Hexadecane mineralization in oxygen-controlled sediment-seawater cultivations with autochthonous microorganisms

Laboratory studies investigated the influence of dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) on microbial degradation of hexadecane in cultures with sediment-seawater suspensions. With a fermentor system, it was possible to adjust and regulate different oxic conditions (DOTs between 0.4 and 80% of oxygen saturation) as well as anoxia. The effects of DOT reduction on the amount and rate of hexadecane degraded and on the degree of mineralization and on the production of biomass were investigated. When the DOT was reduced from 80% to 5%, no dependence of the investigated parameters on the oxygen concentration was found. The amount of hexadecane degraded was constant, with an average value of 86% of the initially applied amount. The degradation rate was constant even down to 1% DOT, with an average value of 0.15 mg of hexadecane per g of sediment per h (16.2 mg liter-1 h-1). The mean degree of mineralization was 70% of the initially applied hexadecane, and biomass production reached a value of about 1.5 g per g of hexadecane consumed. A significant influence on the degradation process was detected only with DOTs below 1%. The degree of mineralization and the amount of degraded hexadecane decreased, whereas the degradation rate was still unaffected. Under anoxic conditions, no hexadecane degradation occurred within 190 h. The fact that the hexadecane biodegradation rate was constant down to at least 0.04% DOT shows that the actual oxygen concentration is of minor importance as long as the oxygen supply is high enough to guarantee the oxygen-dependent degradation step.