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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses
Published on: October 21, 2016
Anaerobic mineralization of stable-isotope-labeled 2-methylnaphthalene
E R Sullivan1, X Zhang, C Phelps
1Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Cook College, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA.
Abstract:
An active sulfate-reducing consortium that degrades 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MNAP) at rates of up to 25 microM x day(-1) was established. Degradation was inhibited in the presence of molybdate and ceased in the absence of sulfate. As much as 87% of 2-[14C]MNAP was mineralized to 14CO2. 2-Naphthoic acid (2-NA) was detected as a metabolite, and incubation with either deuterated 2-MNAP or [13C]bicarbonate indicates that 2-NA is the result of oxidation of the methyl group. Also detected were carboxylated 2-MNAPs, suggesting the presence of an alternative pathway for 2-MNAP degradation.

