% oil or diesel as sole carbon sources with varying the mineral nitrogen sources and C/N ratios. The most effective isolates were obtained based on growth, tolerance to toxicity, and removal efficiency of diesel hydrocarbons. Activities of the newly isolated bacteria, in relation to the microenvironment from where they were isoalted and their interaction with the weathered oil, showed individual specific ability to adapt when exposed to such factors, to acquire metabolic potentialities. Among 39 isolates, ten identified ones by 16S rDNA genes similarities, including special two Pseudomonas isolates and one Citrobacter isolate, showed particularity of shifting hydrocarbon-degrading ability from short chain n-alkanes (n-C12–n-C16) to longer chain n-alkanes (n-C21–n-C25) and vice versa by alternating nitrogen source compositions and C/N ratios. This is shown for the first time. PMID:28243605

Considering the Specific Impact of Harsh Conditions and Oil Weathering on Diversity, Adaptation, and Activity of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria in Strategies of Bioremediation of Harsh Oily-Polluted Soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulfa Al Disi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Weathering processes change properties and composition of spilled oil, representing the main reason of failure of bioaugmentation strategies. Our purpose was to investigate the metabolic adaptation of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria at harsh conditions to be considered to overcome the limitations of bioaugmentation strategies at harsh conditions. Polluted soils, exposed for prolonged periods to weathered oil in harsh soils and weather conditions, were used. Two types of enrichment cultures were employed using 5% and 10% oil or diesel as sole carbon sources with varying the mineral nitrogen sources and C/N ratios. The most effective isolates were obtained based on growth, tolerance to toxicity, and removal efficiency of diesel hydrocarbons. Activities of the newly isolated bacteria, in relation to the microenvironment from where they were isoalted and their interaction with the weathered oil, showed individual specific ability to adapt when exposed to such factors, to acquire metabolic potentialities. Among 39 isolates, ten identified ones by 16S rDNA genes similarities, including special two Pseudomonas isolates and one Citrobacter isolate, showed particularity of shifting hydrocarbon-degrading ability from short chain n-alkanes (n-C12–n-C16 to longer chain n-alkanes (n-C21–n-C25 and vice versa by alternating nitrogen source compositions and C/N ratios. This is shown for the first time.

Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) degradation by nitrate-reducing bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silva Paulo, da Ana; Aydin, Rozelin; Dimitrov, Mauricio R.; Vreeling, Harm; Cavaleiro, Ana J.; García-Encina, Pedro A.; Stams, Fons; Plugge, Caroline M.

2017-01-01

The surfactant sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is widely used in the composition of detergents and frequently ends up in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). While aerobic SLES degradation is well studied, little is known about the fate of this compound in anoxic environments, such as

Bacteria from wheat and cucurbit plant roots metabolize PAHs and aromatic root exudates: Implications for rhizodegradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ely, Cairn S; Smets, Barth F

2017-10-03

The chemical interaction between plants and bacteria in the root zone can lead to soil decontamination. Bacteria that degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been isolated from the rhizospheres of plant species with varied biological traits; however, it is not known what phytochemicals promote contaminant degradation. One monocot and two dicotyledon plants were grown in PAH-contaminated soil from a manufactured gas plant (MGP) site. A phytotoxicity assay confirmed greater soil decontamination in rhizospheres when compared to bulk soil controls. Bacteria were isolated from plant roots (rhizobacteria) and selected for growth on anthracene and chrysene on PAH-amended plates. Rhizosphere isolates metabolized 3- and 4-ring PAHs and PAH catabolic intermediates in liquid incubations. Aromatic root exudate compounds, namely flavonoids and simple phenols, were also substrates for isolated rhizobacteria. In particular, the phenolic compounds-morin, caffeic acid, and protocatechuic acid-appear to be linked to bacterial degradation of 3- and 4-ring PAHs in the rhizosphere.

Importance of Unattached Bacteria and Bacteria Attached to Sediment in Determining Potentials for Degradation of Xenobiotic Organic Contaminants in an Aerobic Aquifer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Per Henning; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Christensen, Thomas Højlund

1992-01-01

The bacterial abundance, distribution, and degradation potential (in terms of degradation versus lack of degradation) for four xenobiotic compounds in an aerobic aquifer sediment have been examined in laboratory and field experiments. The xenobiotic compounds studied were benzene, toluene, o......-xylene, and naphthalene (all at concentrations of approximately 120 pg/liter). The aerobic degradation experiments ran for approximately 90 days at 10°C, which corresponded to the groundwater temperature. At the end of the experiment, the major part of the microbial biomass, quantified as acridine orange direct counts......, was attached to the groundwater sediment (18 x 106 to 25 x 106 cells per g [dry weight]), and only a minor part was unattached in the groundwater (0.6 x 106 to 5.5 x 106 cells per ml). Experiments involving aquifer sediment suspensions showed identical degradation potentials in the laboratory and in the field...

Degradation of organic pollutants by methane grown microbial consortia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hesselsoe, Martin; Boysen, Susanne; Iversen, Niels; Jørgensen, Lars; Murrell, J Colin; McDonald, Ian; Radajewski, Stefan; Thestrup, Helle; Roslev, Peter

2005-10-01

Microbial consortia were enriched from various environmental samples with methane as the sole carbon and energy source. Selected consortia that showed a capacity for co-oxidation of naphthalene were screened for their ability to degrade methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE), phthalic acid esters (PAE), benzene, xylene and toluene (BTX). MTBE was not removed within 24 h by any of the consortia examined. One consortium enriched from activated sludge ("AAE-A2"), degraded PAE, including (butyl-benzyl)phthalate (BBP), and di-(butyl)phthalate (DBP). PAE have not previously been described as substrates for methanotrophic consortia. The apparent Km and Vmax for DBP degradation by AAE-A2 at 20 degrees C was 3.1 +/- 1.2 mg l(-1) and 8.7 +/- 1.1 mg DBP (g protein x h)(-1), respectively. AAE-A2 also showed fast degradation of BTX (230 +/- 30 nmol benzene (mg protein x h)(-1) at 20 degrees C). Additionally, AAE-A2 degraded benzene continuously for 2 weeks. In contrast, a pure culture of the methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b ceased benzene degradation after only 2 days. Experiments with methane mono-oxygenase inhibitors or competitive substrates suggested that BTX degradation was carried out by methane-oxidizing bacteria in the consortium, whereas the degradation of PAE was carried out by non-methanotrophic bacteria co-existing with methanotrophs. The composition of the consortium (AAE-A2) based on polar lipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles showed dominance of type II methanotrophs (83-92% of biomass). Phylogeny based on a 16S-rRNA gene clone library revealed that the dominating methanotrophs belonged to Methylosinus/Methylocystis spp. and that members of at least 4 different non-methanotrophic genera were present (Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Janthinobacterium and Rubivivax).

Spot test kit for explosives detection

Science.gov (United States)

Pagoria, Philip F; Whipple, Richard E; Nunes, Peter J; Eckels, Joel Del; Reynolds, John G; Miles, Robin R; Chiarappa-Zucca, Marina L

2014-03-11

An explosion tester system comprising a body, a lateral flow membrane swab unit adapted to be removeably connected to the body, a first explosives detecting reagent, a first reagent holder and dispenser operatively connected to the body, the first reagent holder and dispenser containing the first explosives detecting reagent and positioned to deliver the first explosives detecting reagent to the lateral flow membrane swab unit when the lateral flow membrane swab unit is connected to the body, a second explosives detecting reagent, and a second reagent holder and dispenser operatively connected to the body, the second reagent holder and dispenser containing the second explosives detecting reagent and positioned to deliver the second explosives detecting reagent to the lateral flow membrane swab unit when the lateral flow membrane swab unit is connected to the body.

High-nitrogen explosives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naud, D. (Darren); Hiskey, M. A. (Michael A.); Kramer, J. F. (John F.); Bishop, R. L. (Robert L.); Harry, H. H. (Herbert H.); Son, S. F. (Steven F.); Sullivan, G. K. (Gregg K.)

2002-01-01

The syntheses and characterization of various tetrazine and furazan compounds offer a different approach to explosives development. Traditional explosives - such as TNT or RDX - rely on the oxidation of the carbon and hydrogen atoms by the oxygen carrying nitro group to produce the explosive energy. High-nitrogen compounds rely instead on large positive heats of formation for that energy. Some of these high-nitrogen compounds have been shown to be less sensitive to initiation (e.g. by impact) when compared to traditional nitro-containing explosives of similar performances. Using the precursor, 3,6-bis-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-s-tetrazine (BDT), several useful energetic compounds based on the s-tetrazine system have been synthesized and studied. The compound, 3,3{prime}-azobis(6-amino-s-tetrazine) or DAAT, detonates as a half inch rate stick despite having no oxygen in the molecule. Using perfluoroacetic acid, DAAT can be oxidized to give mixtures of N-oxide isomers (DAAT03.5) with an average oxygen content of about 3.5. This energetic mixture burns at extremely high rates and with low dependency on pressure. Another tetrazine compound of interest is 3,6-diguanidino-s-tetrazine(DGT) and its dinitrate and diperchlorate salts. DGT is easily synthesized by reacting BDT with guanidine in methanol. Using Caro's acid, DGT can be further oxidized to give 3,6-diguanidino-s-tetrazine-1,4-di-N-oxide (DGT-DO). Like DGT, the di-N-oxide can react with nitric acid or perchloric acid to give the dinitrate and the diperchlorate salts. The compounds, 4,4{prime}-diamino-3,3{prime}-azoxyfurazan (DAAF) and 4,4{prime}-diamino-3,3{prime}-azofurazan (DAAzF), may have important future roles in insensitive explosive applications. Neither DAAF nor DAAzF can be initiated by laboratory impact drop tests, yet both have in some aspects better explosive performances than 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene TATB - the standard of insensitive high explosives. The thermal stability of DAAz

Nuclear explosives and hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen, P

1971-10-01

A nuclear explosive 12 in. in diam and producing very little tritium is feasible in France. Such a device would be well adapted for contained nuclear explosions set off for the purpose of hydrocarbon storage or stimulation. The different aspects of setting off the explosive are reviewed. In the particular case of gas storage in a nuclear cavity in granite, it is demonstrated that the dose of irradiation received is extremely small. (18 refs.)

One-electron standard reduction potentials of nitroaromatic and cyclic nitramine explosives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchimiya, Minori; Gorb, Leonid; Isayev, Olexandr; Qasim, Mohammad M.; Leszczynski, Jerzy

2010-01-01

Extensive studies have been conducted in the past decades to predict the environmental abiotic and biotic redox fate of nitroaromatic and nitramine explosives. However, surprisingly little information is available on one-electron standard reduction potentials (E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - )). The E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) is an essential thermodynamic parameter for predicting the rate and extent of reductive transformation for energetic residues. In this study, experimental (linear free energy relationships) and theoretical (ab initio calculation) approaches were employed to determine E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) for nitroaromatic, (caged) cyclic nitramine, and nitroimino explosives that are found in military installations or are emerging contaminants. The results indicate a close agreement between experimental and theoretical E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) and suggest a key trend: E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) value decreases from di- and tri-nitroaromatic (e.g., 2,4-dinitroanisole) to nitramine (e.g., RDX) to nitroimino compound (e.g., nitroguanidine). The observed trend in E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) agrees with reported rate trends for reductive degradation, suggesting a thermodynamic control on the reduction rate under anoxic/suboxic conditions. - Reduction of explosives becomes less thermodynamically favorable as the one-electron standard reduction potential decreases from di- and tri-nitroaromatic, nitramine, to nitroimino compounds.

Evidence for the microbial degradation of imidacloprid in soils of Cameron Highlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasrin Sabourmoghaddam

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Imidacloprid (1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinylmethyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine, with a novel mode of action is a recent systemic and contact insecticide with high activity against a wide range of pests. Continuous dispersion of this pesticide in the environment and its stability in soil results in environmental pollution which demands remediation. The present research was attempted to isolate and characterize imidacloprid degrading bacteria from vegetable farms of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. The degradation ability of the isolates was tested in minimal salt medium (MSM for a duration of 25 days and the selected strains were characterized based on their biochemical and molecular characteristics. Levels of imidacloprid in MSM medium were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Among 50 soil bacterial isolates Bacillus sp., Brevibacterium sp., Pseudomonas putida F1, Bacillus subtilis and Rhizobium sp. were able to degrade 25.36–45.48% of the initial amount of imidacloprid at the concentration of 25 mg L−1 in C limited media. Brevibacterium sp. was isolated from organic farms that had never been exposed to imidacloprid while the other farms had previously been exposed to different levels of imidacloprid. All bacteria introduced in this study were among the first reports of imidacloprid degrading isolates in C limited media from tropical soil. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of using soil bacteria for microbial degradation of imidacloprid. These findings suggest that these strains may be promising candidates for bioremediation of imidacloprid-contaminated soils.

Degradation of soil cyanide by single and mixed cultures of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwokoro, Ogbonnaya; Dibua, Marie Esther Uju

2014-03-01

The aim of this investigation was to study whether certain bacteria could be used for cyanide degradation in soil. The bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri and Bacillus subtilis were selected based on their good growth in a minimal medium containing 0.8 mg mL-1 potassium cyanide (KCN). In this study we tested their ability to reduce cyanide levels in a medium containing 1.5 mg mL-1 of KCN. Although both microorganisms reduced cyanide levels, Pseudomonas stutzeri was the more effective test organism. Later on, the selected cultures were grown, diluted and their various cell concentrations were used individually and in combination to test their ability of cyanide degradation in soil samples collected around a cassava processing mill. Bacillus subtilis caused degradation of soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil immediately with an inoculum concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) to 0.072 mg g-1 soil after 10 days with an inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) implying a 66.9 % reduction. Pseudomonas stutzeri cell concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) decreased soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil initially to 0.061 mg g-1 soil after 10 days with an inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) (72 % reduction). The mixed culture of the two bacteria produced the best degradation of soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil sample with a combined inoculum concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) initially to 0.025 mg g-1 soil with a combined inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) after 10 days incubation resulting in an 88.5 % degradation of soil cyanide. The analysed bacteria displayed high cyanide degradation potential and may be useful for efficient decontamination of cyanide contaminated sites.

Degradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) / hydrolyzed collagen (HC) blends active sludge test.

Science.gov (United States)

Agafiţei, Gabriela-Elena; Pascu, Mihaela; Cazacu, Georgeta; Vasile, Cornelia

2008-01-01

Biodegradable polymers represent a solution for the environment protection: they decrease the landfill space, by declining the petrochemical sources, and offer also an alternative solution for the recycling. The behavior during degradation in the presence of active sludge of some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based blends with variable content of hydrolyzed collagen (HC) has been followed. Some samples were subjected to UV irradiation, for 30 hours. The modifications induced in the environment by the polymer systems (pH variation, bacterial composition), as well as the changes of the properties of the blends (weight losses, aspect etc.) were studied. During the first moments of degradation in active sludge, all the samples absorbed water, behavior which favored the biodegradation. The bacteriological analysis of the sludge indicates the presence of some microbiological species. Generally, the populations of microorganisms decrease, excepting the sulphito-reducing anaerobic bacteria, the actinomycetes and other anaerobic bacteria. PVC/HC blends are degraded with a significant rate in active sewage sludge. More susceptible for the degradation are the UV irradiated blends. After the migration of the components with a small molecular mass in the environment, the natural polymer is degraded. The degradation effect increases with the content in the natural polymer.

30 CFR 77.1301 - Explosives; magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Explosives; magazines. 77.1301 Section 77.1301... and Blasting § 77.1301 Explosives; magazines. (a) Detonators and explosives other than blasting agents shall be stored in magazines. (b) Detonators shall not be stored in the same magazine with explosives...

Enhancement of pyrene degradation efficacy of Synechocystis sp., by construction of an artificial microalgal-bacterial consortium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jignasa G. Patel

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to investigate the ability of microalgae Synechocystis sp. to high molecular weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon pyrene (PYR and artificial microalgal–bacterial consortium at different concentrations. The consortium consisted of one axenic species Synechocystis sp. and two PYR-degrading bacteria with known complementary degradative capabilities viz. Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. The influence of PYR on growth in terms of chlorophyll-a were analysed, and it was found that in the presence of bacteria, Synechocystis sp. tremendously increased in growth as well as biodegradation capability, whereas Synechocystis sp. alone exhibited concentration-dependent decrease in growth and biodegradation ability. Degradation of PYR shows that the consortium could eliminate PYR by 94.1% at 50 mg/L; however, Synechocystis sp alone could degrade up to 36% at 1.5 mg/L after 16 days of incubation. The study revealed that microalgae grew better in the presence of the aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and provided them with necessary organics for efficient PYR degradation activities. Moreover, consortium JP-NKA7B2 grows efficiently on other xenobiotic compounds. The artificial consortia JP-NK is thus proven to be an effective and promising system for bioremediating PYR compound and could be suggested in degradation of PYR compound in hydrocarbon-polluted areas in situ and ex situ.

Enhancement of enzymatic saccharification of Eucalyptus globulus: steam explosion versus steam treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Sampedro, Raquel; Revilla, Esteban; Villar, Juan C; Eugenio, Maria E

2014-09-01

Steam explosion and steam pre-treatment have proved capable of enhancing enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. However, until now, these methods had not been compared under the same operational conditions and using the same raw material. Both pre-treatments lead to increased yields in the saccharification of Eucalyptus globulus; but results have been better with steam pre-treatments, despite the more accessible surface of exploded samples. The reason for this finding could be enzymatic inhibition: steam explosion causes a more extensive extraction of hemicelluloses and releases a greater amount of degradation products which can inhibit enzymatic action. Enzymatic inhibition is also dependent on the amount and chemical structure of lignin, which was also a contributing factor to the lower enzymatic yields obtained with the most severe pre-treatment. Thus, the highest yields (46.7% glucose and 73.4% xylose yields) were obtained after two cycle of steam treatment, of 5 and 3 min, at 183°C. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic saccharification and bioethanol production from Cynara cardunculus pretreated by steam explosion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Maria C; Ferro, Miguel D; Paulino, Ana F C; Mendes, Joana A S; Gravitis, Janis; Evtuguin, Dmitry V; Xavier, Ana M R B

2015-06-01

The correct choice of the specific lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment allows obtaining high biomass conversions for biorefinery implementations and cellulosic bioethanol production from renewable resources. Cynara cardunculus (cardoon) pretreated by steam explosion (SE) was involved in second-generation bioethanol production using separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) or simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes. Steam explosion pretreatment led to partial solubilisation of hemicelluloses and increased the accessibility of residual polysaccharides towards enzymatic hydrolysis revealing 64% of sugars yield against 11% from untreated plant material. Alkaline extraction after SE pretreatment of cardoon (CSEOH) promoted partial removal of degraded lignin, tannins, extractives and hemicelluloses thus allowing to double glucose concentration upon saccharification step. Bioethanol fermentation in SSF mode was faster than SHF process providing the best results: ethanol concentration 18.7 g L(-1), fermentation efficiency of 66.6% and a yield of 26.6g ethanol/100 g CSEOH or 10.1 g ethanol/100 g untreated cardoon. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradation of degradable plastic polyethylene by phanerochaete and streptomyces species.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, B; Pometto, A L; Fratzke, A; Bailey, T B

1991-03-01

The ability of lignin-degrading microorganisms to attack degradable plastics was investigated in pure shake flask culture studies. The degradable plastic used in this study was produced commercially by using the Archer-Daniels-Midland POLYCLEAN masterbatch and contained pro-oxidant and 6% starch. The known lignin-degrading bacteria Streptomyces viridosporus T7A, S. badius 252, and S. setonii 75Vi2 and fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium were used. Pro-oxidant activity was accelerated by placing a sheet of plastic into a drying oven at 70 degrees C under atmospheric pressure and air for 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 days. The effect of 2-, 4-, and 8-week longwave UV irradiation at 365 nm on plastic biodegradability was also investigated. For shake flask cultures, plastics were chemically disinfected and incubated-shaken at 125 rpm at 37 degrees C in 0.6% yeast extract medium (pH 7.1) for Streptomyces spp. and at 30 degrees C for the fungus in 3% malt extract medium (pH 4.5) for 4 weeks along with an uninoculated control for each treatment. Weight loss data were inconclusive because of cell mass accumulation. For almost every 70 degrees C heat-treated film, the Streptomyces spp. demonstrated a further reduction in percent elongation and polyethylene molecular weight average when compared with the corresponding uninoculated control. Significant (P < 0.05) reductions were demonstrated for the 4- and 8-day heat-treated films by all three bacteria. Heat-treated films incubated with P. chrysosporium consistently demonstrated higher percent elongation and molecular weight average than the corresponding uninoculated controls, but were lower than the corresponding zero controls (heat-treated films without 4-week incubation). The 2- and 4-week UV-treated films showed the greatest biodegradation by all three bacteria. Virtually no degradation by the fungus was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating bacterial degradation of these oxidized polyethylenes in

Explosion metal welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popoff, A.A.

1976-01-01

Process parameters pertaining to welding similar and dissimilar metals using explosives are reviewed. The discussion centers on the interrelationship of physical parameters which play a part in achieving desirable metallurgical results. Present activities in explosion metal welding at LASL are presented and shown how they related to the interests of the ERDA community

Bacterial degradation of monocyclic aromatic amines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pankaj Kumar Arora

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Aromatic amines are an important group of industrial chemicals, which are widely used for manufacturing of dyes, pesticides, drugs, pigments, and other industrial products. These compounds have been considered highly toxic to human beings due to their carcinogenic nature. Three groups of aromatic amines have been recognized: monocyclic, polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic amines. Bacterial degradation of several monocyclic aromatic compounds has been studied in a variety of bacteria, which utilizes monocyclic aromatic amines as their sole source of carbon and energy. Several degradation pathways have been proposed and the related enzymes and genes have also been characterized. Many reviews have been reviewed toxicity of monocyclic aromatic amines; however, there is lack of review on biodegradation of monocyclic aromatic amines. The aim of this review is to summarize bacterial degradation of monocyclic aromatic amines. This review will increase our current understanding of biochemical and molecular basis of bacterial degradation of monocyclic aromatic amines.

Selection of bacteria with hydrocarbon degrading capacity isolated from Colombian Caribbean sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narvaez Florez, Silvia; Gomez, Martha L; Martinez Maria M

2008-01-01

Thirty one bacterial isolations in minimal salts supplemented medium with hydrocarbons (ACPM or crude oil) as sole carbon source were isolated from sediment samples from the Colombian Caribbean. Bacterial strains underwent selection tests in different concentrations of hydrocarbons; 11 tolerant crude oil and ACPM strains in a range of 1-8%v/v were chosen. A mixed bacterial culture was created and assessed its ability to degrade hydrocarbons in a laboratory-scale test, with a concentration of 2% v/v of ACPM over a period of 21 days. Measurements of biomass in Colony Forming Units (CFU)/mL were used to develop the growth curve of the mixed culture. Hydrocarbons remotion was measured by mass chromatography. The mixed culture was able to degrade the 68.6% of aliphatic hydrocarbons in preference of long chain n- alkenes (C12- C31), reaching a maximum growth of 3.13 x 10 9 UFC / mL. Degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons was not evidenced under the observation time. Nine of the eleven strains were identified using the biochemical systems BBL and API 50 CHB/E; they belonged to the genus Klebsiella, Chromobacterium, Flavimonas, Enterobacter,Pseudomonas, and Bacillus. The evaluated strains have enzymatic potential to degrade hydrocarbons and it is necessary to characterize them at molecular level in order to develop and effective consortium for field application

Sensitivity to friction for primary explosives.

Science.gov (United States)

Matyáš, Robert; Šelešovský, Jakub; Musil, Tomáš

2012-04-30

The sensitivity to friction for a selection of primary explosives has been studied using a small BAM friction apparatus. The probit analysis was used for the construction of a sensitivity curve for each primary explosive tested. Two groups of primary explosives were chosen for measurement (a) the most commonly used industrially produced primary explosives (e.g. lead azide, tetrazene, dinol, lead styphnate) and (b) the most produced improvised primary explosives (e.g. triacetone triperoxide, hexamethylenetriperoxide diamine, mercury fulminate, acetylides of heavy metals). A knowledge of friction sensitivity is very important for determining manipulation safety for primary explosives. All the primary explosives tested were carefully characterised (synthesis procedure, shape and size of crystals). The sensitivity curves obtained represent a unique set of data, which cannot be found anywhere else in the available literature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Xylan utilization in human gut commensal bacteria is orchestrated by unique modular organization of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Meiling; Chekan, Jonathan R; Dodd, Dylan; Hong, Pei-Ying; Radlinski, Lauren; Revindran, Vanessa; Nair, Satish K; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac

2014-09-02

Enzymes that degrade dietary and host-derived glycans represent the most abundant functional activities encoded by genes unique to the human gut microbiome. However, the biochemical activities of a vast majority of the glycan-degrading enzymes are poorly understood. Here, we use transcriptome sequencing to understand the diversity of genes expressed by the human gut bacteria Bacteroides intestinalis and Bacteroides ovatus grown in monoculture with the abundant dietary polysaccharide xylan. The most highly induced carbohydrate active genes encode a unique glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 endoxylanase (BiXyn10A or BACINT_04215 and BACOVA_04390) that is highly conserved in the Bacteroidetes xylan utilization system. The BiXyn10A modular architecture consists of a GH10 catalytic module disrupted by a 250 amino acid sequence of unknown function. Biochemical analysis of BiXyn10A demonstrated that such insertion sequences encode a new family of carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that binds to xylose-configured oligosaccharide/polysaccharide ligands, the substrate of the BiXyn10A enzymatic activity. The crystal structures of CBM1 from BiXyn10A (1.8 Å), a cocomplex of BiXyn10A CBM1 with xylohexaose (1.14 Å), and the CBM from its homolog in the Prevotella bryantii B14 Xyn10C (1.68 Å) reveal an unanticipated mode for ligand binding. A minimal enzyme mix, composed of the gene products of four of the most highly up-regulated genes during growth on wheat arabinoxylan, depolymerizes the polysaccharide into its component sugars. The combined biochemical and biophysical studies presented here provide a framework for understanding fiber metabolism by an important group within the commensal bacterial population known to influence human health.

Xylan utilization in human gut commensal bacteria is orchestrated by unique modular organization of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Meiling

2014-08-18

Enzymes that degrade dietary and host-derived glycans represent the most abundant functional activities encoded by genes unique to the human gut microbiome. However, the biochemical activities of a vast majority of the glycan-degrading enzymes are poorly understood. Here, we use transcriptome sequencing to understand the diversity of genes expressed by the human gut bacteria Bacteroides intestinalis and Bacteroides ovatus grown in monoculture with the abundant dietary polysaccharide xylan. The most highly induced carbohydrate active genes encode a unique glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 endoxylanase (BiXyn10A or BACINT-04215 and BACOVA-04390) that is highly conserved in the Bacteroidetes xylan utilization system. The BiXyn10A modular architecture consists of a GH10 catalytic module disrupted by a 250 amino acid sequence of unknown function. Biochemical analysis of BiXyn10A demonstrated that such insertion sequences encode a new family of carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) that binds to xy-lose- configured oligosaccharide/polysaccharide ligands, the substrate of the BiXyn10A enzymatic activity. The crystal structures of CBM1 from BiXyn10A (1.8 Å), a cocomplex of BiXyn10A CBM1 with xylohexaose (1.14 Å), and the CBM fromits homolog in the Prevotella bryantii B 14 Xyn10C (1.68 Å) reveal an unanticipated mode for ligand binding. Aminimal enzyme mix, composed of the gene products of four of the most highly up-regulated genes during growth on wheat arabinoxylan, depolymerizes the polysaccharide into its component sugars. The combined biochemical and biophysical studies presented here provide a framework for understanding fiber metabolism by an important group within the commensal bacterial population known to influence human health.

Zirconium hydride containing explosive composition

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Franklin E.; Wasley, Richard J.

1981-01-01

An improved explosive composition is disclosed and comprises a major portion of an explosive having a detonation velocity between about 1500 and 10,000 meters per second and a minor amount of a donor additive comprising a non-explosive compound or mixture of non-explosive compounds which when subjected to an energy fluence of 1000 calories/cm.sup.2 or less is capable of releasing free radicals each having a molecular weight between 1 and 120. Exemplary donor additives are dibasic acids, polyamines and metal hydrides.

Close-in airblast from underground explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vortman, L J [Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1970-05-15

Air overpressures as a function of time have been measured from surface zero to about 170 ft/lb{sup 1/3} along the ground from nuclear and chemical explosions. Charge depths varied from the surface to depths below which explosion gases are contained. A ground-shock-induced air pressure pulse is clearly distinguishable from the pulse caused by venting gases. Measured peak overpressures show reasonable agreement with the theoretical treatment by Monta. In a given medium the suppression of blast with explosion burial depth is a function of the relative distance at which the blast is observed. Rates of suppression of peak overpressure with charge burial are different for the two pulses. Rates are determined for each pulse over the range of distances at which measurements have been made of air overpressure from chemical explosions in several media. Nuclear data are available from too few shots for similar dependence on burial depth and distance to be developed, but it is clear that the gas venting peak overpressure from nuclear explosions is much more dependent on medium than that from chemical explosions. For above-ground explosions, experiment has shown that airblast from a I-kiloton nuclear explosion is equal to that from a 0.5-kiloton TNT explosion. Data on ground-shock-induced airblast is now sufficient to show that a similar relationship may exist for buried explosions. Because of medium dependence of the gas venting pulse from nuclear explosions, data from additional nuclear events will be required before a chemical/nuclear airblast equivalence can be determined for the gas-venting pulse. (author)

Degradative capacities and bioaugmentation potential of an anaerobic benzene-degrading bacterium strain DN11

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuki Kasai; Yumiko Kodama; Yoh Takahata; Toshihiro Hoaki; Kazuya Watanabe [Marine Biotechnology Institute, Kamaishi (Japan)

2007-09-15

Azoarcus sp. strain DN11 is a denitrifying bacterium capable of benzene degradation under anaerobic conditions. The present study evaluated strain DN11 for its application to bioaugmentation of benzene-contaminated underground aquifers. Strain DN11 could grow on benzene, toluene, m-xylene, and benzoate as the sole carbon and energy sources under nitrate-reducing conditions, although o- and p-xylenes were transformed in the presence of toluene. Phenol was not utilized under anaerobic conditions. Kinetic analysis of anaerobic benzene degradation estimated its apparent affinity and inhibition constants to be 0.82 and 11 {mu}M, respectively. Benzene-contaminated groundwater taken from a former coal-distillation plant site in Aichi, Japan was anaerobically incubated in laboratory bottles and supplemented with either inorganic nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and nitrate) alone, or the nutrients plus strain DN11, showing that benzene was significantly degraded only when DN11 was introduced. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, and quantitative PCR revealed that DN11 decreased after benzene was degraded. Following the decrease in DN11 16S rRNA gene fragments corresponding to bacteria related to Owenweeksia hongkongensis and Pelotomaculum isophthalicum, appeared as strong bands, suggesting possible metabolic interactions in anaerobic benzene degradation. Results suggest that DN11 is potentially useful for degrading benzene that contaminates underground aquifers at relatively low concentrations. 50 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Cellulase Production by Bacteria: A Review

OpenAIRE

Sadhu Sangrila; Maiti Tushar Kanti

2013-01-01

Cellulose is an abundant natural biopolymer on earth and most dominating Agricultural waste. This cellulosic biomass is a renewable and abundant resource with great potential for bioconversion to value-added bioproducts. It can be degraded by cellulase produced by cellulolytic bacteria. This enzyme has various industrial applications and now considered as major group of industrial enzyme. The review discusses application of cellulase, classification of cellulase, quantification...

Fungal degradation of organophosphorous insecticides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bumpus, J.A. [Notre Dame Univ., IN (United States); Kakar, S.N.; Coleman, R.D. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)

1992-07-01

Organophosphorous insecticides are used extensively to treat a variety of pests and insects. Although as a group they are easily degraded by bacteria in the environment, a number of them have half-lives of several months. Little is known about their biodegradation by fungi. We have shown that Phanerochaete chrysosporium can substantially degrade chlorpyrifos, fonofos, and terbufos (27.5%, 12.2%, and 26.6%, respectively) during 18-day incubation in nitrogen-limited stationary cultures. The results demonstrate that the clorinated pyridinyl ring of chlorpyrifos and the phenyl ring of fonofos undergo ring cleavage during biodegradation by the fungus. The usefulness of the fungus system for bioremediation is discussed. 16 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Fungal degradation of organophosphorous insecticides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bumpus, J.A. (Notre Dame Univ., IN (United States)); Kakar, S.N.; Coleman, R.D. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States))

1992-01-01

Organophosphorous insecticides are used extensively to treat a variety of pests and insects. Although as a group they are easily degraded by bacteria in the environment, a number of them have half-lives of several months. Little is known about their biodegradation by fungi. We have shown that Phanerochaete chrysosporium can substantially degrade chlorpyrifos, fonofos, and terbufos (27.5%, 12.2%, and 26.6%, respectively) during 18-day incubation in nitrogen-limited stationary cultures. The results demonstrate that the clorinated pyridinyl ring of chlorpyrifos and the phenyl ring of fonofos undergo ring cleavage during biodegradation by the fungus. The usefulness of the fungus system for bioremediation is discussed. 16 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Screening and characterization of purine nucleoside degrading lactic acid bacteria isolated from Chinese sauerkraut and evaluation of the serum uric acid lowering effect in hyperuricemic rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Li

Full Text Available Hyperuricemia is well known as the cause of gout. In recent years, it has also been recognized as a risk factor for arteriosclerosis, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, and nephropathy in diabetic patients. Foods high in purine compounds are more potent in exacerbating hyperuricemia. Therefore, the development of probiotics that efficiently degrade purine compounds is a promising potential therapy for the prevention of hyperuricemia. In this study, fifty-five lactic acid bacteria isolated from Chinese sauerkraut were evaluated for the ability to degrade inosine and guanosine, the two key intermediates in purine metabolism. After a preliminary screening based on HPLC, three candidate strains with the highest nucleoside degrading rates were selected for further characterization. The tested biological characteristics of candidate strains included acid tolerance, bile tolerance, anti-pathogenic bacteria activity, cell adhesion ability, resistance to antibiotics and the ability to produce hydrogen peroxide. Among the selected strains, DM9218 showed the best probiotic potential compared with other strains despite its poor bile resistance. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequences showed that DM9218 has the highest similarity (99% to Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1. The acclimated strain DM9218-A showed better resistance to 0.3% bile salt, and its survival in gastrointestinal tract of rats was proven by PCR-DGGE. Furthermore, the effects of DM9218-A in a hyperuricemia rat model were evaluated. The level of serum uric acid in hyperuricemic rat can be efficiently reduced by the intragastric administration of DM9218-A (P<0.05. The preventive treatment of DM9218-A caused a greater reduction in serum uric acid concentration in hyperuricemic rats than the later treatment (P<0.05. Our results suggest that DM9218-A may be a promising candidate as an adjunctive treatment in patients with hyperuricemia during the onset period of disease. DM9218-A also has potential

8. Peaceful uses of nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musilek, L.

1992-01-01

The chapter deals with peaceful uses of nuclear explosions. Described are the development of the underground nuclear explosion, properties of radionuclides formed during the explosion, their distribution, the release of radioactive products of underground nuclear explosions into the air, their propagation in the atmosphere, and fallout in the landscape. (Z.S.). 1 tab., 8 figs., 19 refs

Simulation of Deepwater Horizon oil plume reveals substrate specialization within a complex community of hydrocarbon degraders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ping; Dubinsky, Eric A; Probst, Alexander J; Wang, Jian; Sieber, Christian M K; Tom, Lauren M; Gardinali, Piero R; Banfield, Jillian F; Atlas, Ronald M; Andersen, Gary L

2017-07-11

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident released an estimated 4.1 million barrels of oil and 10 10 mol of natural gas into the Gulf of Mexico, forming deep-sea plumes of dispersed oil droplets and dissolved gases that were largely degraded by bacteria. During the course of this 3-mo disaster a series of different bacterial taxa were enriched in succession within deep plumes, but the metabolic capabilities of the different populations that controlled degradation rates of crude oil components are poorly understood. We experimentally reproduced dispersed plumes of fine oil droplets in Gulf of Mexico seawater and successfully replicated the enrichment and succession of the principal oil-degrading bacteria observed during the DWH event. We recovered near-complete genomes, whose phylogeny matched those of the principal biodegrading taxa observed in the field, including the DWH Oceanospirillales (now identified as a Bermanella species), multiple species of Colwellia , Cycloclasticus , and other members of Gammaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, and Rhodobacteria. Metabolic pathway analysis, combined with hydrocarbon compositional analysis and species abundance data, revealed substrate specialization that explained the successional pattern of oil-degrading bacteria. The fastest-growing bacteria used short-chain alkanes. The analyses also uncovered potential cooperative and competitive relationships, even among close relatives. We conclude that patterns of microbial succession following deep ocean hydrocarbon blowouts are predictable and primarily driven by the availability of liquid petroleum hydrocarbons rather than natural gases.

Batch experiment on H2S degradation by bacteria immobilised on activated carbons.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, R; Ng, Y L; Chen, X G; Geng, A L; Gould, W D; Duan, H Q; Liang, D T; Koe, L C C

2004-01-01

Biological treatments of odorous compounds, as compared to chemical or physical technologies, are in general ecologically and environmentally favourable. However, there are some inefficiencies relative to the media used in biofiltration processes, such as the need for an adequate residence time; the limited lifetime, and pore blockage of media, which at present render the technology economically non-viable. The aim of the study is to develop novel active media to be used in performance-enhanced biofiltration processes, by achieving an optimum balance and combination of the media adsorption capacity with the biodegradation of H2S through the bacteria immobilised on the media. An enrichment culture was obtained from activated sludges in order to metabolise thiosulphate. Batch-wise experiments were conducted to optimise the bacteria immobilisation on activated carbon, so as to develop a novel "biocarbon". Biofilm was mostly developed through culturing the bacteria with the presence of carbons in mineral media. SEM and BET tests of the carbon along with the culturing process were used to identify, respectively, the biofilm development and biocarbon porosity. Breakthrough tests evaluated the biocarbon performance with varying gas resistance time, inlet H2S concentration, and type of support materials. Fundamental issues were discussed, including type of support material, mode of bacteria immobilisation, pore blockages, and biodegradation kinetics, etc. This batch-wise study provides a basis for our future research on optimisation of the biofiltration process using a bio-trickling reactor.

Pathogenicity and cell wall-degrading enzyme activities of some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. J. T. Ekanem

2005-12-17

Dec 17, 2005 ... be attributed to the activities of these cell wall degrading enzymes. Keywords: Cowpea ... bacteria have long been known to produce enzymes capable of ... Inoculated seeds were sown in small plastic pots filled with steam- ...

Specific cell components of Bacteroides gingivalis mediate binding and degradation of human fibrinogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lantz, M.S.; Allen, R.D.; Vail, T.A.; Switalski, L.M.; Hook, M. (Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham (USA))

1991-01-01

Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) gingivalis, which has been implicated as an etiologic agent in human periodontal diseases, has been shown to bind and degrade human fibrinogen. B. gingivalis strains bind fibrinogen reversibly and with high affinity and bind to a specific region of the fibrinogen molecule that appears to be located between the D and E domains. The authors now report that human fibrinogen is bound and then degraded by specific B. gingivalis components that appear to be localized at the cell surface. Fibrinogen binding to bacterial cells occurred at 4, 22, and 37{degree}C. A functional fibrinogen-binding component (M{sub r}, 150 000) was identified when sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized bacteria were fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and probed with {sup 125}I-fibrinogen. Fibrinogen degradation did not occur at 4{degree}C but did occur at 22 and 37{degree}C. When bacteria and iodinated fibrinogen were incubated at 37{degree}C, two major fibrinogen fragments (M{sub r}, 97 000 and 50 000) accumulated in incubation mixture supernatant fractions. Two major fibrinogen-degrading components (M{sub r}, 120 000 and 150 000) have been identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in substrate-containing gels. Fibrinogen degradation by the M{sub r}-120 000 and -150 000 proteases was enhanced by reducing agents, completely inhibited by N-{alpha}-p-tosyl-L-lysyl chloromethyl ketone, and partially inhibited by n-ethyl maleimide, suggesting that these enzymes are thiol-dependent proteases with trypsinlike substrate specificity. The fibrinogen-binding component could be separated from the fibrinogen-degrading components by selective solubilization of bacteria in sodium deoxycholate.

Specific cell components of Bacteroides gingivalis mediate binding and degradation of human fibrinogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lantz, M.S.; Allen, R.D.; Vail, T.A.; Switalski, L.M.; Hook, M.

1991-01-01

Bacteroides (Porphyromonas) gingivalis, which has been implicated as an etiologic agent in human periodontal diseases, has been shown to bind and degrade human fibrinogen. B. gingivalis strains bind fibrinogen reversibly and with high affinity and bind to a specific region of the fibrinogen molecule that appears to be located between the D and E domains. The authors now report that human fibrinogen is bound and then degraded by specific B. gingivalis components that appear to be localized at the cell surface. Fibrinogen binding to bacterial cells occurred at 4, 22, and 37 degree C. A functional fibrinogen-binding component (M r , 150 000) was identified when sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized bacteria were fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and probed with 125 I-fibrinogen. Fibrinogen degradation did not occur at 4 degree C but did occur at 22 and 37 degree C. When bacteria and iodinated fibrinogen were incubated at 37 degree C, two major fibrinogen fragments (M r , 97 000 and 50 000) accumulated in incubation mixture supernatant fractions. Two major fibrinogen-degrading components (M r , 120 000 and 150 000) have been identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in substrate-containing gels. Fibrinogen degradation by the M r -120 000 and -150 000 proteases was enhanced by reducing agents, completely inhibited by N-α-p-tosyl-L-lysyl chloromethyl ketone, and partially inhibited by n-ethyl maleimide, suggesting that these enzymes are thiol-dependent proteases with trypsinlike substrate specificity. The fibrinogen-binding component could be separated from the fibrinogen-degrading components by selective solubilization of bacteria in sodium deoxycholate

27 CFR 70.445 - Commerce in explosives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Commerce in explosives. 70... Cartridges, and Explosives § 70.445 Commerce in explosives. Part 55 of title 27 CFR contains the regulations..., explosives, (b) Permits for users who buy or transport explosives in interstate or foreign commerce, (c...

Culture-dependent and culture-independent characterization of potentially functional biphenyl-degrading bacterial community in response to extracellular organic matter from Micrococcus luteus.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xiao-Mei; Liu, Yin-Dong; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Ding, Lin-Xian; Shen, Chao-Feng

2015-05-01

Biphenyl (BP)-degrading bacteria were identified to degrade various polychlorinated BP (PCB) congers in long-term PCB-contaminated sites. Exploring BP-degrading capability of potentially useful bacteria was performed for enhancing PCB bioremediation. In the present study, the bacterial composition of the PCB-contaminated sediment sample was first investigated. Then extracellular organic matter (EOM) from Micrococcus luteus was used to enhance BP biodegradation. The effect of the EOM on the composition of bacterial community was investigated by combining with culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The obtained results indicate that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were predominant community in the PCB-contaminated sediment. EOM from M. luteus could stimulate the activity of some potentially difficult-to-culture BP degraders, which contribute to significant enhancement of BP biodegradation. The potentially difficult-to-culture bacteria in response to EOM addition were mainly Rhodococcus and Pseudomonas belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria respectively. This study provides new insights into exploration of functional difficult-to-culture bacteria with EOM addition and points out broader BP/PCB degrading, which could be employed for enhancing PCB-bioremediation processes. © 2015 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

[Isolation, identification and characterization of a diethylstilbestrol-degrading bacterial strain Serratia sp].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ran-Fang; Sun, Min-Xia; Liu, Juan; Wang, Hong; Li, Xin; Zhu, Xue-Zhu; Ling, Wan-Ting

2014-08-01

Utilizing the diethylstilbestrol (DES)-degrading bacteria to biodegrade DES is a most reliable technique for cleanup of DES pollutants from the environment. However, little information is available heretofore on the isolation of DES-degrading bacteria and their DES removal performance in the environment. A novel bacterium capable of degrading DES was isolated from the activated sludge of a wastewater treatment plant. According to its morphology, physiochemical characteristics, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, this strain was identified as Serratia sp.. The strain was an aerobic bacterium, and it could degrade 68.3% of DES (50 mg x L(-1)) after culturing for 7 days at 30 degrees C, 150 r x min(-1) in shaking flasks. The optimal conditions for DES biodegradation by the obtained strain were 30 degrees C, 40-60 mg x L(-1) DES, pH 7.0, 5% of inoculation volume, 0 g x L(-1) of added NaCl, and 10 mL of liquid medium volume in 100 mL flask.

Idaho Explosives Detection System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reber, Edward L.; Blackwood, Larry G.; Edwards, Andrew J.; Jewell, J. Keith; Rohde, Kenneth W.; Seabury, Edward H.; Klinger, Jeffery B.

2005-01-01

The Idaho Explosives Detection System was developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to respond to threats imposed by delivery trucks potentially carrying explosives into military bases. A full-scale prototype system has been built and is currently undergoing testing. The system consists of two racks, one on each side of a subject vehicle. Each rack includes a neutron generator and an array of NaI detectors. The two neutron generators are pulsed and synchronized. A laptop computer controls the entire system. The control software is easily operable by minimally trained staff. The system was developed to detect explosives in a medium size truck within a 5-min measurement time. System performance was successfully demonstrated with explosives at the INL in June 2004 and at Andrews Air Force Base in July 2004

Idaho Explosives Detection System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reber, Edward L. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States)]. E-mail: reber@inel.gov; Blackwood, Larry G. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States); Edwards, Andrew J. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States); Jewell, J. Keith [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States); Rohde, Kenneth W. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States); Seabury, Edward H. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States); Klinger, Jeffery B. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Freemont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2114 (United States)

2005-12-15

The Idaho Explosives Detection System was developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to respond to threats imposed by delivery trucks potentially carrying explosives into military bases. A full-scale prototype system has been built and is currently undergoing testing. The system consists of two racks, one on each side of a subject vehicle. Each rack includes a neutron generator and an array of NaI detectors. The two neutron generators are pulsed and synchronized. A laptop computer controls the entire system. The control software is easily operable by minimally trained staff. The system was developed to detect explosives in a medium size truck within a 5-min measurement time. System performance was successfully demonstrated with explosives at the INL in June 2004 and at Andrews Air Force Base in July 2004.

Evaluation of diazinon pesticide biodegradation by isolated indigenous bacteria from contaminated soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arezoo Alipour

2018-06-01

Discussion and conclusion: Results of this study revealed that degradation bacteria of diazinon exist in the places that used this insecticide and in the waste of industrial zone. It is expected that using these bacteria and biological resuscitation, it is possible to reduce some environmental hazardus issues of diazinon and also field application and determining the best formulation for bioramidation are essential in the future.

Molecular application for identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degrading bacteria (PAHD) species isolated from oil polluted soil in Dammam, Saud Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mohamed M; Al-Turki, Ameena; Al-Sewedi, Dona; Arif, Ibrahim A; El-Gaaly, Gehan A

2015-09-01

Soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbon products such as diesel and engine oil is becoming one of the major environmental problems. This study describes hydrocarbons degrading bacteria (PHAD) isolated from long-standing petrol polluted soil from the eastern region, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The isolated strains were firstly categorized by accessible shape detection, physiological and biochemistry tests. Thereafter, a technique established on the sequence analysis of a 16S rDNA gene was used. Isolation of DNA from the bacterial strains was performed, on which the PCR reaction was carried out. Strains were identified based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, As follows amplified samples were spontaneously sequenced automatically and the attained results were matched to open databases. Among the isolated bacterial strains, S1 was identified as Staphylococcus aureus and strain S1 as Corynebacterium amycolatum.

Trace explosives sensor testbed (TESTbed)

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Greg E.; Malito, Michael P.; Tamanaha, Cy R.; Hammond, Mark H.; Giordano, Braden C.; Lubrano, Adam L.; Field, Christopher R.; Rogers, Duane A.; Jeffries, Russell A.; Colton, Richard J.; Rose-Pehrsson, Susan L.

2017-03-01

A novel vapor delivery testbed, referred to as the Trace Explosives Sensor Testbed, or TESTbed, is demonstrated that is amenable to both high- and low-volatility explosives vapors including nitromethane, nitroglycerine, ethylene glycol dinitrate, triacetone triperoxide, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine. The TESTbed incorporates a six-port dual-line manifold system allowing for rapid actuation between a dedicated clean air source and a trace explosives vapor source. Explosives and explosives-related vapors can be sourced through a number of means including gas cylinders, permeation tube ovens, dynamic headspace chambers, and a Pneumatically Modulated Liquid Delivery System coupled to a perfluoroalkoxy total-consumption microflow nebulizer. Key features of the TESTbed include continuous and pulseless control of trace vapor concentrations with wide dynamic range of concentration generation, six sampling ports with reproducible vapor profile outputs, limited low-volatility explosives adsorption to the manifold surface, temperature and humidity control of the vapor stream, and a graphical user interface for system operation and testing protocol implementation.

Bifidobacterial inulin-type fructan degradation capacity determines cross-feeding interactions between bifidobacteria and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.

Science.gov (United States)

Moens, Frédéric; Weckx, Stefan; De Vuyst, Luc

2016-08-16

Prebiotic inulin-type fructans (ITF) display a bifidogenic and butyrogenic effect. Four bifidobacterial strains (Bifidobacterium breve Yakult, Bifidobacterium adolescentis LMG 10734, Bifidobacterium angulatum LMG 11039(T), and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum LMG 11047), displaying different ITF degradation capacities, were each grown in cocultivation with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM 17677(T), an ITF-degrading butyrate-producing colon bacterium, as to unravel their cross-feeding interactions. These coculture fermentations were performed in a medium for colon bacteria, whether or not including acetate (necessary for the growth of F. prausnitzii DSM 17677(T) and whether or not provided through cross-feeding), supplemented with oligofructose or inulin as the sole energy source. Bifidobacterium breve Yakult did not degrade oligofructose, resulting in the production of high concentrations of butyrate by F. prausnitzii DSM 17677(T) through oligofructose degradation. The degradation of oligofructose by B. adolescentis LMG 10734 and of oligofructose and inulin by B. angulatum LMG 11039(T) and B. longum LMG 11047 resulted in the production of acetate, which was cross-fed to F. prausnitzii DSM 17677(T), enabling the latter strain to degrade oligofructose and inulin. Slow preferential degradation of the short chain length fractions of oligofructose (intracellularly) by B. adolescentis LMG 10734 enabled substantial oligofructose degradation by F. prausnitzii DSM 17677(T). However, fast non-preferential degradation of all chain length fractions of oligofructose (extracellularly) and efficient degradation of the short chain length fractions of inulin by B. angulatum LMG 11039(T) and B. longum LMG 11047 made it impossible for F. prausnitzii DSM 17677(T) to compete for the available substrate. These results indicate that cross-feeding interactions between bifidobacteria and acetate-depending, butyrate-producing colon bacteria can be either a pure commensal or beneficial

Report on the treatability study for inerting small quantities of radioactive explosives and explosive components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loyola, V.M.; Reber, S.D.

1996-02-01

As a result of Sandia's radiation hardening testing on a variety of its explosive components, radioactive waste streams were generated and have to be disposed of as radioactive waste. Due to the combined hazards of explosives and radioactivity, Sandia's Radioactive and Mixed Waste Management organization did not have a mechanism for disposal of these waste streams. This report documents the study done to provide a method for the removal of the explosive hazard from those waste streams. The report includes the design of the equipment used, procedures followed, results from waste stream analog tests and the results from the actual explosive inerting tests on radioactive samples. As a result of the inerting treatment, the waste streams were rendered non-explosive and, thus, manageable through normal radioactive waste disposal channels

Explosion Generated Seismic Waves and P/S Methods of Discrimination from Earthquakes with Insights from the Nevada Source Physics Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, W. R.; Ford, S. R.; Pitarka, A.; Pyle, M. L.; Pasyanos, M.; Mellors, R. J.; Dodge, D. A.

2017-12-01

the explosion takes place is quite important. These material property effects can surprisingly degrade the seismic waveform correlation of even closely spaced explosions in different media. The next phase of the SPE will contrast chemical explosions in dry alluvium with the prior SPE explosions in granite and historic nuclear tests in a variety of media.

Insights into lignin degradation and its potential industrial applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Hamid, Ahmed M; Solbiati, Jose O; Cann, Isaac K O

2013-01-01

Lignocellulose is an abundant biomass that provides an alternative source for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. The depolymerization of the carbohydrate polymers in lignocellulosic biomass is hindered by lignin, which is recalcitrant to chemical and biological degradation due to its complex chemical structure and linkage heterogeneity. The role of fungi in delignification due to the production of extracellular oxidative enzymes has been studied more extensively than that of bacteria. The two major groups of enzymes that are involved in lignin degradation are heme peroxidases and laccases. Lignin-degrading peroxidases include lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), versatile peroxidase (VP), and dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP). LiP, MnP, and VP are class II extracellular fungal peroxidases that belong to the plant and microbial peroxidases superfamily. LiPs are strong oxidants with high-redox potential that oxidize the major non-phenolic structures of lignin. MnP is an Mn-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of various phenolic substrates but is not capable of oxidizing the more recalcitrant non-phenolic lignin. VP enzymes combine the catalytic activities of both MnP and LiP and are able to oxidize Mn(2+) like MnP, and non-phenolic compounds like LiP. DyPs occur in both fungi and bacteria and are members of a new superfamily of heme peroxidases called DyPs. DyP enzymes oxidize high-redox potential anthraquinone dyes and were recently reported to oxidize lignin model compounds. The second major group of lignin-degrading enzymes, laccases, are found in plants, fungi, and bacteria and belong to the multicopper oxidase superfamily. They catalyze a one-electron oxidation with the concomitant four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water. Fungal laccases can oxidize phenolic lignin model compounds and have higher redox potential than bacterial laccases. In the presence of redox mediators, fungal laccases can oxidize non

Degradation of 2,4-DB in Argentinean agricultural soils with high humic matter content.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuadrado, Virginia; Merini, Luciano J; Flocco, Cecilia G; Giulietti, Ana M

2008-01-01

The dissipation of 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) butyric acid (2,4-DB) in high-humic-matter-containing soils from agricultural fields of the Argentinean Humid Pampa region was studied, employing soil microcosms under different experimental conditions. The added herbicide was dissipated almost completely by soils with and without history of herbicide use by day 28. At 500 ppm, both soils showed the same degradation rates; but at 5-ppm concentration, the chronically exposed soil demonstrated a faster degradation of the herbicide. 2,4-DB addition produced increases in herbicide-degrading bacteria of three and 1.5 orders of magnitude in soils with and without history of herbicide use, respectively, in microcosms with 5 ppm. At 500-ppm concentration, the increase in 2,4-DB degraders was five orders of magnitude after 14 days, independent of the history of herbicide use. No differences were observed in either 2,4-DB degradation rates or in degrader bacteria numbers in the presence and absence of alfalfa plants, in spite of some differential characteristics in patterns of 2,4-DB metabolite accumulation. The main factor affecting 2,4-DB degradation rate would be the history of herbicide use, as a consequence of the adaptation of the indigenous microflora to the presence of herbicides in the field.

R-22 vapor explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.P.; Armstrong, D.R.

1977-01-01

Previous experimental and theoretical studies of R-22 vapor explosions are reviewed. Results from two experimental investigations of vapor explosions in a medium scale R-22/water system are reported. Measurements following the drop of an unrestrained mass of R-22 into a water tank demonstrated the existence of two types of interaction behavior. Release of a constrained mass of R-22 beneath the surface of a water tank improved the visual resolution of the system thus allowing identification of two interaction mechansims: at low water temperatures, R-22/water contact would produce immediate violent boiling; at high water temperatures a vapor film formed around its R-22 as it was released, explosions were generated by a surface wave which initiated at a single location and propagated along the vapor film as a shock wave. A new vapor explosion model is proposed, it suggests explosions are the result of a sequence of three independent steps: an initial mixing phase, a trigger and growth phase, and a mature phase where a propagating shock wave accelerates the two liquids into a collapsing vapor layer causing a high velocity impact which finely fragments and intermixes the two liquids

In silico and experimental methods revealed highly diverse bacteria with quorum sensing and aromatics biodegradation systems--a potential broad application on bioremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yili; Zeng, Yanhua; Yu, Zhiliang; Zhang, Jing; Feng, Hao; Lin, Xiuchun

2013-11-01

Phylogenetic overlaps between aromatics-degrading bacteria and acyl-homoserine-lactone (AHL) or autoinducer (AI) based quorum-sensing (QS) bacteria were evident in literatures; however, the diversity of bacteria with both activities had never been finely described. In-silico searching in NCBI genome database revealed that more than 11% of investigated population harbored both aromatic ring-hydroxylating-dioxygenase (RHD) gene and AHL/AI-synthetase gene. These bacteria were distributed in 10 orders, 15 families, 42 genus and 78 species. Horizontal transfers of both genes were common among them. Using enrichment and culture dependent method, 6 Sphingomonadales and 4 Rhizobiales with phenanthrene- or pyrene-degrading ability and AHL-production were isolated from marine, wetland and soil samples. Thin-layer-chromatography and gas-chromatography-mass-spectrum revealed that these Sphingomonads produced various AHL molecules. This is the first report of highly diverse bacteria that harbored both aromatics-degrading and QS systems. QS regulation may have broad impacts on aromatics biodegradation, and would be a new angle for developing bioremediation technology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrocarbon degradation, plant colonization and gene expression of alkane degradation genes by endophytic Enterobacter ludwigii strains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)