Biodegradation rates of separated diesel components Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • AbstractThree hydrocarbon classes (nalkanes, branched and cyclic alkanes, and aromatics) were separated from diesel fuel and used as hydrocarbon treatments during a 35d batch culture experiment in which biodegradation rates of the individual classes were quantified and compared with the biodegradation rate of a treatment consisting of a composite of the three fractions. Triplicate batch cultures of each hydrocarbon treatment were sampled on experimental days 0, 3, 7, 15, and 35. The microbial inoculum used in this study was a crude oildegrading culture isolated from a contaminated soil. As the experiment proceeded, microbial populations were estimated by total heterotrophic plate counts. Hydrocarbon concentrations were quantified by GC with flame ionization detection, and specific compound identification was confirmed by GCMS. The composite treatment was separated into aliphatic and aromatic fractions before hydrocarbon analysis. After 35 d, the relative biodegradation for each hydrocarbon class was as follows: nalkanes > aliphatic fraction of composite solution > aromatics > branched and cyclic alkanes > aromatic fraction of composite solution. In the composite treatment, biodegradation of both aromatic and aliphatic fractions was observed during the 35d study period and thus did not follow a clear pattern of sequential degradation. However, the biodegradation rate for the aromatic fraction was significantly slower than the aliphatic fraction.

published proceedings

  • ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

author list (cited authors)

  • Olson, J. J., Mills, G. L., Herbert, B. E., & Morris, P. J.

citation count

  • 38

complete list of authors

  • Olson, JJ||Mills, GL||Herbert, BE||Morris, PJ

publication date

  • November 1999

publisher