Marine Bacterial Degradation of Brominated Methanes
Abstract
Brominated methanes are ozone-depleting compounds whose natural sources include marine algae such as kelp. Brominated methane degradation by bacteria was investigated to address whether bacterial processes might effect net emission of these compounds to the atmosphere. Bacteria in seawater collected from California kelp beds degraded CH_2Br_2 but not CHBr_3. Specific inhibitors showed that methanotrophs and nitrifiers did not significantly contribute to CH_2Br_2 removal. A seawater enrichment culture oxidized ^(14)CH_2Br_2 to ^(14)CO_2 as well as ^(14)CH_3Br to ^(14)CO_2. The rates of CH_2Br_2 degradation in laboratory experiments suggest that bacterial degradation of CH_2Br_2 in a kelp bed accounts for <1% of the CH_2Br_2 produced by the kelp. However, the half-life of CH_2Br_2 due to bacterial removal appears faster than hydrolysis and within an order of magnitude of volatilization to the atmosphere.
Additional Information
© 1997 American Chemical Society. Received for review February 25, 1997. Revised manuscript received August 1, 1997. Accepted August 13, 1997. We thank Dr. Margo Haygood and Dr. Brad Tebo from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography for use of polycarbonate filter holders. We thank Dr. Wheeler North from the California Institute of Technology for guidance and assistance with kelp biomass work and Penny Sherman for laboratory assistance. This research was funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation and a grant from NSF (EID 9023500). K.G. was partially supported by an NIH training grant (T32 GM08346).Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 86346
- DOI
- 10.1021/es970165g
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20180510-152203541
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- EID-9023500
- NSF
- T32 GM08346
- NIH Predoctoral Fellowship
- Created
-
2018-05-14Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-15Created from EPrint's last_modified field