Effects of four aromatic organic pollutants on microbial glucose metabolism and thymidine incorporation in marine sediments.
The metabolism of D-[U-14C]glucose and the incorporation of [methyl-3H]thymidine by aerobic and anaerobic marine sediment microbes exposed to 1 to 1,000 ppm anthracene, naphthalene, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and pentachlorophenol were examined. Cell-specific rates of [14C]glucose metabolism averaged 1.7 X 10(-21) and 0.5 X 10(-21) mol/min per cell for aerobic and anaerobic sediment slurries, respectively; [3H]thymidine incorporation rates averaged 43 X 10(-24) and 9 X 10(-24) mol/min per cell for aerobic and anaerobic slurries, respectively. Aerobic sediments exposed to three of the organic pollutants for 2 to 7 days showed recovery of both activities. Anaerobic sediments showed little recovery after 2 days of pre-exposure to the pollutants. We conclude that (i) anaerobic sediments are more sensitive than aerobic sediments to pollutant additions; (ii) [3H]thymidine incorporation is more sensitive to pollutant additions than is [14C]glucose metabolism; and (iii) the toxicity of the pollutants increased in the following order: anthracene, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, naphthalene, and pentachlorophenol.
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000633:toxicity; D003634:DDT / Q000633:toxicity; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000633:toxicity; D010416:Pentachlorophenol / Q000633:toxicity; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
D000873:Anthracenes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009281:Naphthalenes; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003634:DDT; D010416:Pentachlorophenol; C034020:anthracene; D005947:Glucose; D013936:Thymidine