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Metabolic responses of microbiota to diesel fuel addition in vegetated soil

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Abstract

The effects of trees and contamination on microbial metabolic activity, especially that of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, were compared during phytoremediation to find which conditions increase diesel fuel removal. Diesel fuel utilisation, microbial extracellular enzyme activities and utilisation of Biolog ECO plate carbon sources by soil bacteria were determined during phytoremediation experiments consisting of two separate diesel applications. Diesel fuel removal after 28 days of second diesel application was 20–30% more than after the first application 1 year earlier. Soil microbiota utilised 26–31 of the 31 Biolog ECO plate carbon sources. Carbon source utilisation profiles indicated minor differences in microbiota in soil vegetated with pine compared to microbiota in soil vegetated with poplar. The potential maximum rates of aminopeptidase activity were 10–102 μM AMC/h/g dry soil prior to and after second diesel application, except 14 days after the second diesel addition, where the rates were at the scale of 103 μM AMC/h/g dry soil. The potential maximum rates of esterase activity were 103–104 μM MUF/h/g dry soil. The presence of plants did not influence the activity of esterases. The utilisation of diesel by soil bacteria in Biolog MT2 plate assay was higher in contaminated soil, especially when vegetated, than in uncontaminated soil, measured both as lag times and maximum specific utilisation rates. MT2 plate assay detected the biological response after diesel fuel addition better than general activity methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, 33101, Finland

    Marja R.T. Palmroth, Uwe Münster & Jaakko A. Puhakka

  2. Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306-0495, USA

    John Pichtel

Authors
  1. Marja R.T. Palmroth
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  2. Uwe Münster
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  3. John Pichtel
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  4. Jaakko A. Puhakka
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Palmroth, M.R., Münster, U., Pichtel, J. et al. Metabolic responses of microbiota to diesel fuel addition in vegetated soil. Biodegradation 16, 91–101 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-0626-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-0626-y

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