title: Effect of environmental parameters on bacterial degradation of Bunker C oil, Crude oils, and hydrocarbons.
abstract: Mixed microbial cultures, previously enriched on Bunker C fuel oil, grew on and degraded Bunker C fuel oil at temperatures ranging from 5 to 28 C. At 15 C, 41 to 85% of the benzene-soluble components of Bunker C disappeared after incubation for 7 days; at 5 C the values ranged from 21 to 52% after 14 days of incubation. A Nocardia sp. isolated from a culture enriched on Bunker C oil grew on Venezuelan crude oil, Bunker C, hexadecane, and a hydrocarbon mixture at temperatures of 5 and 15 C. The 10-C decrease in temperature resulted in an average 2.2-fold decrease in generation time of the bacteria. Gas-liquid chromatographic measurements of Venezuelan and Arabian crude oils which had been incubated with the Nocardia sp. showed significant degradation of the n-alkane portion and the chromatographically unresolved components of the oils. The concentration of elemental nitrogen required to bring about the disappearance of 1 mg of hexadecane by the Nocardia sp. was 0.5 mg. The results confirm suggestions that the rate of natural biodegradation of oil in marine temperate-to-polar zones is probably limited by low temperatures and phosphorus concentrations, but suggest that the concentrations of nitrogen occurring naturally are probably not rate-limiting factors.
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002170:Canada; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005648:Fuel Oils; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009615:Nocardia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010578:Petroleum; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D012623:Seawater; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D005648:Fuel Oils; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D010758:Phosphorus; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D009584:Nitrogen