title: Effect of inorganic nutrients on the acclimation period preceding mineralization of organic chemicals in lake water.
abstract: The addition of phosphate, nitrate, or sulfate (each at 10 mM) decreased the acclimation period for the mineralization of low concentrations of p-nitrophenol (PNP) in lake water. Added phosphate shortened the acclimation period for biodegradation of 2 ng to 2 micrograms of PNP per ml in various lake water samples and of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate at 100 ng/ml. Added P enhanced the rate of growth of PNP-mineralizing microorganisms in waters containing 200 ng or 2 micrograms of PNP per ml. We suggest that the effect of P on the acclimation period results from an increase in the growth rate of the initially small population of microorganisms able to mineralize the synthetic chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Agronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000187:drug effects; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D005618:Fresh Water; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D013431:Sulfates / Q000494:pharmacology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D009566:Nitrates; D009596:Nitrophenols; D010710:Phosphates; D013431:Sulfates; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C024836:4-nitrophenol