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Changes in soil microbial community composition induced by cometabolism of toluene and trichloroethylene

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Abstract

The effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) on microbial community composition were analyzed by reverse sample genome probing. Soil enrichments were incubated in dessicators containing an organic phase of either 1 or 10% (w/w) toluene in vacuum pump oil, delivering constant equilibrium aqueous concentrations of 16 and 143 mg/l, respectively. Increasing the equilibrium aqueous concentration of TCE from 0 to 10 mg/l led to shifts in community composition at 16, but not at 143 mg/l of toluene. In closed system co-degradation studies, TCE at an aqueous concentration of 1 mg/1 was effectively degraded by toluene-degrading soil enrichments once the aqueous toluene concentration dropped below 25 mg/l. Little TCE degradation was observed at higher toluene concentrations (50–250 mg/l). The results indicate that TCE changes microbial community composition under conditions where it is being actively metabolized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Casey Hubert & Gerrit Voordouw

  2. SemBioSys Genetics Inc., 2985 – 23rd Av. NE, Calgary, Alberta, T1Y 7L3, Canada

    Yin Shen

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  1. Casey Hubert
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Hubert, C., Shen, Y. & Voordouw, G. Changes in soil microbial community composition induced by cometabolism of toluene and trichloroethylene. Biodegradation 16, 11–22 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-003-0471-4

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