Protozoa in subsurface sediments from sites contaminated with aviation gasoline or jet fuel

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1993-02, Vol.59 (2), p.467-472
• Main Authors: Sinclair, J.L. (ManTech Environmental Technology, Ada, OK), Kampbell, D.H, Cook, M.L, Wilson, J.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 560300 > Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; AERONAVES; AERONEF; AGUAS SUBTERRANEAS; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; ANIMALS; Applied ecology; AVIATION FUELS; BACTERIA; BIODEGRADATION; Biological and medical sciences; CAPA FREATICA; Cellular biology; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; COMBUSTIBLE; COMBUSTIBLES; CONTAMINATION; DECOMPOSITION; EAU SOUTERRAINE; Ecology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; ELEMENTS; Environmental and Public Health Microbiology; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; FLORA DEL SUELO; FLORE DU SOL; FLUIDS; Freshwater; FUELS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GASES; GASOLINE; HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY; HYDROCARBONS; INVERTEBRATES; JET ENGINE FUELS; LIQUID FUELS; MICHIGAN; MICROORGANISMS; NAPPE SOUTERRAINE; NONMETALS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN; PETROLE; PETROLEO; PETROLEUM PRODUCTS 540220 > Environment, Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-); POLLUTION DE L'EAU; POLLUTION DU SOL; POLUCION DEL AGUA; POLUCION DEL SUELO; PROPIEDADES FISICO-QUIMICAS; PROPRIETE PHYSICOCHIMIQUE; PROTOZOA; RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT; REMEDIAL ACTION; SEDIMENT; SEDIMENTO; SEDIMENTS; SOILS; SOL ANTHROPOGENE; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; TIPOS ANTROPOGENICOS DE SUELOS; VAPORS; WATER TABLES
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/aem.59.2.467-472.1993

Numbers of protozoa in the subsurface of aviation gasoline and jet fuel spill areas at a Coast Guard base at Traverse City, Mich., were determined. Boreholes were drilled in an uncontaminated location, in contaminated but untreated parts of the fuel plumes, and in the aviation gasoline source area undergoing H2O2 biotreatment. Samples were taken from the unsaturated zone to depths slightly below the floating free product in the saturated zone. Protozoa were found to occur in elevated numbers in the unsaturated zone, where fuel vapors mixed with atmospheric oxygen, and below the layer of floating fuel, where uncontaminated groundwater came into contact with fuel. The same trends were noted in the biotreatment area, except that numbers of protozoa were higher. Numbers of protozoa in some contaminated areas equalled or exceeded those found in surface soil. The abundance of protozoa in the biotreatment area was high enough that it would be expected to significantly reduce the bacterial community that was degrading the fuel. Little reduction in hydraulic conductivity was observed, and no bacterial fouling of the aquifer was observed during biotreatment