Degradation of tertiary butyl alcohol by a Pseudomonas sp. isolated from groundwater

Abstract

A <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. capable of degrading tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) as a sole carbon source, was isolated from a groundwater aquifer (50 ft. deep) at a petroleum refinery. The most probable number (MPN) of TBA degrading microorganisms was 4.9 x 10³ organisms/g (dry wt) of subsurface soil. Pristine subsurface soils, which did not have a history of petroleum contamination, had MPNs of < 2 TBA degrading organisms/g (dry wt) indicating a natural enrichment process at the refinery site. The Q_O2 of <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. was 4.2 ml O₂/mg dry wt/h when TBA was the substrate. The optimum pH for growth was 7.0. The organism grew faster in continuous culture when TBA was the sole carbon source with a doubling time 33.6 h. The doubling time in batch culture was 112.3 h. When yeast extract was added to a mineral salts + TBA medium to concentrations greater than 1 mg/ml, TBA degradation was inhibited. When the yeast extract concentration was 0.1 mg/ml, a diauxy effect was seen in the growth rate. This suggested that TBA degradation by <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. was subject to a regulatory mechanism.