This digital document is a journal article from Environmental Pollution, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
A miniaturized method based on 96-well microtitre plates was developed and used to study respiration in pristine and contaminated soils following addition of volatile substrates. Small soil samples were exposed to fuel components, which were volatilized from spatially separate reservoirs of 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane (HMN) as an organic carrier. Respiration was determined as CO”2 production by means of a pH-indicator and bicarbonate-containing agar, or as ^1^4CO”2 evolution from ^1^4C-labelled substrates. Substrate concentrations inducing maximum microbial activity or inhibition were determined and CO”2 production profiles examined by multivariate analysis. When high concentrations of fuel components were applied, distinction of hydrocarbon exposed soils from unexposed soil was achieved within 6h of incubation. With low concentrations, adequate distinction was achieved after 24h, probably as a result of community adaptation. Nutrient limitation was identified with the ^1^4C method for toluene, and the optimal N and P amendment determined. Further potential applications of this rapid and inexpensive method are outlined.
