Bacterial Degradation of Cellulosic Waste at Sea.
Abstract
Information on the biological fate of cellulosic material in the ocean and the cellulolytic abilities of oceanic bacteria is important for predicting the fate of waste paper particles released from ships and the time required for complete decomposition. Measures of bacterial respiration were used to estimate rates and kinetics of cellulose particle degradation by marine bacterioplankton over a range of environmental conditions typical of selected locations and depths in the ocean. Decomposition of cellulose slurries followed first order degradation kinetics, with decay constants ranging from -0.004 d-1 at 280C to -0.0004-' at 40C (half lives of 173 to 1733 days). Q,0 values for cellulose decomposition averaged 1.85 for temperatures between 80C and 280C. Inorganic nutrient concentrations were less important than temperature in determining rates of degradation. Decomposition rates were also not affected by the size of the paper particles for size classes ranging from> 2 mm to 150 um. Oceanic bacterial - communities were found to degrade cellulose at rates approximately 10-fold lower than bacteria from in coastal seawater, possibly reflecting differences in the abundance of natural cellulosic substrates between the two environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA327756
Entities
People
- Brian J. Binder
- Mary Ann Moran
- Wenying Ye
Organizations
- University of Georgia Research Foundation