title: The design and use of aerated microcosms in mineralization studies.
abstract: The need for aeration of microcosms during mineralization of 14C-labeled compounds in high oxygen demand environments was assessed using active compost-soil mixtures as the model system. Rapid mineralization of 14C-hexadecane occurred in continuously aerated microcosms while no mineralization occurred in unaerated microcosms. Daily flushing with air also yielded no mineralization. Mineralization of 14C-glucose was much less dependent on aeration. The alkaline solution volume and number of CO2 traps required for continuous aeration were calculated and tested experimentally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haderlein
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bonin Aly-Hassan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ramsay
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D008903:Minerals; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C007932:n-hexadecane