Nutrient limitation and adaptation of microbial populations to chemical transformations.
Using field-collected periphyton and bacterial isolates, we determined adaptation lag periods for microbial transformation of p-cresol. Lag periods were longer for periphyton samples collected from field sites that were low in dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Moreover, lag periods decreased in samples amended with N or P. Our data suggest that adaptation lag periods for microbial transformation of low concentrations of chemicals may correlate with limiting nutrient concentrations, and this correlation may provide a basis for predictive mathematical modeling of lag periods.
Lewis
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DL
Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia 30613, and Department of Microbiology and Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.
Kollig
H P
HP
Hodson
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RE